This Apple Cider Margarita tastes just as good as it looks, folks. Enjoy sips of warming cinnamon and real maple syrup paired with robust tequila and zesty orange liquor in this fall margarita. It’s one of our favorite fall cocktails and is perfect for a crowd or a single serving.
The Best Apple Cider Margarita
Enjoy the familiar margarita flavors that you know and love but with a fall twist from apple cider and warming notes from cozy cinnamon and real maple syrup in apple cider margaritas. If you’re serving a crowd, offer them full bar service with our classic margarita, cranberry orange whisky sour, and cranberry Moscow mules!
What You Will Need
- cinnamon & granulated sugar – Just a bit of sweetness and warmth to add some flavor to the rim of your glass.
- real maple syrup – Feel free to pick up your favorite grocery store brand or try your hand the homemade version.
- fresh apple cider – Store-bought apple cider works, but we always try to pick some up at our local apple orchard for the best apple flavor.
- tequila & orange liquor – Feel free to omit to make this a virgin margarita. For the orange liquor, we used triple sec.
- fresh lime juice – Adds just the right amount of zesty citrus flavor throughout.
- optional garnishes: If you’re feeling extra festive, pick up star anise, fresh apple slices, and cinnamon sticks to garnish your drink.
How To Make Apple Cider Margaritas
Start by measuring out the ingredients for easy assembly. Scroll down to the recipe card for the amounts used for a pitcher.
Place a bit of maple syrup on a small plate and carefully press the rim of your margarita glass into the maple syrup. On another plate, set your maple syrup rimmed glass into the cinnamon sugar mixture until it coats the edge of the glass.
Recipe Tip:
To keep the maple syrup from running down the glass, use chilled maple syrup.
Then add the maple syrup, apple cider, tequila, orange liquor and lime juice to your prepared glass and stir to combine. Then add the ice cubes, being careful not to bump the cinnamon sugar rim, and stir again. Garnishes of apple slices, star anise, and a cinnamon stick are optional, but they sure do make this drink look pretty!
This is the perfect drink to serve to a larger crowd, so feel free to make the pitcher version for Thanksgiving Dinner!
Whether you make a pitcher or a single serving, this apple cider margarita recipe is the perfect balance of fall flavors and is best enjoyed cozied up on the couch, by the fire, or with friends and family. It’ll soon become one of your favorite fall drinks.
Recipe FAQs
Make sure that your maple syrup is at room temperature for it to fully mix into the drink.
Apple juice is sweeter than apple cider, and will therefore change the flavor if used in this cocktail. Feel free to use what fits your personal preference best.
Made this apple cider cinnamon margarita recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Cocktail Recipes You Might Like
Apple Cider Margarita Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Counter Top
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Description
Apple Cider Margarita – a delicious, festive Fall cocktail that is made with simple, real ingredients! Perfect for any holiday get-together!
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Rim:
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- real maple syrup
Apple Cider Margaritas (single serve – see Notes for pitcher measurements):
- 3oz apple cider
- 2oz tequila
- 1oz orange liquor
- 1 teaspoon real maple syrup
- 1 oz lime juice
- Garnish (optional): star anise, sliced apples, cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Add cinnamon and sugar to a plate; stir to combine.
- Rub a little bit of the maple syrup along the rim of the glass (alternatively you can pour some extra maple syrup on a plate and dip the rim in it – but it will drip a bit). Then dip in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat the rim.
- Add maple syrup, apple cider, tequila, orange liquor and lime juice to glass. Stir to combine.
- Add ice and stir again.
- Garnish with apple slices, star anise and a cinnamon stick.
Notes
- Pitcher Recipe: Using approx. 60 oz pitcher, use the following measurements – 1 tablespoons cinnamon + 1 tablespoons sugar + maple syrup for the cinnamon sugar rim. For the pitcher of margs: 3 cups apple cider + 2 cups tequila + 1 cup orange liquor + 3 tablespoons real maple syrup + 1 cup lime juice + ice for serving (taste and adjust maple syrup, as needed). Pitcher makes approx. 8 servings.
- Real Maple Syrup: this will mix together better if it is at room temp – if it is really cold it will fall to the bottom and not mix in as well.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 drink
- Calories: 234
- Sugar: 22.4 g
- Sodium: 24.6 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.3 g
- Protein: 0.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Linda says
Made these with the cinnamon sugar rim and wow did they pop. Interesting combo that really works. 🤎💛
Erin says
Yay!!! So happy to hear that!
KJ says
This was delicious and so pretty. I made it for Thanksgiving. Everyone loved it. Plus the apples left in the pitcher were pretty tasty too. 😉 (Tried to give this 5 stars in previous review, but it was acting weird.)
Erin says
So happy to hear that! And thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review – I really appreciate it!