The Best Apple Cider Mocktail: Frozen Apple Pie Drink

The fall is here! Fall is here!! Fall is HERE!

It’s officially fall and officially time to celebrate all things related to fall. That means all things pumpkin, cozy sweaters, and apple cider. 

Especially the last one! All the apple cider things!!!

In Michigan, we have the luxury of having more cider mills than we know what to do with. Most are less than a day’s drive away with a majority being much, much closer. There are donuts and gallons of freshly pressed cider (thanks, Yates!) just about everywhere. 

When my friend Esther, the queen of all things fall, and I started talking about a potential collaboration, involving fall, none-the-less, I knew I wanted my contribution to involve apple cider. 

Ironically enough, the inspiration for this creation did not come from the bounty of Michigan cider mills in the area. Instead, it came from Epcot and the Food-and-Wine Festival.

That’s right! All the way from Walt Disney World. The Appleseed Orchard booth at the Epcot Food-and-Wine Festival features an amazing frozen Apple Pie drink. A delightful slushie topped with an apple pie like mixture. Perfect for those in Florida who want to embrace the fall season and at the same time cool down in the intense relentless heat! It was the perfect drink to recreate.

Without further ado, here is the delicious, refreshing frozen apple pie drink. Or, as I prefer to call it, the world’s most perfect ‘Apple Cider Mocktail’. Then, at the end of this post, stay tuned because ‘A Magical Kingdom Called Home’ has another amazing Epcot Food-and-Wine Festival treat!

Frozen Apple Pie Drink: Apple Cider Mocktail

Serving Size: 2 – 8 oz Servings

16 oz Apple Cider: Frozen

Apple Pie Filling

2 Large Apples, Peeled and Cubed (Any variety works, but Granny Smith and Honey Crisp Combo was our fav)

1.5 Tbsp of Water

1 Tbsp of Butter

1/2 to 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon, to taste

1/4 C. of Sugar (or Less/More to Taste)

Apple Pie Crumble Topping

1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar

1/4 C. All-Pupose Flour

1/4 C. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (Or omit, and use 1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour)

1/8 C. Vegan Butter, Diced (We like Earth Balance)

Optional Ingredient: Corn Startch

 

1. Step One

Gather up all your supplies!

Make sure your apple cider is frozen and remains in the freezer at this time. If you haven’t put it in the freezer yet, take a quick break and do so right now. The apple cider needs to be frozen in a freezer safe container with enough room for liquid expansion. If you have a blender, such as the NutriBullet blender, freeze the apple cider in one of the blender containers. Freeze with a regular container lid and not the blender base.

2. Step Two

Let’s start making the apple pie topping!

Your apples should be cut, cubed and peeled. The pieces should be smaller, even smaller than a typical apple pie recipe.

The apple pie crumb is going to go right on top of your apple pie mocktail and will need to make its way through a straw if you plan to use one. (Alternatively, a spoon works great for consuming this treat!)

Apple Pie Crumble Topping

Mix together the sugar and flour. Next, mix in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside and create apple pie filling. 

Apple Pie Filling

Get ready for your house to smell amazing!

First, set your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Next, in a small pan on the stove, melt 1 Tbsp of butter and the desired amount of cinnamon. Once melted, add in the apples, sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring as needed for approximately 5-7 minutes. For the apple cider mocktail drink, you want the apples to be soft, but not completely mushy. Continue to cook or lesson the cooking time based on your preference. 

If the apple mixture seems a little runny, be sure to thicken it up. Take about a 1/2 Tbsp of corn starch and mix it with about 1 Tbsp of water, making a thin mixture. Slowly, while stirring, add the mixture to the apples on the stovetop. Continue to stir the apple mixture until it thickens. This addition is going to help make your apple mixture not be runny when baked. 

Take Frozen Apple Cider Out of the Freezer

Before the next step, be sure to do this: Take Your Frozen Apple Cider out of the Freezer. 

Next, transfer the apple pie filling into a small oven-safe dish. Top with the apple pie crumble topping, smoosh down slightly. Place in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the crumble as it is a smaller portion than your typical apple pie crumble, so you want to make sure it doesn’t burn. At 15 minutes, check to see if the crumble topping is a nice golden brown. If not, give it another 5-10 minutes of baking. 

Once the apple pie crumble has cooked, set it aside and let it cool. If you put it directly on your frozen apple cider, it’s going to melt the drink super fast. 

While your apple pie crumble is cooling, blend up your frozen apple cider. The drink should have thawed enough while your apple pie crumble was cooking. If it has become too liquidy, be sure to throw it back in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes. 

Let’s Put It All Together

Once your frozen apple cider is blended and your apple pie crumble has cooled, it’s time to put the two together!

Pour your frozen apple cider into a cup, dividing it in two and add a generous heap of your apple pie crumble to the top. If you can, attempt to have the crumble portion facing up! It’s prettier and helps you preserve the crispness of the crumble longer. 

3. Step Three

Time to pop in a straw to your newly created Apple Cider Mocktail, sit back, relax, and drink up! The perfect frozen treat for fall days that are just a little too warm! With this delicious Apple Cider Mocktail, you can beat the heat and enjoy all the goodness fall (ahem, apple cider) has to offer too!

Enjoy your Apple Cider Mocktail!

Now that you have the world’s most perfect Apple Cider Mocktail drink in hand, you’re probably going to be hungry. Be sure to check out ‘A Magical Kingdom Called Home’s’ post here and you’ll be able to create the most amazing fall-inspired butternut squash ravioli dish!

Interested in learning more about the Epcot Food-and-Wine Festival? Be sure to check out this post here. Plus, learn the cool things kids can do at the Epcot Food-and-Wine Festival! Check out this post here. 

Any questions about this post or Epcot Food-and-Wine Festival questions? Be sure to leave a comment below! 

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