This apple dip is creamy and a bit spicy and will just…knock your socks off with its intense apple cider flavor. If you are looking for the most apple-y, fall recipe around, this is it. It doesn’t get any more apple-y or fall than this. Before you know it, you’ll be spreading it on crackers, dunking slices of apples in it, making cinnamon dusted tortilla chips, or even better, making apple fritters!
How do I get all that apple flavor into my dip? By taking half a gallon (8 cups!) of apple cider and cooking down until it’s almost down to nothing. Once you are ready to mix the cider syrup with the cream cheese, most of the water is gone and all that is left is apple flavor and more apple flavor. Good stuff!
Just be real careful when you get to the point that the cider is starting to thicken. It can burn easily if you don’t watch it! Or reduce too much. You want it thick, but not so thick you can’t mix it into the cream cheese to make a nice, smooth apple dip from it.
But all is not lost, even if you get distracted by shiny things instead of watching the cider! If it’s just starting to burn, you can still use it, but the flavor will be a bit stronger and not as sweet. I would recommend adding a little extra sugar when you are mixing the dip. As for overthickening, adding a little fresh cider and mixing it in can loosen it up. Or, if you are stuck with bits of overthickened cider that simply will not whip into the cream cheese, use a fine mesh strainer and push all the dip through the strainer into a bowl. It works very well. Don’t ask me how I know. 🙂
Now that you have a batch of yummy, creamy apple cider dip, the only question is what to put it on. I gave a few suggestions at the top. Cinnamon graham crackers are a great and easy choice. Then, if you add some apple slices to the platter and you have an easy and healthy combination. And of course, frying up pieces of leftover flour tortillas is a tasty way to use them up and make some chips for the dip. Other options include slathering it on some nice cheddar cheese or have it with breakfast on toast or pancakes. All good choices!
However, if you want to go all out and you are good with deep frying (it’s really not difficult, I promise!), then you cannot go wrong with Cinnamon Sugar Apple Fritters.
Creamy, Knock Your Socks Off, Apple Cider Dip
Ingredients
- 8 cups 1 half gallon apple cider
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 10 allspice berries or 1/4 tsp allspice
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 8 oz 1 package cream cheese or neufchatel, at room temperature
Instructions
- Pour the apple cider into a large pot or a saucier. Add the cinnamon sticks and allspice and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the cider comes to a good boil, lower the heat to medium or medium-low, whatever gives you a low boil/high simmer.
- Cook down the cider for 1 1/2 hours, checking occasionally. Once you get to the 1 1/2 hour mark, check it more frequently and look for the solids to start collecting on the bottom of the pot. Lower the heat and let it continue reducing until you have about 3/4 cup of reduced cider syrup. (When you lower the heat, take out the cream cheese so it's nice and soft when you are ready to use it.)
- If the syrup reduced a little too much and is overthickened, whisk in some more cider until it loosens up.
- Strain the cider syrup through fine mesh sieve to get the allspice berries and cinnamon sticks.
- Put the cream cheese in a large bowl and whip it up on high before adding the cider syrup. Pour in the cider and the sugar and whip the mixture until it is well blended.
- Scoop the dip into a bowl and enjoy!
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