Easy Mulled Wine Recipe- Paleo, Allergy Friendly, Refined Sugar Free

I'm not a hot drinks person. I mean, in the past I loved a good hot cocoa, but with my having dairy issues, that became so much more complicated. Then I started drinking coffee, but my psychiatrist banned that for me. I haven't been able to find a good consistent source of gluten free coffee substitute, other than the ones I make myself, but that is too much much work for me to do that on a regular basis. And I've never been a fan of tea (I only drink it when I'm sick). So if you ask me if I enjoy a good hot drink, my answer pretty much would have been a solid no. 

Until a few days ago.

I don't know why, but a few days ago, I was thinking about sitting in front of a log cabin with a roaring fire, snuggled up in a cozy blanket on the couch with a good book, and sipping mulled wine. I'd never even had mulled wine, but I knew that I had to try to make it.

I looked online for how to make mulled wine, and there are so many different recipes out there, each with their own unique twist. Most of them called for star anise which I didn't have at home, and while I probably could have used some fennel seeds instead (from the wild fennel growing in my backyard), I had a guest over who detests the flavor of fennel, so I wanted to try another variety. I had just finished making a batch of jaggery syrup and though I poured it into the storage container, there was enough syrup in the pot I used that I didn't want to go to waste, and figured that it was the perfect time to make that mulled wine, using whatever was left of the jaggery syrup to sweeten it. 

It was so wonderful, that I decided to make it a few times since.

Its the perfect combination of soothing warmth and comfort for a cold winter night. With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, and Christmas not long after that, many people are looking for the perfect beverage to serve. Why not make it be mulled wine, and give them that homey cozy feeling in a mug?

While I used jaggery syrup for mine, feel free to use whatever sweetener you like, whether honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, white sugar, or whatever floats your boat. You can play around with the spices, adding more or less. Just note that too much cloves will probably be overpowering, so down play it. There's no one right way to make it. Take your pick. My recipe is just a suggestion.

And yes, I can definitely now say I'm a hot drinks person. Make it mulled wine, please.

Easy Mulled Wine Recipe- Allergy Friendly, Refined Sugar Free

Ingredients:

3 cups dry red wine. You don't need something super high quality for this. I used merlot or cabernet bought on sale, but feel free to use whatever.

3/4 cup jaggery syrup or other sweetener of choice, or to taste
1- 1 1/2 cups water, or to taste
1 stick cinnamon
2 cardamom pods
1-2 cloves
1 clementine or orange

Instructions:

1. Peel your orange or clementine, and break it into segments.

2. Mix your wine, water, and sweetener together in a saucepan, until the sweetener is dissolved.

3. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and clementine or orange to the pot.

4. Heat up on a low flame, and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until the wine is warm and infused with the spices. If it isn't strong enough, simmer for longer, but you might want to add water if it seems like some is evaporating.

5. Serve hot in mugs with your favorite good book and a cozy blanket.

Enjoy!

Do you enjoy hot drinks? What are your favorites? Have you had or made mulled wine before? What do you put in yours? Does this look like a recipe you'd try?