Christkindlmarkt Glühwein

This past weekend as we began unpacking our holiday decorations, Ryan and I discovered a Christmas cookbook we purchased in Germany. Inside, there are recipes for all of the Christmas meal classics, like Christmas Goose, German Chocolate Cake, Christstollen, and our holiday favorite, German Glühwein!

Glühwein, meaning “glow wine”, is a mulled wine, served during the winter months, particularly at Christmas markets, throughout Europe. Mulled wine is a red or white wine combined with spices, fruits, and sugar, and is typically served hot to help market goers combat the cold European climate!

No European Christmas market is complete without a hut selling cups of steaming glühwein. It is something that I always enjoyed as I strolled through charming villages adorn with Christmas decorations with family and friends.

In keeping with our “European Christmas” theme this year, we decided to make our own authentic German glühwein while decorating our home for the holidays!

We adjusted the recipe in order to make a crockpot version because I love the smell of the citrus and spices after it’s been simmering for a couple of hours! All you need to do is collect the ingredients, add them to the crockpot, and serve once the mixture is heated… it is as simple as that!

Click the recipe card below for a printable PDF version:

As we sipped our cups of glühwein, Ryan and I felt as though we had been transported back to Europe, walking around our favorite Christmas Markets.

Naturally, Summer was intrigued by all of the Christmas decorations. She unpacked ornaments, played with Christmas lights, and pushed a vintage sled all around the living room! We spent the night watching Christmas movies and giggling as Summer helped “decorate” the house. I can already tell this month is going to be a good one. Happy Holidays, friends, and Prost!