15 Ways To Make Store-Bought Apple Juice Even More Delicious

In terms of beverages, apple juice is one of those timeless classics. It tastes comforting from childhood into adulthood, making it a tasty sipper for all ages. However, unless you live by an apple orchard, you might not have a big batch of apples to create homemade juice at any given time. Thankfully, store-bought apple juice is a convenient and affordable option all year round.  

Adding to this good news, store-bought apple juice can go from ho-hum to oh-yum with a range of ingredients, depending on the flavor profile you want to enjoy. In this article, we will explore ways to make store-bought apple juice even more delicious. These options can change the flavor to make it sweeter, tangy, or intoxicating, and to give it depth. 

Most of these are family- and kid-friendly, save for a few adult-beverage suggestions. The majority of these combinations are very simple to achieve, while others may require some steeping, simmering, or a bit of planning ahead. Gather that juice bottle and crack it open. You're going to have plenty of options to work with, allowing you to produce an a-peel-ing beverage, no matter the season. 

One of the easiest ways to give life to even the most basic store-bought apple juice is to spice it up. Take your apple juice to new heights with warming spices such as cinnamon, cloves, star anise, nutmeg, cardamom, or ginger. This is super-simple to achieve if you have the powdered spices already in your pantry, but you may also use whole spices, such as a cinnamon stick or cardamom pod, if that's what you have. If you need inspiration, there are a lot of warming spices from around the globe that you could flavor apple juice with. 

Mix and match spices based on your personal preference. No matter which ones you pick, they bring depth and complexity to the juice. Create a warm beverage by simmering the spices and apple juice on the stove, which doubles as a drinkable potpourri that makes your home smell cozy and inviting. Strain your concoction to avoid getting any bits of spice in your mouth as you sip, and you're ready to enjoy it in your favorite mug. Alternatively, you could allow this concoction to cool or serve the juice over ice, if you prefer a cold version. 

If you buy cranberrry-apple juice from the store, keep in mind that you can make it at home quite easily. This combination is an old favorite, but instead of purchasing it premade, customize the tartness by blending your own mix of apple and cranberry juices. The two juices blend to make a tart, sweet quencher, which offers more dimension than apple juice alone. Since they're both liquids, they combine smoothly, and you can also come up with your desired ratio. 

The cranberry juice brings a vibrant hue into the mix, ideal for when you want to bring something other than flavor to the table. Should you want something more smoothie-like, blend the juices and fresh cranberries for a tangy breakfast drink that goes beyond basics like strawberry-banana. Serve it in a clear glass to show off the color. Cranberry-apple juice is a crowd-pleaser, and a manageable way to jazz up store-bought apple juice. Turn this into an adult drink by adding the duo to a cocktail with vodka and ginger beer. 

Combine apple juice with ice cream for a rich and marvelous dessert, much like a milkshake or decadent smoothie. The key here is to keep the flavor vanilla — literally. 

You don't want to use powerful flavors like mint chocolate chip or cookies and cream, which won't pair well with apple juice. Vanilla ice cream is the perfect way to bring a creamy sweetness while still allowing the fruity notes of apple to come through. Mix the ingredients in a blender until combined, or place the items into a tall glass and mix until the consistency loosens. You can use a 2:1 ratio of apple juice to ice cream, but you could use more ice cream if you want a thicker treat. 

Sprinkle the mixture with cinnamon, or add a touch of vanilla bean paste; both of these offer a visual component in addition to their flavor profiles. Similarly, you could add peeled apple slices to ramp up the fruity taste while also adding texture to the drink. This frozen delight is guaranteed to have your family asking for more, and is an easy way to bolster the apple juice's flavor and texture. 

Lean into the apple flavors with apple cider vinegar. While this ingredient has apple in the name and an apple taste, it will provide a tangy, sour, and acidic component as well. This is ideal if you want to deepen the flavors of apple juice further, so it's not solely a sweet beverage. The sugar content in apple juice creates a satisfactory harmony with the vinegar to give you a sweet and zesty quencher. 

The key with apple cider vinegar is to apply it with a gentle hand, as too much can quickly turn your beverage into an eye-watering, unpalatable drink. Pour your apple juice into a cup and add a small amount of the vinegar, no more than a teaspoon. If you've never had apple cider vinegar in a beverage, we recommend starting with less. This is supposed to be an enjoyable drink, so you can work your way up if you prefer more. You could also use this blend as a better way to drink your daily apple cider vinegar shot. 

Make your own version of apfelschorle, which is a sparkling apple juice beverage that you'll see in Germany. Thankfully, you don't have to take a long-haul flight to enjoy this beverage. Simply add a touch of sparkling water to store-bought apple juice. This gives it a crisp quality and delightful effervescence as a way to make the juice even more delicious. It's pretty similar to store-bought carbonated apple drinks, but you get to customize the level of bubbles and the sweetness. 

This is solely meant to be a cold drink because of the sparkling water, so it's best served over ice. When mixing the two ingredients, stir it minimally, because you don't want to eliminate too much of the effervescence — the bubbles are what make the beverage so balanced. This drink is light and fresh, perfect for a summer refresher or whenever you want an alternative to soda. 

Comparing apples and oranges usually means that two things are completely different — but in this case, apples and oranges make a delicious and easy pairing. Brighten apple juice with orange slices or orange juice. 

The slices act mainly as a garnish to provide a more captivating and lively looking drink, while giving a tinge of citrus flavor. However, if you want the taste to be the most noticeable quality, then you can juice a fresh orange or use one of the best store-bought orange juice brands to provide a tangy and sweet addition to apple juice. The two work together because the orange's acidity cuts through the apple juice's sweetness, and vice versa. Most juice varieties work well together, but just be sure to factor in whether you like orange pulp or not.

Serve your apple-and-orange fruit punch in a clear glass, to admire your creation. Add apple and orange pieces as garnishes to create a cheerful mocktail for family gatherings, or pour in some ginger ale for added zestiness. We think this makes a delicious spin on a nonalcoholic drink to serve with breakfast or brunch. 

Chia seeds are arguably most well-known as the main ingredient in a classic chia pudding recipe, but you can create a unique texture by adding them to apple juice. This turns the otherwise smooth juice into a sipper with a bit more mouthfeel. As you swallow, you'll notice the little seeds on your tongue.

These seeds offer a mild nutty flavor to mix up the way you enjoy apple juice. Let the juice and seeds sit together for about 15 minutes to allow the seeds to soften. For a zesty, lightly spicy option, you could include grated ginger, or you can make a bold drink by using cranberry juice. 

The petite seeds also bring a visual component, making them a top choice when you want to thoroughly change the look, feel, and taste of your store-bought apple juice. Chia seeds can also provide added nutritional value to your beverage by providing calcium, magnesium, iron, protein, fiber, and more. If you prepare it first thing in the morning, it'll be ready by the time you drive to work or school as an energizing treat.

Using tea is one of the top ways to make store-bought apple juice even more delicious. There's plenty of room for versatility in not only the tea variety you choose, but also the other ingredients you may add to your creation. The two main components create a layered and aromatic drink that's ideal when you want a beverage that strays from a basic cup of tea. 

You may use just about any tea bag or loose-leaf tea that you desire. The flavors work seamlessly to create a memorable drink that balances the sweetness of apple juice and any spices or tannins in the tea. To further flavor this beverage, you could include your favorite spices, such as ground cinnamon or nutmeg, for a cozy drink.

The tea and juice combo doesn't always have to be served hot. You could create a cold tea libation with green or black tea for a rejuvenating sipper. Heat the apple juice in a mug or saucepan and place the tea bag in it to steep, then add any other ingredients. Sweeten it with a touch of sugar or simple syrup, and top with fresh mint. 

There are plenty of delicious ways to use coconut water, and a lot of them include mixing it into a drink — so using apple juice as the base isn't far-fetched whatsoever. It's sweet, fruity, and marvelously hydrating, which makes it an ideal refreshment on a toasty beach day. Because of the hydration qualities, the coco-apple combo also creates an excellent choice for a post-workout beverage, because coconut water has essential electrolytes like potassium and magnesium.  

Try combining apple juice, coconut water, and tonic water for a bubbly beverage, which you can mix with a sweetener like sugar or grenadine for a more colorful pop. For a tart take, add a touch of citrus — like lime or grapefruit juice — to the coconut and apple mixture. While coconut water does have sugar, it's not cloying once mixed with the apple juice. This makes a sweet-yet-light drink when you want to enhance your apple juice in a distinctive way that doesn't create a sugar bomb. 

Introduce a refreshing and fragrant component to your apple juice by adding mint. It's the perfect complement to work with the sweetness of the juice, because the green herb has cooling notes that can bring a flavorful contrast. The best way to include mint with apple juice is by muddling fresh mint leaves on the bottom of your glass to release the plant's natural oils. After that, add ice and pour the apple juice over the top. 

Mint-infused apple juice is perfectly delectable if you leave it at that, but you could elevate it even more with a couple of other ingredients. Use freshly squeezed lemons for a tart and bright addition to the minty juice. Consider adding a bit of vodka to make it into a delicious cocktail, or making a mint simple syrup to use as the base of the apple-laden cocktail. Don't skimp on adding extra mint as a garnish. No matter how you end up using the mint, it's a superior choice when you want a chilled apple beverage. 

Make yourself a sweet and fizzy libation by combining apple juice with soda. There are a few ways to go about this, so you aren't stuck with one flavor profile. For something crisp and lightly spiced, you could go for apple juice and ginger ale. This combination brings a lively flavor that you wouldn't get from store-bought apple juice alone. 

You could also try mixing apple juice with your favorite type of lemon-lime soda. There are plenty of brands to pick from, and no wrong choices. This interpretation also brings a citrusy, sweet combination to put a zesty spin on apple juice. You can also create a boldly different flavor profile by opting for a cola-based apple juice blend. This brings a slightly darker hue to your apple juice drink, but it's scrumptious and bubbly. As a guideline, you can pour a 1:1 ratio, but you're free to mix it up based on the flavor you want to taste the most, and how much carbonation you desire. 

If you're 21 or older, then perhaps you want to figure out a way to use apple juice for a cocktail. Luckily, apple juice works with an array of liquors, so you can make something with your favorite potent potable. Make a boozy apple cider recipe, perfect for autumn and winter evenings. The core of this drink revolves around apple juice, whiskey, and sparkling hard apple cider. It's bubbly and balanced, with the touch of star anise as a garnish.

Enjoy a simple tequila-based cocktail with the liquor, apple juice, and ice. It's as simple as that. If tequila isn't your jam, then you can take a similar approach with other alcoholic beverages, such as rum or vodka. The juice makes a scrumptious yet sophisticated mixer for most alcohol varieties, so the options are essentially limitless. We love this combo because it can provide flavorful sippers all year round, but you can make it more seasonal with warming spices. There are loads of ways to implement and elevate apple juice in your next libation. Have fun with it. 

Marry the tangy and sweet notes of lemonade with your store-bought apple juice. It's a delightful duo that you never knew you needed, but it makes a refreshing treat for summer afternoons by the pool. It's the ideal sipper when you want something more flavorsome than standard apple juice, because the tartness of lemonade brings a fresh, dynamic taste. You can customize the tartness if you make the lemonade from scratch, opting for a lemon-forward taste with a subtle sugar addition. Since the apple juice has plenty of sugar, you don't have to load sweetener into the lemonade.

It's perfectly tasty to use store-bought versions of both apple juice and lemonade. You could add a squeeze of fresh lemon or a lemon wedge to give it a tart boost. This apple-lemonade won't be the standard light yellow color, but will instead look more like an Arnold Palmer drink of iced tea and lemonade. Place the juice combination in a pitcher with lots of ice, then garnish glasses with lemon wedges, apple slices, or fresh mint for a colorful focal point. Kids and adults alike will guzzle this refreshment. 

Bring a fragrant and savory touch to sugary apple juice with fresh rosemary. The fresh herb has natural oils and potency that you won't get by using the dried version. This is an ideal way to add a sophisticated touch to the drink, whether you want a new beverage to sip on during a date night or to serve guests at a party. It creates a tasty and interesting combination that can served hot or cold.

For the cold version, you'll have to allow time for preparation. Place rosemary sprigs and apple juice into a jar or a container to steep in the fridge for several hours or overnight. This becomes the base of your beverage.  

Make a hot drink by simmering the apple juice and rosemary on the stove for 10 minutes. Give it added depth with warming spices and your favorite sweetener. This creates a fresh take on mulled apple cider. For an adult version, you could include whiskey to create an aromatic cocktail. 

While combining coffee with apple juice might seem strange, you'd be surprised how many types of juices work well with a cup of Joe (iced coffee with orange juice being one of them). In this case, the combination creates a powerful and unique flavor thanks to the bitter but rich flavors of the coffee and the fruity, sweet apple juice. The two work together to create a complementary, complex beverage that can quickly elevate your morning routine. Plus, you probably have both components at home already, making it a convenient option.

Pour in more apple juice than coffee, because the java has a strong taste. We're looking at approximately 2 ounces of coffee or espresso to 6 ounces of apple juice. However, you can play around with the proportions depending on how strong you want the final beverage. Add a touch of brown sugar to cut through any bitterness, add a hint of caramel notes, and serve the drink over ice.