Fall-Inspired Apple Cinnamon Kombucha Recipe

This Apple Cinnamon Kombucha recipe is a simple, delicious way to use seasonal ingredients while adding a probiotic beverage to your family’s daily diet.

There’s something special about the fall rhythm on the homestead. With cooler mornings, baskets full of apples, and the comforting scent of cinnamon drifting through the kitchen.

If you’re already brewing homemade kombucha or just getting started with your first batch, this fall-inspired flavor is the perfect way to embrace the season. It’s also a great use for apple juice or even your own pressed apple cider if you’re lucky enough to have trees or access to local produce.

Using a base of organic green tea, a SCOBY, and natural spices, this recipe celebrates the natural fermentation process. Just like the old days. You don’t need fancy tools. Just a gallon glass jar, some whole cloves, and maybe a cinnamon stick or two. It’s one of our favorite ways to preserve the taste of fall in a bottle.

First Steps: Brewing Your Kombucha Base

To start, you’ll go through what’s called the first fermentation (or primary fermentation). This is where the sweetened tea begins to transform into kombucha drink thanks to the SCOBY. A symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast and some starter tea from a previous batch of kombucha.

Adding Fall Flavor: Apple Cinnamon Second Fermentation

Next comes the fun part. The second fermentation. This is when we turn that tart base into a sweet kombucha flavored with apples and warm fall spices. The result is a fizzy, cider-like drink with all the health benefits of live bacteria and fermented foods.

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Fall-Inspired Apple Cinnamon Kombucha Recipe

This Apple Cinnamon Kombucha recipe is a simple, delicious way to use seasonal ingredients while adding a probiotic beverage to your family’s daily diet.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time3 days d

Total Time3 days d 30 minutes mins

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beverage recipe, fermentation recipe

Servings: 4 Servings

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Equipment

Salad Dressing Bottle

swing top bottle

Jar Funnel

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Apple Juice or fresh-pressed apple cider
• 1 Stick Cinnamon or ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Whole Cloves
• 8 Cups Kombucha from your First Brewed Kombucha
• Optional: thin apple slices for extra apple flavor

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Instructions

• Remove the SCOBY and save 1–2 cups of the tea as starter tea for your next batch of kombucha.
• Pour the brewed kombucha into swing-top bottles or mason jars with tight lids, leaving about 1 inch of headspace.
  8 Cups Kombucha
• Add 1–2 tablespoons of apple juice or cider to each bottle.
  2 Cups Apple Juice
• Drop in a few slices of apple, a whole clove, and a cinnamon stick or a pinch of ground cinnamon.
  1 Stick Cinnamon, 2 Whole Cloves
• Seal tightly and leave at room temperature for 3–5 days to carbonate. This step is your secondary fermentation.
• Check daily and “burp” bottles to release pressure.
• Once fizzy, store in the fridge and enjoy chilled.
  Optional: thin apple slices for extra apple flavor

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Notes

First Fermentation

• 8 cups filtered water
• 6 bags of organic green tea (or 1½ Tbsp loose leaf)
• 1 cup white sugar or maple syrup for a rich fall flavor
• 2 cups starter tea (from a previous batch or unflavored store-bought kombucha)
• 1 healthy SCOBY
• 1 gallon glass jar
• A cloth cover and rubber band

Instructions:

1. In a large stock pot, bring the water to medium heat. Remove from heat before it boils.
2. Add tea bags and steep for 10–15 minutes.
3. Stir in the sugar or maple syrup until fully dissolved.
4. Let the sweet tea cool to room temperature.
5. Pour into your gallon glass jar, then stir in the starter tea.
6. Gently place your SCOBY on top.
7. Cover with cloth, secure with a rubber band, and set in a warm spot out of direct sunlight for 7–10 days.

By the end of primary fermentation, your tea should taste pleasantly tart and slightly sweet yet not vinegary.

Apple Cinnamon Kombucha Tips & Tricks

• Save your SCOBYs! A new SCOBY may form during the first or second fermentation. Keep it for future batches or share with friends.
• Use home-pressed apple juice or cider for a truly from-scratch brew.
• Maple syrup adds a depth of flavor that feels more seasonal than white sugar.
• Add dried orange peel or fresh ginger during the second fermentation for even more fall spice.
• Keep everything clean, but don’t stress about sterilizing. Just wash well and rinse thoroughly.

Why We Love Kombucha on the Homestead

We love keeping kombucha on hand as part of our daily diet. It’s an easy and affordable way to support digestion and the immune system with every glass. Plus, when you make it at home, you’re skipping the plastic bottles, added sugars, and high costs of store-bought probiotic beverages.

With a little time and the right know-how, brewing your own apple cinnamon kombucha becomes just another part of your rhythm. Like baking sourdough or tending the vegetable garden.

Storage & Shelf Life

• Store bottled kombucha in the refrigerator for up to 2–4 weeks.
• Flavor tends to deepen over time, but fizz may decrease after a couple weeks.
• Keep extra SCOBYs in a SCOBY hotel (a jar with a bit of tea and sugar) at room temp.

Fall Drink Recipe

This Fall-Inspired Apple Cinnamon Kombucha is the perfect addition to your homestead kitchen this season.

It’s easy to make, full of natural fermentation goodness, and tastes like autumn in a bottle. Whether you’re using apples from your own tree or local orchard, this is a kombucha recipe you’ll want to come back to every fall.

• Easy Guide How to Make Kombucha Primary Fermentation
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