Christmas Simmer Pot

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Create a welcoming, cozy household by making your own Christmas Simmer Pot recipe around the holidays! With 5 simple ingredients, your home can have the fragrant scents of cinnamon, clove and citrus all day.

A pan filled with sliced oranges, cinnamon sticks, spices, cranberries and water for a Christmas simmer pot.

As a teacher, I’ve gotten a wide variety of gifts over the years. Many of them have been very thoughtful. One Christmas season, a student made a simmer pot (or potpourri) as a gift in a Ziploc bag with instructions.

I made it at home, and loved it!

I saved the recipe and now it becomes something I pull out every season. It’s so simple to make and has all natural ingredients!

I love that it’s an easy way for me to create a cozy, welcoming scent and feeling in my home when the Christmas and holiday season can be so busy at times.

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Do simmer pots really smell good?

Yes! They honestly do!

AND I feel like they add warmth to your home in a way other types of scents can’t.

Two pictures are in the frame with text in the middle. The top picture is cinnamon sticks, cranberries and oranges in a pan with water, and the bottom picture shows the ingredients on a cutting board with measuring spoons of spices. There is text in the middle that says "5 Ingredient Christmas Simmer Pot Recipe".

For example, I use essential oils in my home throughout the year, but there’s something about a simmer pot on the stovetop that makes everything in my home feel warm and welcoming.

Maybe it’s from using “real” ingredients but either way, it smells amazing!

How long should a simmer pot go for?

Simmer pots can last for 3 – 4 hours, but I usually add more water in mine throughout the day to make it last longer.

In fact, I’ve kept mine and used it for up to 2 days (during the day time) and it still smells great! After that time, the fruit starts to break down and it isn’t as fragrant.

If leaving something on your stovetop all day worries you, I’ve heard of people putting them in their crockpot on low/warm.

What ingredients go in a Christmas simmer pot?

For this Christmas simmer pot, you will need:

Cranberries
An orange, sliced (or if have dried oranges you can use them)
Cinnamon
Cloves
Nutmeg
Water

A cutting board with sliced oranges, cranberries, cinnamon sticks and measuring spoons of nutmeg and cloves on it for a Christmas simmer pot.

What do you need to make a simmer pot recipe?

There is very little equipment for this!

All you will need is:

A liquid measuring cup
Measuring spoons
A small saucepan
Crockpot (optional, if you don’t want to use a stovetop)

How to make a Christmas simmer pot recipe

Making your own simmer pot recipe is very simple!

First, measure out all your ingredients and add them to your saucepan.

A pan filled with sliced oranges, cinnamon sticks, spices, and cranberries for a Christmas simmer pot.

Add the water to your ingredients.

Then, place the saucepan on your stovetop and simmer over low heat, uncovered.

Check the water periodically and add more if it starts to get low.

Note: The simmer pot can last for 4 hours, but it can be extended for up to 2 days by adding more water.