Move over mulled apple cider and hot chocolate—there’s a new (well, old) cozy beverage making a comeback. Enter: hot Dr Pepper, the fizzy winter warmer that had its heyday in the 1960s and is now bubbling back into trend territory.
Yes, we're talking about heating up your favorite soda, pouring it over a lemon slice, and enjoying it like a steamy cup of tea. It’s a quirky, nostalgic, and surprisingly delicious throwback drink that’s giving all your favorite modern-day hot drinks some serious competition.
Thanks to a video that's going viral on social media, the drink has been put back in the minds of many and introduced as a surprising new recipe to others. The reel posted by Instagram user @morganchomps now has more than two million views 🤯—and given how much the Drummonds love Dr Pepper (seriously, Ree uses it in everything from glazed ham to cupcakes), it's a recipe that The Pioneer Woman herself might have to try.
Curious? Keep reading to find out how you can join this winter's hottest fad (get it?). Hint:It can also be made as a slow cooker drink!
Before you warm things up, you might be wondering why people started drinking hot Dr Pepper in the first place. Well, according to the Dr Pepper Museum, "It all began in September of 1958 when Wesby R. Parker, President of Dr Pepper Company, had an idea to create a warm and comforting version of Dr Pepper. While visiting a bottling plant during a blizzard, one of the route salesmen joked that they needed a hot drink to sell during winter weather. This sparked an idea in Parker and he began to experiment in his kitchen."
Following some trial and error, the perfect way to serve a piping hot cup of Dr Pepper came to be! And it's just as simple as it sounds to make it yourself. All you need to do is take some Dr Pepper and make it, well, hot! The Dr Pepper Museum recommends heating the beverage to 180 degrees, then pouring it over a thin slice of lemon. For an even better taste, you can use Dr Pepper Made with Real Sugar, as its recipe uses real sugar instead of corn syrup.
If you need more instruction to make this deliciously comforting concoction, just follow Morgan's video. For her version of the beverage, you'll need a two-liter bottle of Dr Pepper, a fresh lemon, and a Crock-Pot. Start by pouring the entire bottle of Dr Pepper into the Crock-Pot, then put the lid on and set it to high. You'll let it sit for about two hours or "just until the Dr Pepper is hot but not simmering too much or boiling," says Morgan.
While the soda is heating up, cut your lemon into thin slices. When the Dr Pepper is sufficiently warm, add the lemon slices to the Crock-Pot so everything can marinate together, then serve it in your favorite mug. Yep, it's really that easy. So, grab your slow cooker and start sipping your favorite soda—the warm way!
Morgan adds, "The spices of Dr Pepper really work well as a hot drink and the lemon just brings it all home. Don't knock it 'til you try it." Well, the Drummonds sure wouldn't! After all, Ree says Ladd will have his first Dr Pepper "as soon as he wakes up, like how normal people have a latte." So, he might as well warm it up, too. 😁
