Do I need to add sugar or sweetener to apple cider?
The beauty of apple cider from pure apple juice (or homemade juice) is that it's mildly sweet from the natural sugars in the apples. But if you want a sweeter treat, dissolve a little honey or granulated sugar into the cider at the end of simmering. For a quart-size batch of cider, a couple of tablespoons of sugar or raw honey will add plenty of sweetness.