Easy Homemade Applesauce Recipe | Plus 2 Flavor Variations!

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Learn how to make applesauce with this easy tutorial – you’ll have creamy, delicious homemade applesauce in less than 20 minutes! Pick your favorite flavor – classic, cinnamon, or mixed berry.

Learn how to make this easy unsweetened applesauce recipe! Three glass jars with 3 flavors: plain, cinnamon, & mixed berry. The jars have spoons in them. Text overlay reads, "Quick & Easy Homemade Applesauce".

Applesauce is one of the most underrated side dishes.

It can be served beside Homemade Breakfast Sausage in the morning.
Or packed in the kids’ school lunch in one of these cool containers.
Or it can go with a Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast for dinner.

There aren’t many foods that work for breakfast, lunch, dinner, AND snacks!

This homemade applesauce recipe is an inexpensive way to stretch a meal further and fill growing bellies! Plus, you can mix it up by adding different fruits to make fun-flavored applesauce – the possibilities are endless!

STORE-BOUGHT VS. HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE

I hadn’t really thought about making my own applesauce until recently. This is odd because I frequently evaluate what to make from scratch to save time and money.

That’s one of the core principles in my course Grocery Budget Bootcamp! Enrollment is currently closed, but you can join my FREE Fight Inflation Challenge and start saving money on groceries tomorrow!

I’ve always bought organic unsweetened applesauce that was fairly affordable and had a short and simple ingredient list: apples, water, and vitamin C.

But, when the kids started asking me to buy colored store-bought applesauce, I did a quick label check and voted them down. High fructose corn syrup and MSG? I didn’t realize so much junk was in sweetened and flavored applesauce!

I knew I could do better and learn how to make applesauce myself.

WHY MAKE HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE

After making a few batches, I can assure you there are several good reasons to make your own applesauce:

Homemade applesauce tastes really, really good! The depth of flavor was outstanding – far better than store-bought varieties.
It’s easy. Quarter some apples, heat them in a pot with a few other goodies, and blend. Done.
It’s fast. Literally 25 minutes, start to finish.
It stores well. It keeps in the refrigerator for at least a week, and large batches can be frozen and defrosted as needed. There’s also the option to can applesauce for longer storage.
You can control the flavor and sweetness. I had fun fine-tuning the amounts of each ingredient so that the end product came out just right! My cinnamon version tastes like apple pie!
It’s a great way to put seasonal produce to good use. Apples picked in season will always cost less. You can even go to a you-pick farm for some really great deals and fun!

Healthy homemade applesauces with 3 flavors: plain, cinnamon, & mixed berry.

EASY HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE RECIPE INGREDIENTS

This applesauce recipe includes just 3 simple ingredients.

Apples
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Apple juice

WHAT KIND OF APPLES SHOULD I USE?

I used Jonagold apples from my local grocery store. However, you can use organic apples if you prefer (just know that the cost will increase). As far as flavor goes, a more tart apple like Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Golden Delicious is often recommended. Sweet apples like Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, and Honeycrisp work too. Whatever apples you like eating, you’ll probably like in this apple sauce recipe!

Hand holding apple and other hand is peeling the apple over a cutting board.

TOOLS FOR APPLESAUCE MAKING

Using a high-powered blender (I love my Blendtec) is the key to achieving a light and creamy texture.
A regular blender or immersion blender will also work, but the texture may be a little different.
A food processor like this one will also work to give you a silky-smooth apple sauce.
If you like chunky applesauce, use a potato masher to mash the apples.
Some people use a food mill, but I don’t think this is necessary if you have one of the above appliances.

Hands using an apple cutter on an apple on a cutting board.

HOW TO MAKE APPLESAUCE

Step 1: Quarter the apples, remove the core, and chop into 1-inch cubes.

Hand holding a knife and cutting apples on a cutting board.

Step 2: Place the apple cubes and other ingredients in a large pot and stir to mix.

Step 3: Heat over medium heat to medium-high heat until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, partially covered, for around 15 minutes until apples are tender.

Hand using a wood spoon and moving the cooked chopped apples into a blender.

Step 4: Transfer the mixture to a high-powered blender. Blend on the lowest speed for about 20 seconds, then gradually increase speed until the entire mixture is completely smooth (2-3 minutes total). Alternatively, use your immersion blender or food processor to blend until the applesauce reaches your desired consistency.

Store homemade applesauce in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 4 months.

Healthy homemade applesauces with 3 flavors: plain, cinnamon, & mixed berry in a line. Two whole apples sit behind the jars of applesauce.

HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE RECIPE VARIATIONS

This is where it really gets fun!

The flavor possibilities for homemade applesauce are endless. Developing flavors got me thinking about all the different varieties we could make using seasonal produce or my kids’ favorite fruits.

To make my two favorite apple sauce recipe variations, follow the directions for the unsweetened applesauce recipe, but add in the additional ingredients when you cook the apples.

Cinnamon Applesauce

2 ⅔ lbs apples (I like Jonagold)
1 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp apple juice (or apple cider)
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp orange zest
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Mixed Berry Applesauce

2 lbs apples (I like Jonagold)
½ cup fresh or frozen berries (no need to defrost)
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp raw honey

Healthy homemade applesauces with 3 flavors: plain, cinnamon, & mixed berry in a line.

HOW TO SERVE HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE

Applesauce is a great snack for kids. Or it can be used as a side dish to finish out lunch or dinner.

Other ways to enjoy applesauce:

Spoon it over Vanilla Ice Cream for a sweet treat!
Substitute applesauce for oil in baked goods, or use it as an egg substitute
Use in this recipe for Korean Beef
Pan-fry pork chops with a bit of apple sauce for a quick dinner!
Stir homemade applesauce into oatmeal or yogurt
Top potato pancakes with a dollop of applesauce

APPLE SAUCE RECIPE FAQS

How do you make homemade applesauce in the slow cooker?

I tested this recipe on the stove and in the crockpot. The prep time was the same, but the cooking time was much longer in the slow cooker (2 hours versus just 15 minutes on the stove).

I was also surprised by how the flavor varied between the two methods. The stovetop version had a much lighter and sweeter flavor than the crockpot method. I really don’t see a benefit to using the crockpot for this recipe unless you’re cooking other food at the same time and just don’t have a burner free to cook the apples.

Can I make this homemade apple sauce recipe in the Instant Pot?

Yes, you can make applesauce in the Instant Pot. Load your apples and juices, along with ½ cup of water, into the inner pot. Close the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Drain about half of the cooking liquid (but reserve it) and blend the apple mixture. Add some of the cooking liquid back in if the applesauce is too thick.

Do I need to peel the apples before making this applesauce recipe?

Personally, I leave the peels on produce whenever I can to get the extra fiber and phytonutrients. Plus, I also love the pinkish color that the red apple peels add to applesauce!

When the applesauce is ready, I puree it in my Blendtec to give it a creamy texture. It turns out so smooth that you can’t even tell the peels are there!

You might consider peeling your apples if you don’t own a high-powered blender to achieve the same silky-smooth texture. Peeling the apples also helps if you prefer chunkier applesauce and don’t want to have pieces of peel swirling around.

Can I freeze homemade applesauce?

Yes! Use these tips to freeze without breaking the mason jars.

How do I can homemade applesauce?

If you want to make a big batch of stovetop applesauce, use this step-by-step tutorial to can your applesauce. Then you can enjoy the flavors of fall all year long!

MORE YUMMY APPLE RECIPES

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Homemade Applesauce

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Homemade applesauce is so easy! Learn how to make your own healthy homemade applesauce in less than 20 minutes. Choose from classic, cinnamon, or mixed berry!

Author: Tiffany
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 32oz 1x
Category: Snacks
Method: Blend
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

2 ⅔ lbs apples (I like Jonagold)
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of about ½ lemon)
6 Tbsp apple juice

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Instructions

Quarter the apples, remove the core, and chop into 1-inch cubes.
Place apple cubes and other ingredients in a large pot and stir to mix.
Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, partially covered, for around 15 minutes until apples are tender.
Transfer the mix to a high powered blender. Blend on lowest speed for about 20 seconds, then gradually increase speed until the entire mix is completely smooth (2-3 minutes total).

Notes