Homemade applesauce is a fall favorite! With only 3 ingredients (and a splash of water), it’s so easy to make!
A simple blend of apples, sugar, and cinnamon is all you need for this applesauce recipe. Perfect and fresh!
This recipe can be divided into applesauce pouches or be used to replace some of the oil in baked goods like carrot cake or muffins or even added to banana breakfast cookies!
An Easy Favorite
When my kids were little, I used to serve this applesauce as a dessert. Warmed and topped with a pinch of cinnamon sugar and a tiny scoop of ice cream, they thought it tasted like apple pie!
- It needs only 3 ingredients plus a splash of water.
- You can use any variety of apples.
- It’s healthy and delicious, make it to your liking and add a little or a lot of sugar and spice.
- This recipe freezes well and makes a great snack or even a dessert served warm with a scoop of ice cream.
The Best Apples for Applesauce
We use firm apples for apple pie but any kind of apple is great in homemade applesauce. Try a combination of any of the following: Granny Smith, Gala, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, or Fujis.
A sweeter apple will make a sweeter sauce while a tart apple (like Granny Smith) will result in a more tart sauce. You can add extra sweetener if needed. Try an assortment or mixture of your favorites.
How to Make Applesauce
- Prep Apples: Peel, core, and chop the apples (per the recipe below).
- Simmer: Cook the apples over medium heat along with the rest of the ingredients below. Stir occasionally until the apples are soft (you can also use a crock pot set on low for about 3 hours)!
- Mash: Mash apples with a masher or blend until smooth.
Variations
- Swap the water for your favorite juice or apple cider.
- Add extra spices like pumpkin pie spice or a pinch of nutmeg.
- Sugar can be substituted for a sweetener of your choice.
Serve as a side dish, snack, or dessert. It’s great with yogurt or over vanilla ice cream or even as a side with pork chops!
Smooth or Chunky Applesauce
Mash with a potato masher for a chunkier texture or use an immersion blender (or food processor) to create a smoother apple sauce.
Homemade applesauce will keep for about a week in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.
For a quick kid-snack, seal in snack-sized freezer bags, or reusable applesauce pouches, and squeeze out from one corner just like the ones you see at the store!
Place the applesauce into small containers or freezer bags. I like to freeze in 1-cup portions. Freeze for up to 4 months.
Yes, it’s not only delicious, homemade applesauce is really nothing more than mashed apples and cinnamon with a pinch of sweetener. If your apples are a sweeter variety, you can skip the sugar if you’d like or substitute maple syrup or agave.
So Many Ways to Use Applesauce
- Banana Breakfast Cookies – delicious breakfast on the go
- The Best Carrot Cake – quick, incredibly moist, and homemade!
- Homemade Apple Butter – already halfway there
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes – yummy handheld bite!
- Baking Substitutions! – use in place of oil!
Homemade Applesauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds apples peeled, cored, and chopped (about 6 medium)
- ⅓ cup water
- 2-4 tablespoons sugar* or to taste
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover.
- Cook 15-20 minutes or until apples are very tender. Remove lid and simmer an additional 5 minutes to thicken.
- Mash apples with a masher for a chunky consistency or blend/puree with an immersion blender for a smooth consistency.
- Serve warm or chilled.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish, Snack
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Thank you so much for the recipe, easy and cheap❤️
I always add a hint of nutmeg to my applesauce and we use a food mill or potato ricer to finish the sauce so that we don’t need to peel, core, or seed the apples.
Also, you can make it in the instant pot as well by pressure-cooking for 3 minutes and then using the saute feature to get it to the desired consistency. I prefer the stove though because the instant pot can splatter.
Thank you for sharing your tips Michelle!
I made this last weekend to go with pork chops (come on!) I had to. My family loved it. It was so easy to make, once all the apples were peeled by hand (not the best). But I have made it again this weekend and know it will be a steady in my house!!! Highly recommend.