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.
How To Store Homemade Applesauce
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!
How to Freeze Applesauce
Place the applesauce into small containers or freezer bags. I like to freeze in 1-cup portions. Freeze for up to 4 months.
Is applesauce good for you?
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!
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Homemade Applesauce Recipe
With only 4 ingredients and the bounty of apples available, there are so many reasons to try this super easy recipe!
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Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes minutes
Total Time 45 minutes minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Holly Nilsson
Equipment
Potato Masher or immersion blender
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
This recipe makes approximately 4 cups of applesauce.
*Apple sauce may need more or less sugar based on the variety of apples. If apples are very sweet, reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons if desired. If they’re very tart, add more.
Mash with a potato masher for a chunkier consistency or use an immersion blender to create a smoother apple sauce.
Applesauce can be blended in a traditional blender. Ensure the lid is not sealed tightly while the apples are warm or the steam can build up. You may need to add a little bit of liquid to blend smoothly. If you add liquid, the blended sauce can be simmered on medium-low heat until thickened.
5 from 135 votes
Nutrition Information
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 100 | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.05g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 92IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Categories:
Breakfast, Desserts, Pantry, Recipes
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About the author
Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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