Homemade Applesauce

Make your own delicious unsweetened applesauce with just apples, water and cinnamon. It’s easy, wholesome and tastes 10x better than the store-bought kind!

We love making homemade applesauce because it’s simple and the kids love it! It makes for a great after school snack, like our homemade snack mix and favorite whole wheat bran muffins.

Homemade applesauce in jar

3 Ingredients + 5 Minutes

If you have little kids, chances are you go through a lot of applesauce each month. With apple season on it’s way and back to school in full swing, I thought it would be nice to share a recipe for homemade applesauce.

This was my first time making applesauce, and I couldn’t believe how EASY it was. Just 3 ingredients and 15 minutes!

We love to eat applesauce with oatmeal, toast or to use it in some of our baked goods!

Apples in food processor

Best Apples for Applesauce

First let’s talk about the main ingredient: APPLES. When it comes to applesauce you want to use sweet apples like Golden Delicious, Fuji, McIntosh, or Gala.

Of course, there are several other varieties you can use, but these are the most common & are usually available at well-stocked grocery stores.

For this particular batch of applesauce I decided not to PEEL the apples. While the end result is slightly more tart, the peel is full of nutrients that would otherwise be tossed.

I also skipped the sugar and I’m glad I did, because no one missed it. If you want to peel the apples and add a bit of sugar, go for it!

Applesauce pureed in food processor

Applesauce Cooking Methods

Next is the cooking method. You can either use a crockpot and cook your apples on low for 6 hours or high for 2, or use a non-stick stockpot like I did and boil them for 15-20 minutes. Both work great!

Just toss the sliced apples in the pot with ½ cup of water and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon (also optional, you can also decrease the amount if you’re not a huge fan or just want a subtle cinnamon flavor), cover and let the stovetop do the rest.

When they’re nice and tender, transfer them to a blender, food processor or use a potato masher or immersion blender to create a thick, slightly chunky sauce.

Don’t get too carried away or you’ll end up with a puree. The applesauce pictured here is pretty smooth, my second batch was a little chunkier and had more texture, which was perfect, but again – if you like more smooth, blend away!

Homemade applesauce recipe in jar

Storing + Variations

Allow the applesauce to come to room temperature, then eat it, refrigerate it, or freeze it.

Stored in an air-tight container or jar, homemade applesauce can last for 7 days. It can last for up to 2 months if frozen.

You can also can applesauce, but we will have to save that tutorial for another day because the process is a lot more involved. 😉

Want to change it up? You can customize it by swapping out an apple for your favorite fruit. We love using pears, peaches, mango and strawberries.

The flavor combos are endless, although apple & cinnamon is classic! Have fun experimenting and make sure to come back and comment below, I’d love to know what kind you made.

Be sure to check out our pumpkin applesauce and cinnamon apples too.

For recipes to make with applesauce, check out:

Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!

Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce | lifemadesimplebakes.com

Homemade Applesauce Recipe

Make your own delicious unsweetened applesauce with just apples, water and cinnamon. It's easy, wholesome and tastes 10x better than the store-bought kind!
4.91 from 21 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5 cups
Calories: 142kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 lb apples - I prefer using a mix of Golden Delicious, Fuji, Macintosh, or Gala
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Prepare the apples by slicing and coring them-- no need to peel, unless you want to.
  • Place the sliced apples, water and cinnamon in a large pot or saucepan set over medium heat.
  • Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
  • Use an potato masher, immersion blender, blender or food processor to "puree" the apples, keeping it slightly chunky. Let the applesauce cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

NOTES

-My applesauce is slightly darker because I didn't peel my apples and I used cinnamon. Feel free to peel the apples and omit the cinnamon, if desired.
-If you prefer your applesauce on the sweeter side, add 2-4 tablespoons of granulated sugar to the apples as the cook.

Nutrition

Serving: 5serving | Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 147IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

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About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

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Comments:

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! so easy to make and really delicious! Will surely have this again! Well done!