Homemade, delicious pumpkin applesauce. All you need is apples, pumpkin, water & spices. It’s easy, wholesome and tastes like fall!
The other day our son made applesauce with his kindergarten class. He came home from school beaming. “Mom, I got to cut up the apples with a knife (plastic) and we made it in the Instant Pot, just like yours!” I loved how happy and empowered he was. He grabbed his apron and asked me if I had plans for the apples on our counter. I think I surprised him when I said that they were actually for us to make applesauce.
He helped me peel all of the apples. I cored them and he carefully sliced each one into 1/4-inch slices, just like I had asked. I remembered I had a little bit of pumpkin puree left over from a recipe I had made earlier in the week, so I asked him what he thought about tossing it in.
He was all for it. I knew he would be. Our kids love those GoGo Squeeze applesauce pouches and every fall they come out with a limited edition pumpkin spice version. They go nuts for it!
In went the puree along with some leftover apple cider (instead of water), cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Since we used apple cider I didn’t want to add any additional sugar to the recipe (I generally prefer my applesauce to be unsweetened), but if you like yours on the sweeter side feel free to add the amount given in the recipe below.
After simmering on the stovetop for about 25 minutes, the apples were nice and tender and it smelled heavenly!
We transferred the mixture to a food mill, but that made a huge mess, so I tossed it into my mini food processor and he pushed the grind button for me until it reached a consistency he was happy with.
If you prefer your applesauce on the chunkier side, you can use a potato masher or pastry blender to break up the apple pieces.
This pumpkin applesauce tastes great warm or cold. I refrigerated it for about an hour before serving it to my kiddos. They loved every spoonful! It had just the right amount of sweetness and spices for us. Bonus: the pumpkin added some iron, fiber and potassium without being detected. Always a win for this mom!
You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy this pumpkin apple sauce. It goes great with just about any pork dish or as a side for Thanksgiving dinner! No matter how you serve it, you’re going to love it!
Need more recipes? Subscribe to my email list! Simply enter your email in a subscription box located on the right hand side of the blog or scroll below the recipe and sign up there. You’ll receive posts, newsletters and so much more!
BE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM & PINTEREST!
Pumpkin Applesauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb. apples - peeled or unpeeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 c. cubed pumpkin or 1 c. puree
- 1 c. water or apple cider
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 2-4 tbsp. sugar - optional*
Instructions
- Place the sliced apples, pumpkin, water (or juice), cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a large pot or saucepan set over medium heat. Add sugar if desired.
- Cover and cook for 20-25 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.
If you make this using canned pumpkin, would you add that with the apples while cooking?
Hi Amy, since the canned pumpkin is already cooked we would add that after the apples have cooked.
What a great spin on pumpkin! Can’t wait to try it.
I really hope you like it! Thank you so much!
SO ready for pumpkin season! Saving this recipe!
Saving this recipe!! Looks SO good!