This Homemade Applesauce Recipe is made with just 5 simple ingredients and is ready in just over 30 minutes. Enjoy this easy and delicious Homemade Applesauce as a simple snack, healthy dessert, or alongside more savory dishes such as this Meal Prep Skillet Kielbasa with Bell Peppers and Pork Chops with Apples and Butternut Squash.
This homemade applesauce recipe remains one of my favorite snacks. Light, healthy, and loved by all ages, applesauce can be enjoyed year round and is loved by me, my son, and my husband. Every time I prepare a big batch of this homemade applesauce it’s like digging into a big slice of apple pie.
What are the ingredients in this Homemade Applesauce Recipe?
- Apples
- Water
- Sugar or another sweetener (optional)
- Ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- Lemon juice
In other words, you’re eating apples. But that’s the point, right?
And, if you’re like me, a person who has the tendency to impulse buy in large amounts, then this homemade applesauce recipe is just what you needed!
You’ll notice that I made a little note that adding sugar to this recipe is completely optional. I am a person who prefers things that are less sweet. Don’t get me wrong- I love ice cream and cookies and chocolate, but when it comes to applesauce, I actually really love the taste of apples so I don’t feel the need to drown them in sugar.
If you, on the other hand, prefer a sweeter applesauce, then I definitely recommend adding some sugar. To this recipe, I added 1/4 cup. I feel like this amount is a happy compromise which makes everyone happy, so use that as a guide when deciding how much sugar is right for your applesauce recipe.
What are the best apples for applesauce?
If you start researching which apples are the best to use in applesauce, you will encounter a million different answers. Each apple variety has a different taste, texture, response to heat, color, etc. Depending on your own personal preference will likely determine which apples you prefer.
In general, the apples that are best for baking are the worst for applesauce.
- Pink Lady Apples- these are my personal favorite. However, some will argue that Pink Lady Apples are too firm and not sweet enough.
- McIntosh
- Fuji
- Golden Delicious
- Gravenstein
- Gala
- Transparent
- Cortland
- Jonathan
Mix them, match them, test each one-by-one, it is totally up to you.
Equipment needed to make this Homemade Applesauce Recipe
- Cutting board
- Paring Knife or Apple Peeler
- Large Pot
- Potato Masher or Food Processor
Nothing fancy or crazy. Promise.
Uses for Homemade Applesauce
Homemade applesauce is a delicious and healthy snack enjoyed on its own. But what are some other things you can do with a giant batch of homemade applesauce?
- Enjoy with savory dishes like these Irish Corned Beef Potato Pancakes.
- Serve with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.
- Bake this applesauce into your favorite muffins such as these Sweet potatoes, Banana and Butternut Squash Muffins.
- Or into these completely irresistible Apple Donuts.
- Mix in with your favorite smoothie.
- Enjoy for breakfast with yogurt and granola or in these Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats.
- Swap maple syrup for applesauce with waffles, French toast, and pancakes.
In other words, Homemade Applesauce should just go on/with/in everything.
…especially ice cream.
How to make Homemade Applesauce
- To make homemade applesauce gather a bunch of apples– whichever apples you want (see above). In nearly all apple recipes I use Pink Lady Apples because they’re tart, crispy and so pink. Basically, the only thing that matters when picking apples. Just kidding…but, that’s how I do things.
- Peel and core the apples. If you’re handy enough with an apple peeler, that will definitely help speed the process along. Unfortunately, I have never been clever enough to figure out how to use mine (true story) so I stick to my favorite paring knife. Peel, core, and slice the peeled apples into large slices.
- Transfer the apples to a large pot. Add the water, lemon juice, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt and mix to combine. You don’t need a lot of liquid, however, you will need approximately 1/2 cup to help steam the apples and move things along. Some people use apple juice or apple cider instead of water, but I just see that as more sugar, so I’ll let you decide.
- Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Now the hard part is over (since, you know, that was super hard). Allow the apples to cook for approximately 25-30 minutes. Your apples should be broken up, buy partially intact, and very soft. Remove those sweet apples from heat.
- Make into applesauce. Mash or puree, which will you choose?
Chunky or Smooth Applesauce?
Once your apples have cooked, now it’s time to decide- will you enjoy chunky or smooth applesauce? Fortunately, there are no wrong answers here. All applesauce is good applesauce.
To make a chunkier applesauce, I recommend using a potato masher. However, for a smooth applesauce, you’ll want to process in a food processor or blender.
If you try this Applesauce, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
For more apple recipe check out,
- Healthier Cinnamon Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- Autumn Rosé Sangria with Apples and Pomegranates
- Herbed Apple and Pumpernickel Stuffing
- Marinated Salmon Apple Salad
- Sweet Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Stuffed Acorn Squash with Almond Butter
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- How to Make Fried Apples
DON’T FORGET TO PIN AND SHARE THIS FUN AND EASY HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE RECIPE TO MAKE FOR A FAST, HEALTHY, AND COMFORTING SNACK THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL LOVE.
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC? CLICK HERE TO SEARCH BY INGREDIENT
REMEMBER TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE FORKED SPOON NEWSLETTER FOR FREE AND RECEIVE WEEKLY RECIPE NOTIFICATIONS DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX!
Homemade Applesauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds apples - approx. 6 medium apples, peeled, cored, quartered and chopped into smaller chunks.
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the peeled, cored, quartered and chopped apples in a large pot. Add the water, lemon juice, sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Stir well. Bring to a boil on high heat, then turn to low and cover. Maintain a low simmer for 30 minutes or until the apples are completely soft and cooked through.
- Once fully cooked, remove from heat. For a chunky applesauce, mash the apples in the pot with a potato masher. For a smooth applesauce, add to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth (if using a blender, work in batches and allow time to cool).
- Delicious served warm or cold.
Notes
Nutrition
(originally posted on October 5, 2015)
Reeve Baily says
May 16, 2019 at 10:35 pmReally enjoyed this – I added no sugar and love the tart balance to our savory pork chops. Especially this time of year when I can’t get peak apples this is fab. Thanks for posting.
Beka says
May 15, 2019 at 10:39 amI may have missed this in your post but how many days does this recipe stay good for? In a refrigerater? I’m new to trying to make homemade applesauce.
Jessica Randhawa says
May 15, 2019 at 1:27 pmHi Beka,
Great question! As there are no preservatives in this delicious homemade apple sauce, it is going to vary greatly from home to home in a refrigerator. A safe bet is up to a week, which can vary depending on the season, the freshness of the apples, etc.
Lois Tyson says
March 3, 2019 at 1:20 pmWas excellent. I have made it twice once with gala and once fuji both very good. Thank you for the recipe.
Mona says
February 4, 2019 at 7:01 amOutstanding Applesauce – and such an easy recipe!
Judy says
January 2, 2019 at 4:12 amMade applesauce with my pork roast for Christmas,applesauce was the hit of the dinner. Everyone thought it was excellent! Thank You
Diane says
January 1, 2019 at 5:25 pmDelicious! Received rave reviews from my family.
Anna says
November 26, 2018 at 6:57 pmThis sounds perfect! I have an in-home childcare…. If I were to make several batches for my babies and kids….I care for 8 total….about how many apples would I need?? Thanks so much!
Jessica Randhawa says
November 26, 2018 at 9:32 pmHi Anna,
That would probably depend on their ages and how hungry they are. If you click on the blue servings in the recipe card, you can adjust the recipe size. Maybe start with 10 servings, which is 6 medium apples.
I hope that helps.
Krista says
November 25, 2018 at 2:26 pmThis sounds delicious. Can’t wait to make it and I also plan on canning a few jars to some handy. Thank you for sharing.
Christy J says
November 21, 2018 at 9:06 amThis turned out delicious! I usually like things sweeter, so I included the 1/4 c sugar but didn’t need to. It’s probably a little too sweet, but very tasty and it’s the perfect consistency. My brother is obsessed with applesauce and is going to love this at Thanksgiving. 🙂
Sharon Nagel says
November 15, 2018 at 3:54 pmABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS, I was so proud of it. And it is easy. Will definitely make it again.
Maureen says
November 4, 2018 at 12:56 pmI made this recipe for my husband as he loves apple sauce. I wish I could have had it but I am allergic. It smelled so good while I was making. He said it tasted wonderful. I will make it again for him. I too cut the sugar as the apples are sweet enough. Thank you fir your recipe.
Jessica Randhawa says
November 9, 2018 at 3:03 pmThanks for reporting back Maureen – I am glad you and your husband enjoyed it!
Kate Campbell says
November 12, 2016 at 9:42 pmWow perfect!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Barbara Moton says
March 7, 2019 at 10:12 amWonderful recipe! I will never buy prepared applesauce again. Very quick to prepare.
April says
November 5, 2016 at 2:58 pmCame out perfect!!! Im impressed because i could NEVER EVER get my Grandkids to eat apples unless they were candy apples and then there would be that apple lingering on still on a stick looking so sad!!? but with this recipe i now know that my Grandkids are eating a little more healthy without them even knowing it themselves!!! Lol
Thanks for the recipe!
Keep up the good work!!!