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How to Make Applesauce

By Brittany Mullins

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Published Oct 28, 2020, Updated Mar 10, 2022

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This homemade, no sugar added applesauce is a breeze to make and even more delicious than the store-bought stuff. Great as baby food, a tasty snack for kiddos or to use in recipes!

How do I not have this fall staple on EBF yet?! I use store-bought applesauce all the time, but homemade is exponentially better and so easy to make!

I love that you can customize how smooth or chunky you want it and you can play around with flavor variations! After diving into the world of homemade baby food for Olivia, I quickly realized that applesauce is really similar to homemade apple puree (aka baby food), but I’m not complaining! We’re both fans of this tasty treat.

Applesauce Ingredients

• apples – I recommend choosing a sweet variety like Fuji, Gala or Golden Delicious. 
• water
• cinnamon – cinnamon is optional but I personally love adding it to my applesauce. It adds that dynamic spice flavor and a hint of sweetness without adding sugar.
• lemon juice

The Difference Between Apple Butter and Applesauce

I know what you might be wondering… how is this recipe different than my apple butter recipe? Let me explain! Both apple butter and applesauce are made by cooking apples with water, spices AND sugar (but I make mine without added sugar). The main difference between the two is that apple butter is cooked longer so the mixture becomes a thick, caramelized consistency. Applesauce is soft and creamy too, but is typically a thinner, lighter consistency. The other difference is that apple butter is usually made with an array of spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla. Occasionally you’ll see cinnamon applesauce, but most of the time applesauce is plain.

How to Make Applesauce

Making homemade applesauce takes just two steps. Here’s how to make it:

1. Cook your apples – In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the apples, water, cinnamon (if using) and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-25 minutes. You’ll know the apples are ready when they are soft and have lost their shape.
2. Cool and blend – Remove the apple mixture from the heat and let cool slightly. For a chunky applesauce, use a potato masher to mash the apples. For a smooth applesauce, place the apple mixture into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender.

How to Store Homemade Applesauce

Let your homemade applesauce cool before placing in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months.

Recipes That Use Applesauce

I personally love having this recipe in my back pocket because there are times when I need applesauce for baking and don’t have any on hand. Here are a few applesauce recipes you might enjoy.

• Healthy Apple Bread
• 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Protein Cookies
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Protein Bites
• Chai Baked Oatmeal
• Healthy Zucchini Bread

More Apple Recipes to Try

• Apple Pie Overnight Oats
• Healthy Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Pecan Topping
• Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
• Apple Samoas with Date Caramel
• Healthy Apple Crumble Bars
• Fuji Apple Salad

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4.50 from 4 votes

How to Make Applesauce

By: Brittany Mullins

Homemade applesauce is a breeze to make and even more delicious than the store-bought stuff. It’s great for snacking or to use in recipes!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 medium apples cored, peeled and chopped into even sized pieces (choose a sweet variety like Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious or a blend of apples)
• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional
• ▢ 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Instructions 

• Cook apples: In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine apples, water, cinnamon and lemon juice.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10-25 minutes, depending on the size of your apples. You’ll know they’re ready when the apples are soft and have lost their shape. 
• Let cool + blend: Remove the apples from the heat and allow to cool slightly. For a chunky applesauce: use a potato masher to mash the apples. For a smooth applesauce: place cooked apples in a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender.
• To store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 cup | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 16g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American

Keyword: applesauce

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