Some recipes mark a season of life. This is one of those for me. I started making homemade applesauce when my oldest was a toddler. I wanted something simple and wholesome that we could make together,  something where little hands could help and feel proud of what we made. So we started making applesauce. Standing at the counter, cutting apples, stirring the crockpot, watching it all cook down into something smooth and sweet and delicious. Those are some of my favorite memories from those early toddler years and this recipe takes me right back every single time.

Over the years this recipe has evolved. I used to add a lot more sugar and a lot more cinnamon right from the start. But somewhere along the way I realized, apples are already sweet. Why am I fighting them? Now I wait until the very end to add cinnamon and sugar, and I do it by taste, a little at a time. Because some apples are sweeter than others depending on the season and the variety, and the applesauce will tell you what it needs if you just taste it as you go. It is one of those recipes that taught me to trust my instincts in the kitchen.

I have made this recipe more times than I can count. I make it for meal prep when I am doing pork chops and applesauce for dinner. I fill up little squeezable pouches so my kids have homemade applesauce on the go. I make a big batch in apple season and freeze it in jars for months later. And when I have apples sitting on the counter that are getting a little too soft to eat fresh,  into the crockpot they go. Nothing gets wasted and everything gets delicious.

Let’s Make It

Core and cut up your apples,  no need to peel them if you don’t want to! The skin is completely fine to leave on and it actually adds a little color and extra nutrition to the finished sauce. If you prefer a very smooth pale applesauce then peel them, but honestly I often leave the skin right on and blend it smooth at the end.

Add your cut apples, lemon juice, and water to the crockpot. Cook on high for 5 hours, stirring every hour as you go. Your kitchen is going to smell absolutely incredible. Like fall in a house and warmth and comfort all at once. Just warning you.

After 5 hours your apples will be completely soft and falling apart. Use an immersion blender right in the crockpot to blend everything smooth and silky. This is so satisfying, watching it all come together into that beautiful glossy applesauce.

Now comes the fun part. Taste it. Add your cinnamon and start adding sugar one tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go. Some batches of apples are naturally sweeter and need almost nothing. Others need a little more love. You are the judge here and your taste buds will guide you perfectly.

Tips and Variations

Don’t peel if you don’t want to. The skin blends right down and you will never notice it in the finished sauce. One less step and a little extra nutrition, that is a win.

Mix your apple varieties. Using a mix of sweet and tart apples gives you the most complex and delicious flavor. Try a combination of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith or Fuji and Braeburn. Whatever is on sale or in season works beautifully.

Always add sugar slowly and by taste. This is the most important tip I can give you. Add one tablespoon, taste, add another if needed. You can always add more but you cannot take it out once it’s in.

Fill squeezable pouches for the kids. This is such a great hack for on the go snacks. Get reusable squeezable pouches, fill them up, and toss them in the fridge or freezer. Homemade applesauce on the go for a fraction of the store price and you know exactly what is in it.

Freeze it! This applesauce freezes beautifully. Make a big batch when apples are in season or when you have a bunch that need to be used up. Freeze in jars or freezer bags and pull them out all winter long.

Don’t waste soft apples. If you have apples sitting on your counter getting a little too soft to eat fresh, this is exactly what they were made for. Soft apples cook down faster and make the most incredible sauce. Nothing gets wasted in this kitchen.

Use it on everything. Obviously with pork chops,  a classic for a reason. But also stirred into oatmeal, on top of pancakes, mixed into yogurt, as a side for chicken, spread on toast, or eaten straight from the jar with a spoon standing over the crockpot. That last one may or may not be something I do every single time. 

This recipe started as a way to make something with my toddler and turned into one of the most used recipes in my kitchen over a decade later. Simple, wholesome, endlessly useful and honestly just really really good. I hope it becomes as much of a staple in your home as it has in mine.

…and that’s all we did today. 

Cyndi

Item’s Used

• Mixing Bowl
• Measuring Cups
• Rubber Spatula
• Crock Pot/Slow Cooker
• Storage Snap Container

Homemade Applesauce

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

What You'll Need

• 8 apples cored and cut up
• ½ lemon juiced
• 1 cup water
• Cinnamon to taste
• Sugar to taste added 1 tbsp at a time

Method

 

1. Core and chop apples into pieces.
2. Add apples, lemon juice, and water to a crockpot.
3. Cook on high for 5 hours, stirring every hour.
4. Once apples are soft, blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
5. Add cinnamon and sugar to taste, stirring well after each addition.
6. Serve warm or cool completely before storing.

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