Once you try this Homemade Sugar-Free Cinnamon Applesauce, you’ll never go back to store-bought! It’s seriously so good and so easy to make in the slow cooker or Instant Pot!
I was not an apple sauce lover as a kid.
My go-to mysteriously shelf stable snack was always Snack Packs Pudding.
Chocolate pudding? Yes. Tapioca? Heck yes.
One of my best friends hated tapioca, so in the fifth grade we sat across from each other at lunch and she would eat her tuna (which I hated) and I would eat my tapioca (which she hated) while staring at each other.
We’re still great friends to this day, and I still think of her every time I eat tapioca. (Not that that’s very frequent- what ever happened to that stuff?)
My husband on the other hand was is an applesauce fiend. He doesn’t even need a spoon. Just peel back that foil top and devour.
A few weeks ago I decided to make a pork chops and applesauce dinner from the Whole30 Fast & Easy cookbook, and you better believe I was going to figure out how to make that applesauce from scratch.
The result was this thick, sweet applesauce that ended up being incredibly easy to make. After my first taste, I didn’t even want to share the rest with my husband. I’ve made it several times now, and each time I have it with a meal, I’ll save it until the very end to savor every bite like it’s dessert.
It’s that good, and I’m so excited to share it with y’all!
Cinnamon Applesauce: What You’ll Need
- Apples
- Cinnamon sticks
- Lemon juice
- Water
- Salt
That’s it!
Y’all know I’m all about easy recipes. Homemade applesauce doesn’t get any easier than this.
What Kind of Apples Do I Need for Homemade Applesauce?
I’m so glad you asked.
Each time I’ve made this homemade cinnamon applesauce, I’ve used fuji apples. It’s come out mind-bogglingly delicious.
But for the sake of being flexible, I’ve done some research on what other kinds of apples work well so you can do you.
Apple varieties good for applesauce:
- Fuji
- Gala
- Golden Delicious
- Granny Smith (for a tart applesauce)
- Jonagold
- McIntosh
- Jonathan
- Braeburn
You could even do a mix of two varieties. Or add in some pears!
Tips For Making Homemade Applesauce
Before your apples are ready to go, they need to be peeled and cored.
Some people are actually turned off by the idea of making homemade applesauce because they think it’s a lot of work. The key is to work smarter, not harder. Here are a few different ways to get your apples ready to go:
Peeling options:
- Use the apple peeler Kitchen-Aid mixer attachment.
- Use a hand peeler. (It’s tedious but goes rather quickly, I promise)
Coring options:
- Slice apple into quarters and use a paring knife to cut out the core.
- Use an apple corer
- Straight up run your peeled apples through the apple slicer you probably already have. Your applesauce will also cook quicker this way because the apple will be in smaller pieces.
Once your apples are ready to go, toss ’em in the slow cooker or Instant Pot (you’ll find directions for both below), add in water, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt, and let ‘er cook!
P.S., apples reduce like crazy when cooked, so a 3 lb bag of apples will only churn out about 2-2.5 cups of applesauce.
Seriously. It’s unfair.
P.P.S., the smaller you chop your apples, the faster your applesauce will cook.
But I Like (Chunky, Smooth, Not-Cinnamon) Applesauce
- Don’t use an immersion blender at the end if you like it chunky.
- Do use the immersion blender if you like it smooth. Add a little extra water if you’d like.
- Don’t add cinnamon.
No Added Sugar? Will It Be Sweet?
Yes.
Apples are sweet and delicious and wonderful and you don’t need to add any sugar to those wonderful creations.
Cooking them brings out their natural sweetness, too.
The recipe below is for making the applesauce in a multicooker like an Instant Pot or the Fagor multicooker that I have. Slow cooker instructions are down below the recipe. Enjoy!
For My Food Blogger Friends:
One of my good friends Mandy is launching her kickstarter campaign for Replica Surfaces, which makes super lightweight backdrops (like the shiplap one above!) that will take your food photography to the next LEVEL. She’s a local Dallas girl and I’m so happy to support her launch of Replica Surfaces. She’s also got L supports to hold up your backdrops so you don’t have to find tall objects around the house that will do the trick (there’s constantly alcohol bottles on my dining room table…#foodbloggerproblems) You can see all the details over on the Replica Surfaces insta!
Mandy is also sending out some early bird deals for the launch, so be sure to get on the e-mail list if you’re not already!
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| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 1-2 hours* |
| Passive Time | 1-2 hours |
| Servings |
cups
|
- 3 lbs apples see post for suggested varieties
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cinnamon sticks or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Ingredients
|
|
- Peel, core and chop apples and throw them in your pressure cooker.
- Pour in water and add lemon juice, cinnamon and salt. Give it a stir and close it up.
- Cook on "Slow Cooker - High" in Instant Pot/Multicooker for 2 hours.
- Remove lid and cinnamon sticks. Mash apples and stir to combine. If you prefer a smoother applesauce, use an immersion blender and add water if needed.
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days (but it won't last that long, trust me!)
- Slow cooker method: Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high, checking on it and stirring at the halfway point.
- Not a cinnamon fan? Simply omit the cinnamon.
- Also, the smaller you chop your apples before cooking, the faster they will cook. Just keep that in mind! The time on this recipe reflects quartered apples.
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