Delicious homemade applesauce just got easier, made in the instant pot or slow cooker.  This Instant Pot applesauce recipe has no added sugar and can be made in just 15 minutes.

A bowl of homemade applesuace with cinnamon, made from the instant pot.

Did you know that not all applesauce is created equal? That’s the truth.

Any time I’m forced to buy store-bought applesauce it’s a strugggggle. It’s like buying store-bought jam. Every single brand and type has so much sugar, and most of them don’t even taste very good.

Am I sounding like a total applesauce snob? I’m sorry, but homemade applesauce is just so easy and so GOOD, especially if you have an instant pot.

The first time I made applesauce in the instant pot I was blown away. That machine just continues to amaze me! (I have this 6qt instant pot). It was so incredibly easy and turned out perfect, with very little time or effort on my part. Learn how to get the most out of your instant pot!

How to make applesauce in the instant pot:

First, you choose your apples. I like a blend of sweet and tart apples to make really great flavor for the applesauce, without having to add extra sweetener. Granny Smith and Honey Crisp combination is definitely my favorite.

Different varieties of red and green apples on a white marble board.

Peel, core and slice the apples. I use a johnny apple peeler to peel, core and slice the apples super quickly.

Add your apples to the instant pot. Toss the apples in water, cinnamon and lemon juice, and cook them on manual or high pressure for 8 minutes.

After a controlled quick release, open up the lid and the apples have literally turned to applesauce! You don’t need to do anything but give them a little stir.

Process photos for making instant pot applesauce, from sliced apples in an instant pot bowl to the final product of mashed applesauce.

The taste is AMAZING–perfectly sweet, especially with a little extra cinnamon on top. If you used different apples, and feel that it needs to be sweeter, you could add some white or brown sugar.

I love applesauce that I can feel good about feeding my kids. I know exactly what’s in it, and everyone LOVES it! It’s its own type of delicious comfort food, don’t you think?

If you don’t have an instant pot you can make this applesauce in the slow cooker!

How to make applesauce in your slow cooker:

Add the peeled and sliced apples to your slow cooker. Toss in lemon juice and cinnamon (no water needed)!

Cook on LOW for 4 hours. Pour into blender and blend until smooth, or desired consistency.

Store applesauce in the fridge for 7-10 days.

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Recipe

A bowl of homemade applesuace with cinnamon, made from the instant pot.
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 8 minutes
Total 13 minutes
Save Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large Granny Smith apples , peeled, cored and roughly chopped (or Golden Delicious apples )
  • 4 large Honeycrisp apples , peeled, cored and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from about ½ a lemon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Peel and core apples. I use a johhny apple peeler to do all three steps at once (peel, spice and core).
  • Add water, lemon juice and cinnamon to instant pot and stir to combine. Add apples and toss to mix.
  • Secure lid and cook on manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes. Do a controlled quick release or allow the pressure to naturally release.
  • Mash the apple mixture a few times with a potato masher, if desired. (If you like a smoother texture you could pulse it in the blender.) 
  • Transfer contents to a bowl and allow to cool completely. Stir in more cinnamon, if desired, to taste. 
  • Enjoy warm or cold. Store in the fridge for up to 7-10 days.

Notes

Makes about 5-6 cups applesauce
 
*Directions for making applesauce in the slow cooker are detailed above in the post.

Nutrition

Calories: 58kcalCarbohydrates: 15gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 60IUVitamin C: 5.9mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.1mg

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Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Applesauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
58
% Daily Value*
Sodium
 
2
mg
0
%
Potassium
 
119
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
15
g
5
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
11
g
12
%
Vitamin A
 
60
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
 
5.9
mg
7
%
Calcium
 
7
mg
1
%
Iron
 
0.1
mg
1
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*This post contains affiliate links

This post contains affiliate links.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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  1. 4 stars
    Way too runny. Should not need as much liquid so I recommend cutting it back. But simple and delicious otherwise! If you have any recommendations for how to thicken sauce that is too runny, please share!

    1. When I make applesauce on the stove top I season it as suggested in my apple pie recipe; NO water, 2 T flour along with sugar, cinnamon & a little nutmeg-a pinch of ground clove.

    2. Much too watery. Use much less liquid. I’ll try 1/4 cup next time or maybe even none since apples are mostly water. I’m simmering the entire batch now, trying to remove some of the liquid. I leave the peels on for the fiber & nutrition.

    3. If you need this sauce fast, pressure cook on low for 8 mins with the lid “venting,” not “closed.” This way you won’t have the issue with the applesauce squirting out when you vent it. Just place the instant pot near a window or vent fan so that the releasing steam doesn’t harm anything. Fair warning, “venting” is LOUD so warn anyone else in the home first or they might think something is wrong. Keep an eye on it so that all of the liquid doesn’t cook off and start to burn. (If your sauce is too runny and you want to cook off some of the water, this is how you do it. It just needs to be monitored like a boiling pot so that you don’t burn the sauce.) If you don’t need it quick, just slow cook for 4 hours with the lid venting. There is absolutely zero need to pressure cook apples on HIGH. They are already so soft and full of water, it’s just going to make a total mess. Pressure cooking on high is for meats, hard low-moisture vegetables, beans, anything that needs to be cooked quickly (convenience) or needs to be tender like a pot roast. Consider what you are cooking and adjust the instant pot settings accordingly.

  2. 5 stars
    One of my faves I make a few times a year. I don’t recommend doing a quick release. I did that once and it came up through the top and the sealing parts, what a major mess. Even went up a wall. Learned my lesson on that one. Always a crowd pleaser. I never use the lemon.

  3. 3 stars
    I only gave this a 3 because I think there could have been more clarity about how long to cook and what setting to put the Instant Pot on.
    I assumed to put the Instant Pot on pressure cook. At the bottom of the recipe, it says cook time is 15 minutes, so that what I set it for.
    After the time was up, I waited for the steam to release. When it didn’t release after several minutes; I tried to manually release it and applesauce spurted out instead of steam; as Ann had mentioned happened to her. I did look back and see that within the recipe itself, it says to cook 8 minutes; but down below it does say cook time 15 minutes. It has been well over a half hour and the float valve has not gone down yet. Still, when I try to release it, applause comes out.
    Ann, how long did you have to wait to open your lid?

  4. 5 stars
    Had a bowl full of apples from my own trees. Decided to try some applesauce in the instapot. So incredibly easy and turned out delicious.

  5. 5 stars
    Made this applesauce today. Absolutely the best applesauce!! I had several apples in the drawer that were not getting eaten so I decided to use my instant pot and make applesauce. Turned out delicious! I don’t have a Johnny apple slicer yet, so it took me longer to peel them than to cook them. I used 6 green dragon apples (the name of the apple btw) and 2 honeycrisp apples. I ate a small bowl and canned the rest of it. Thank you Lauren!

  6. 5 stars
    Delish! I used 10 golden delicious apples. So easy and I hardly had to mash them. No sugar needed. The lemon juice and cinnamon is perfect. I’ll make this again.

  7. 3 stars
    I decided to halve the amount of water as 1 cup seemed far too much, but even half a cup made an extremely watery sauce! I’ll be using 1/4 cup water next time. Easy to add more afterwards but it’s such a pain to have to try and reduce the sauce on the stove after cooking.

  8. 4 stars
    I had to use a wooden spoon to release the steam & clear away applesauce as it seeped out of the vent. When I got the lid open, the sauce was puffed up to the lid, as it does when I make it on the stove. I wonder if this will affect my IP going forward. Has this happened to anyone else? There was no need to mash this, as it’s very smooth. I would adjust the cooking time, as we like it more chunky. I also added a little sugar, as had all tart Granny Smith apples this time.

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