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.
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.
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.
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
Instant Pot Applesauce
Equipment
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
Nutrition
*This post contains affiliate links
This post contains affiliate links.
The quick release method ended up spraying apple juice all over my kitchen. 🙁 I am guessing that the date syrup caused this? My apples were still in whole slices too. I used Fujis.
I added ground ginger, cinamon and lemon peel, lemon juice, 1 medium cinamon stick, and. Ground clove, I did not use any sugar and I chose water.
The result delicious spicy and atomatic apple sauce.
Thank you for the recipie. I love how quick it was cooked.
I just made this and it is great! My son said it is even better than Grandma’s, which is a huge compliment. I doubled the cinnamon, but other than that followed the recipe exactly. The only thing is that on quick release I had a fine mist of applesauce all over the counter (never had that happen before, so not sure why?), so next time will try natural release. Thanks for a great recipe!
Quick question. My apples are small this year. Can you give a weight for the total amount of apples? 4 pounds (2 kilos), maybe?
It really doesn’t matter–you can fill the pot as full as you want without going over the “fill” line. Cook time is the same.
I’m wondering about the ratio of the other ingredients if not using a specific amount of apples.
Made this for my kids’ party for high school friends & they loved it! Devoured within minutes!
I’ve got around 20 people for dinner. Does this double easy and do I need to change anything
Yes, you can double it, and no other changes.
will 14 apples fit in the 6 quart pot?
Depending on how large the apples are? Just don’t go over the fill line.
I will try this recipe but not use granny Smith. I’ve put them in other applesause recipes and don’t like them. Mixing up to 4 kinds of apples are good. I keep the peels on and put thru a food mill at the end. More nutritious and you get a slight pink tint too. And while I agree store bought applesauce is awful, there are plenty that make natural applesause with out adding sugar. Perhaps you’re looking at sugar grams but all apples have sugar naturally.
I love the recipe as a place to start, but it needs some tweaking. I use 4 honey crisp and 2 granny Smiths, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (I don’t measure how much). Mix 1/2 cup water and still cook for 8 min. If you like it chunky, then cut the cook time
Just made this exactly as stated and it turned out amazing!!!
Different apples will make your consistency different I’ve found.
I was given some random apples from a co worker’s tree, no idea what kind. I used them but took another commenter’s advice to cut the water and cooking time. I split the difference between the recipe 8 minutes and suggested 6 minutes, and did 7 minutes. I also split the difference between the recipe one cup of water and the suggested 1/2 cup water and did 3/4 water. Having said all that, I think 1/2 cup water would have been plenty. It was kind of soupy but not too bad. I did natural release for 8 minutes, only because the dog was yelling to go out with one minute cooking time left. So to avoid him having an accident…… I finished releasing the pressure as soon as we got back. I will probably release sooner next time. I used my immersion blender to mix it up. That worked well. Oh, and because I love cinnamon I used one teaspoon rather than only 1/2 teaspoon. Yummy!