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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Comments

  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.

  9. 5 stars
    My high-school son loves this recipe. He won’t eat store bought applesauce at all now. Now thanks to you ( and my wife ) I have a new item added to my honeydo list lol.

  10. 5 stars
    Hubby picked the rest of the Liberty and Freedom apples from our little fruit orchard this morning. I made the sauce with the left over apples I had, so halved the recipe. I left on the peel, we like it that way and I just stirred it with a spoon to keep it somewhat chunky. This sauce is delicious. I added some Allspice and Coconut Palm Sugar to it for a little extra taste. I’ll be making this again!!! Thanks for the fabulous recipe!

  11. 5 stars
    We absolutely love this recipe! I do have a question though. Our apple trees are in abundance this year. Would I be able to can this recipe? Or does it need to be eaten fresh rather than preserved?

  12. 5 stars
    This is my go to for apple sauce! I’ve tried different types of apples but I always stick to the water, lemon & cinnamon ratios & cooker times from recipe. It has always turned out yummy! Been a few batches a bit tastier than others but all have been eaten. Thanks so much for the guide!

  13. 5 stars
    I followed the recipe as written with the exception of using the 8 apples that were in my fridge and a little past their prime for eating (I think they were Envy variety), and my applesauce came out great! I let it natural release for a while (not sure how long, maybe 15 mins), then quick released the little pressure that was left and I didn’t have any messy issues. My apples were a little bland, so I stirred in a bit of coconut sugar after I pureed the sauce with an immersion blender. I ended up with a quart of delicious apple sauce. Thanks for a great recipe, this will be my go-to method for using up apples and avoiding food waste

  14. It would be tremendously helpful to know how much the apples weigh before going into the instant pot. That would provide the recipe author’s actual ratio of the liquid to the apple chunks. My attempt tasted fine but was very watery.

  15. 4 stars
    I followed it exactly the first time. Quick and easy but my main question is why do you cook it for 8 min. I did use 8 Granny Smith apples instead of 4 and no Honey Crisp, but 3 minutes cook time was totally adequate and the sauce isn’t so pink and totally watery mush. I prefer a beige applesauce and one that has some body to it. I gave it a 4 star because the ingredients are good. Just adjusted the time and I did end up leaving out the cinnamon because of my preference and it also made it discolored

  16. 5 stars
    Solid recipe but we have tried many many sauce combinations and honeycrisp only average. The best is Granny Smith + jonagold + yellow delicious. Gala makes a solid sub for the sweet apple or Jonathan for the tart.

  17. This is a wonderful recipe however I would add a note to use natural release (at least for the first 10 minutes). I did quick release and made a huge mess in my kitchen. I’ll know for next time but would have appreciated the heads up as an instant pot rookie!

  18. 5 stars
    This is a great recipe. I use local apples so I never know what types go into the sauce but it always tastes delicious. Great for a cold weather dessert!

  19. Thanks for mentioning the Johnny apple peeler! Bought one on amazon, it came yesterday and I whizzed through 9 apples in no time! Applesauce is in the IP right now!

  20. 5 stars
    This is such a good recipe, I use granny Smith and it was way watery, and a bit tart so I added a little sugar and finished cooking it down on my stove top to right consistency. I love my applesauce a bit tart so a 1/2 cup sugar is perfect for us.

  21. How long can you store it after it’s made? Have you ever tried a canning process with the insta pot? We have an apple tree and I’d love an easy way to make a ton of applesauce to eat throughout the winter.

  22. 5 stars
    I have made this recipe four times now and I love it more and more every time! I don’t know what everyone is talking about with the mess – I didn’t experience this. Was quick and easy to make AND clean up. I also used an immersion blender at the end to smooth it out and I love it that way.

  23. 5 stars
    My favorite recipe! It’s perfect with no added sugar! Way better than store bought

  24. 5 stars
    I used this to prep the sauce for canning, I omitted the cinnamon and used 6lbs of apples (made 4 pints) with the 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon lemon. Used a immersion blender to smooth and then canned as if I had cooked on stovetop. Cut my time by ⅓ easily maybe more. I wouldn’t try more in my 6 qt cooker that’s about all it could handle at once.

  25. 5 stars
    Easy and delicious! I used a variety of apples and added about 2 Tbs of brown sugar. The 1 cup of water was too much, buuuuut, I decided to strain the applesauce and ended up with a glass of apple cider. I added 4 oz of water to it and heated it through. It was totally worth the little bit of extra effort.
    Next time I make this I will add anothet apple and cut the water to 3/4 cup. (Unless I want more cider!)

  26. Made this several times , using a few more apples and only galas , it came out fine , added a half tsp of salt to my pot along with cinnamon and lemon juice . A great way to use up extra apples !

  27. 5 stars
    This recipe is spectacular. I’ve used different kinds of apples each time and it just turns out great every time. I guess I make this the lazy way because I don’t ever peel the skins and I got away fine with cutting the apples roughly into chunks before adding to the instant pot. I’m cool with chunky applesauce though. Doubled the recipe and pressure cooked for 10 minutes.

  28. 5 stars
    Such a good recipe. I halved it first time and had no problem with quick release when the Insta-pot was done, but what a mess with a full recipe. I’d recommend letting it sit a bit before hitting quick release with a full recipe, unless you need that extra motivation to wipe everything in the kitchen down, including the ceiling.
    I’ll make this recipe for the rest of my life. It is perfect.

    1. 5 stars
      I agree this is an amazing recipe! You can always throw a towel onto the lid of the instant pot before releasing steam so it doesn’t make a mess!

  29. Prep time 5 minutes IF you have a fancy slicer. Otherwise, plan on giving yourself a lot more time (and recruit a helper). A few notes – if you decide to do quick release be prepared for a bit of a mess due to all the moisture in the pot. Also, an immersion blender will give you a silky smooth texture (not unlike baby food). The sauce was tasty and not too sweet, but as the recipe states sugar can easily be added to taste.

  30. I have made insta pot apple sauce a few times now. I recently realized it is not necessary to peel the apples when using the pressure cooker. The sauce turns out great, and skipping the peeling saves lots of time.

  31. Great recipe and instructions – thank you!
    I also like to throw the peelings from the apples in a layer on top of the apples while they cook, as there is a lot of flavor and pectin in the peel.
    I wasn’t sure how it was going to work with the instant pot, but it worked great with your recipe. I think perhaps that also helps keep the applesauce down for the quick release, as I had no problem with that, and with the layer of peels it came slightly above the fill line before cooking.
    After it all cooked and cooled slightly I just took some tongs and carefully pulled off the layer of peels. Thanks again for another great instant pot recipe!

  32. Interesting how this can come out a differently for people. I’ve made it twice now and it’s been perfect. Thanks for a great, easy recipe!

  33. 3 stars
    First time making applesauce in my instant pot. There was a lot of liquid. My apples were hard. Bonus points for smelling good but as for the recipe itself? It’s a no.

  34. This was so easy and tastes amazing. I used 4 yellow delicious apples and 2 of a hybrid apple called Pizazz which is semi tart. The Pizazz is a cross between a Harlson and Honeycrisp. They are fairly large which is why I used less. I also substituted 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon for a cinnamon blend called Cinnamon Plus. The outcome was phenomenal! Thank you for sharing this!

  35. Just tried this, super easy, super good, did a quick cool in a metal bowl with ice and salt on the outside. Kids loved it. Even the two(house of 8 going on 9) that dont like applesauce said it was good. Definitely something I will do again in the future.

  36. 5 stars
    This was very delicious. I doubled the recipe and used 15 Medium Gala apples and 5 Large Granny Smith apples because that’s what I had. Except for the apples, I followed the rest of the recipe as is. It was a very nice treat. Everyone in my house really enjoyed it and it was sweet enough without sugar. Only my daughter added just an extra pinch cinnamon sugar. We each had a small dish and canned the rest in 3 pint jars for later. Thanks!

  37. This is the best simplest applesauce to make. But I DO NOT recommend using the quick release. I’ve made it a few times, but today I did the quick release. what a mistake. It poured out all over my instatpot. I thought it was ruined and took me forever to clean up. I think it will be ok.
    But I DEF recommend this, super delicious without sugar.

    1. This is most likely because you filled the pot too full. I have done this with soup when u first started using my Instantpot.
      Check for the inside line marking to keep from over filling in future.

    2. 5 stars
      I agree about not using quick release. Huge mess. I did not add more than the recipe called for and was way under the fill lines.

      Was really tasty!

  38. Easy and delicious without adding any sugar!! But I found that it is very watery. I’m hoping it will firm up in the refrigerator. Should I add a little cornstarch??

  39. Looking forward to trying this recipe. One clarification: In the article it mention “no water needed” but the recipe says add a cup of water.

    1. The “no water needed” comment was under the heading for making slow cooker applesauce as opposed to instant pot applesauce.

  40. I just made this recipe for the first time, and it turned out so good!. I did make a couple changes though, I added 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice and a dash of all spice. I also did a half cup of water and half a cup of apple brandy (boiled off the alcohol first). it was soooo good!

  41. How many pounds of apples is this? We went apple picking, and I have a big variety of apples, some are three times bigger than others.I could guesstimate, but I’d like to get my proportions right.
    Also what do you mean by “controlled“ quick release? Is that just quick release? There’s a big difference between quick release and natural release.
    Thanks

    1. You can do as many or little amount of apples as you’d like (and as will fit in your pot) The liquid amount will stay the same. A controlled quick release means you turn the valve to quick release for a a few seconds, then turn it back off, and repeat, to slowly allow the air to release without the steam starting to sputter out thicker/liquid-like steam from inside the pot.

  42. Hi! Planning on using this recipe, but doubling it. Do I need to double the amount of water too for the Instant Pot? Thanks!

  43. Hi!
    Just found this site!
    Excited about the simple and we’ll reviewed recipes!

    Question:
    Can the applesauce go straight from the Instapot to jars then into a waterbath for canning?

    1. 5 stars
      Hey Emily,

      Did you try adding a few extra Granny Smiths in the recipe? I’ve found that when I made it using one extra Granny Smith, it turned out wonderfully. Glad to see people are taking advantage of the fruits of this time of year!!

  44. 4 stars
    This was a great recipe but I found there was too much water called for. I used 10 apples because half of them were on the smaller size, and found the sauce to be pretty liquidy (and wanting to separate from the liquid) when finished. The best part, though, was how perfectly sweet this was even without adding any sugar.

  45. 3 stars
    I made this recipe and it was good, but too sour. I will make it again with half the lemon and maybe a little sugar.

    1. Sorry, it just depends how you do it. I use a Johnny Apple Peeler, Slicer, Corer (linked in the post) when peeling apples, and it only takes a couple minutes.

      1. Apple seeds contain a substance that is cyanide when mixed with digestive enzymes. A small quantity, nothing that should harm you. However, if you do this frequently or are regularly feeding it to children or the elderly, please core your apples.

  46. 5 stars
    Love, love, love, this recipe for homemade applesauce. I make dog food when my dogs for some reason have diarrhea. They love the applesauce plain or with rice and a little chicken on sick days. Their people love it too!! Going to try strawberry and peach. Thank you again for your post!

  47. We love this applesauce and it works great using up those apples that got lost hiding in the fridge too long. I never peel my apples , just core them and put in the pot in quarters. When it’s done cooking I use my Cuisinart smart stick blender and blend it all right in the pot. No trace of skins when eating and you get the added benefits of eating the skins. Not to mention the time saved in prep.

  48. Can you half this recipe? Would you still cook same length of time? I’m new to the instant pot!

  49. 5 stars
    I have subbed strawberries in this recipes and pears. It comes out fantastic every time! My kids devour it. Great recipe

  50. 5 stars
    Have made the recipe three times now and I love it. Also, I took your suggesti I n and am making my fourth batch with the Johnny Apple Peeler. It was so easy. Peeled, cored, and sliced in no time and very little mess.
    Thanks!

  51. 5 stars
    Have made this recipe exactly as is it a few times now – delicious! I slice my apples paper thin and they turn to instant puree when I mix with a fork after it’s cooked. Have used it as filling for crepes, topping on waffles, porridge and just a snack. So good! I love that I can use organic apples and zero added sugar. Might see how it tastes with local honey – just to mix it up a bit… 🙂

  52. 4 stars
    I do not peel the apples, just take off stem and flower, eighth the apples. I do not add lemon juice, just a little water (3/4 cup) and go thru cook cycle as in original recipe. When the apples are cooked, they get put thru a food mill which removes skins and seeds and gives the sauce a natural flavor. That is mainly how my mother used to make applesauce. Be 79 in May. The hard part is the food mill, arm power.

  53. If you dont have fresh lemon can you substitute 100% lemon juice concentrate? If so would it be the same measurement or would I need to adjust ?

  54. 5 stars
    This is the ultimate quarantine comfort food. I spent about 15 minutes making this with half Granny Smith, half Golden Delicious apples that had been in our fridge for too long, and it came out tasting like I’d been slaving over a stove all day.

    P.S.—I was lazy and thought the little bits of peel that our peeler/corer didn’t get to would be fine in the applesauce. Umm, not so much. We all ended up with bits of peel stuck to the roofs of our mouths. Next time I’ll take the extra five minutes and make sure to get all the peel off.

  55. 5 stars
    This applesauce is amazing. I didn’t even need to mash it as it was perfect when I lifted the instant pot lid. Thank you so much!!!

  56. 4 stars
    I use a mix of apples and only 1/3 cup of water. Love it and my 2-year old Granddaughter always asks for “Grandma’s ‘appa-sauce'” when she comes over!

  57. 5 stars
    Great recipe for left over apples. I diced 8 small to medium sized apples that no one would eat and made fantastic applesauce. So easy! Yummy. Thanks for sharing!

  58. Have made this countless times with all Fuji apples (my favorite) and it turns out perfect every time! I fill up Mason jars and freeze it so I can enjoy it for quite a while. It’s so good and naturally sweet I’ve heated some up and put crushed grahm crackers and whipped cream and called it dessert!! Thanks for sharing this recipe 😊

  59. 3 stars
    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.

  60. 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.

  61. 5 stars
    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!

  62. Quick question. My apples are small this year. Can you give a weight for the total amount of apples? 4 pounds (2 kilos), maybe?

    1. 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.

        1. 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.

  63. 4 stars
    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

  64. 5 stars
    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!

  65. I made this apple sauce EXACTLY as the recipe says to and it came out perfect. The last 2 times I had applesauce shooting out of my venting valve when I went to do the quick release and my apple sauce was very soupy. There were absolutely no apples left to mash. What could be going wrong?

  66. As a tip, I’ve found that xanthan gum can thicken this pretty easily if needed. I start with about a tablespoon.

  67. 5 stars
    I followed the directions precisely and the sauce has a wonderful texture and piquant flavors. Tonight I’ll be halving a pear, scooping the warm applesauce over it and covering with whip cream!

  68. I felt like this was WAY too long to cook the apples. I literally stirred them with a whisk to make the applesauce. I would recommend a shorter cooking time and a quick release.

    1. 4 stars
      Agreed. I found that it was way too soupy. Good flavor, but very watery, even after cooling. I will try a shorter cook time and less water.

  69. Since I have issues with my hands as far as peeling the apples I just quarter them ,cook them and then put them through machine. Can I still do this with the instant pot?

    1. I did the same but pressed it through a colander with the wooden masher from my mom. It gave me a feeling of satisfaction. I remember her making applesauce from scratch. I also reduced it to six minutes and a half cup water.

  70. Very good recipe. We like more spice so I initially made with double cinnamon (1 tsp) which turned out well. Then made with 1 tsp of cinnamon plus a pinch each of cloves and nutmeg which turned out the best. Also like the suggestion of using apple cider in place of water from a flavor standpoint but this obviously increases the total sugar content.

  71. 5 stars
    I substitute fresh orchard apple cider for the water – outstanding! My SIL gave me this tip and I’ll never go back to using water.

    1. You cannot can or seal jars of applesauce in the instant pot but you can take the finished hot applesauce and water bath can that. Just place hot sauce in hot canning jars (wipe rim of jar clean, place new hot lids/rings and just barely tighten them on) andwater bath can it following specs for proper water bath canning of applesauce. Near me there is what they call an extension center that advices on all things food preservation. Look one up in your area, it’s a great resource.

    1. Yes, you could! Depending on the size of the pieces you may want to add 1-2 more minutes to the pressure cooking time.

  72. 5 stars
    Too Bad Instant Pots were’t around in the late 80’s and early 90’s when my 3 kids were babies/toddlers and I was doing the food.. I was blessed though with my then Mother in Law’s Hamilton Beach 50’s Blender with the Original Book that had Info on how to Puree Foods that you put in there and Freeze it in Plastic Freezer Trays to make Babies First Meals…

  73. Yum! Enjoying a nice warm bowl of this right now! Threw a few pecans on top-fabulous! Will definitely make this again, so simple.

  74. 5 stars
    Followed the recipe exactly and its so good! I have a toddler and I love being about to make food for her so I know exactly what is in it. I’ve also eaten just as much of it as her! Added bonus, it made the house smell awesome while cooking!

  75. 4 stars
    So I followed this recipe exactly. When I did a quick release, the pot started spewing steaming apple juice and the overflow container started filling up.
    This never happened with any recipe before. The pot was barely full so there was not too much in it.

    Any idea what may have happened?

    Lewis

    1. Same thing happened to me! I used 8 apples half a cup of water and it still looked like more like apple soup than sauce. I suggest not using the quick release as I had a huge sticky mess to clean up after. Also likely only a few tablespoons of water would do the trick.

  76. 5 stars
    This worked well for me. I only had 4 apples (fuji & honey crisp), so I used half the water. I left the skins on after reading how much nutrients they contain. I used a purée wand and the texture turned out perfect for me. It was a little tart, maybe because I used all the lemon or maybe because of the skins. So I did add a couple tsp honey. What a treat to have for breakfasts this week- Thank you!

  77. 5 stars
    I used ~12 Macintosh apples and only a half cup of water (as they are softer than Granny Smith and honeyscrisp) and left out the cinnamon. I did leave the peels on and then pulled them out with tongs after the pressure was released and puréed them before adding them back, to keep more of the nutritional value.
    While the apples filled the 12 cup instant pot almost to the max line originally, it cooked down to only 8 cups of sauce. Cooking time was spot on!

  78. I only have honeycrisp apples, can I use all of the same apples and this recipe will still work? I have never made applesauce. thanks!

  79. 5 stars
    We picked 10 lbs of apples at a local fruit farm last Sat and this my second batch of applesauce! My fiance likes it cold, whereas I prefer it warm/hot with a fluffy marshmallow mixed in 😉 This is an easy, delicious recipe. We picked suncrisp, crimson crisp and Melrose at the fruit farm and the combination was perfect.

  80. 5 stars
    Thanks for sharing this recipe! I picked free apples from my friend’s trees. But they must have been tarter! We love chunky applesauce, so I added 1/3 cup of brown sugar; cooked it for just 6 minutes and it worked well! Thanks!!

    1. I’m sorry, that hasn’t happened to me! Next time you could try a “controlled” quick release, where you open and close the valve many times as it releases pressure, to keep the applesauce from squirting out.

    1. Hi Severina, I really can’t give a safe recommendation for canning this, it would be wisest to refer to a canning website to make sure you add the proper amount of acid (lemon juice) to make the recipe safe for preserving.

  81. I made the applesauce the other night and it was amazing! I can’t wait to try other recipes. Thank you so much for your efforts in making the rest of our lives easier and healthier.

    1. I haven’t tried freezing it, but I think it would change the texture. It will keep well in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

        1. You’d have to do some research on that–you need certain safe ph/acidity levels to make things safe for canning.

    2. I freeze ours all the time, in infanfino squeeze pouches. Great for toddler and great for me. ? I put two to three in the fridge to thaw out overnight. Also works well to put a frozen one in lunch sacks to keep food / drinks cold on the go.

    1. In the insta-pot, the volume of apples doesn’t matter as long as you don’t go above the fill line.
      After they cook, you could add a bit more lemon juice and cinnamon if desired.

  82. 5 stars
    Apples + IP = Amazing applesauce! We are big fans of your IP recipes and this recipe was no different. Thank you for sharing!

  83. 5 stars
    I buy organic apples and don’t peel them. More nutritious I think with peelings. I use 8 apples and 1/4 cup of water. Then immersion blender when finished cooking.

    Also add blueberries or pears or strawberries if I have them.

    Always refer to your recipe for timing. Can’t seem to remember that.

  84. If I wanted to halve the recipe should I just halve the amount of apples and water and leave the time the same?

  85. Hi. I would love to try this but I’m not seeing the recipe instructions for a slow cooker. Please advise!

    Please email me in response to this question.

  86. 5 stars
    I made this today, and it’s wonderful! I’ll be using it to make your Healthy Applesauce Oat Muffins as well.

  87. Hi! I have some apples that my grandparents canned in water that I’d like to use for this recipe. About how long do you think they would need in the pressure cooker since they’re not fresh?

    1. Hi Michelle, since they are already canned I would suggest just warming them on the stovetop instead. You can mash them once they are completely tender, and then add cinnamon and lemon juice, to taste.

  88. 5 stars
    I make this applesauce in my instant pot to have during the week. Can you tell me the best container to store it in (and one that is large enough) in the refrigerator?

    1. I can’t get my hot pot to go on high pressure. I mashed the selected cook item several times but still stays on low. Any suggestions.

      Thanks
      Stuck on low

    2. I can’t get my hot pot to go on high pressure. I mashed the selected cook item several times but still stays on low. Any suggestions.

      Thanks
      Stuck on low