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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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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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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.
The “no water needed” comment was under the heading for making slow cooker applesauce as opposed to instant pot applesauce.
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!
Can this recipe be canned?
To can it, follow the water bath canning instruction in this canned applesauce post.
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
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.
Hi! Planning on using this recipe, but doubling it. Do I need to double the amount of water too for the Instant Pot? Thanks!
No, you don’t need to double the water. Enjoy!
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?
Yes you can do that!
I’ve tried this recipe twice and both times there is a bitter aftertaste. Does that mean I need to add sugar?
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!!
Thank you for the tip!
Came out great!! A little tart so added a bit of light brown sugar which made it perfect!!
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.
Does anyone ever freeze their applesauce? Hoping the answer is yes!
I haven’t tried that but it would probably be fine.