amazing homemade applesauce

Homemade Applesauce is quick, easy, and incredibly delicious! Get yourself to the orchard this apple season and make a big batch with this easy recipe! You can even make it in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.

this recipe

Why you’ll love this Homemade Applesauce:

• Mom’s Amazing Best Ever Homemade Applesauce – Ok that’s a really long name but it’s totally necessary. I promise you’ll break up with the grocery store-bought stuff after you make this sweet and delicious applesauce from scratch!
• Choose Your Method – This recipe is simple to make in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop in a dutch oven. Obviously the pressure cooker is going to be faster, but either way is super easy with very little hands-on time.
• Plenty to Save and Share – This recipe makes about 3 1/2 pints – which means you can eat applesauce, you can gift applesauce, and, it also freezes extremely well, so you can freeze some for a future cold winter night when you will be missing your haul from the apple orchard.

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).

• Apples – Choose sweet apples that are ripe and crisp with few blemishes for the best applesauce. They don’t have to be super pretty or anything, but try to avoid ones that have questionable worm-sized holes in them. Any type of apples works for applesauce! Feel free to use a mix of your favorite flavors.
• Liquid – Use your choice of water, apple juice, or apple cider. Apple juice is the sweetest, while cider packs a nice bit of tangy, tart flavor.
• Brown Sugar – This is my favorite sweetener to enhance the taste of the fruit and isn’t cloyingly sweet. You could also use a splash of maple syrup instead!
• Spices – Here I’m using the fall flavor trifecta of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Recipe Substitutions & Variations:

• Gluten-free – This recipe is naturally gluten-free!
• Dairy-free & Vegan – This recipe is naturally vegan!
• Maple Syrup – Feel free to use maple syrup as a sweetener in place of the brown sugar (start with about half the amount and taste, then adjust). Or, omit the sweetener entirely if desired! It’s not necessary.

How to Make this Simple Homemade Applesauce Recipe:

Step 1: Prep. If you don’t have a food mill, you will need to peel your apples before you cook them, and run them through the blender if cooking on the stovetop (if using the Instant Pot, you can skip this step because it breaks down the apples so well).

How to Make Applesauce in the Instant Pot:

Place cored and quartered apples in the bottom of the Instant Pot insert with a cup of liquid.

Lock the lid into place and cook on manual for 5 minutes. Allow the instant pot to naturally release. It will look like a pile of mush and skins when you open the lid, but no worries – just give it a stir and soak in that gorgeous natural pink color!

How to Make Applesauce on the Stovetop:

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat apples and your liquid to boiling over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat uncovered for several minutes, or until the apples have softened.

Break up the apples while they are simmering. You can use a wooden spoon or even give them an occasional smoosh with a potato masher. Remove the pot from the heat once the apples are fork-tender.

Step 2: Finish the Applesauce: If you did not peel your apples, run the cooked apple mixture through the food mill. Discard the skins.

If you peeled your apples, carefully add them to a blender once you’ve removed them from the cooking pot. Double check to make sure the blender can handle high-heat foods, otherwise you’ll need to let the apple puree cool a bit first.

Blend until desired consistency is reached (smooth or chunky).

Then, add it back to the Instant Pot or Dutch Oven, add your sugar and spices, and cook for a few more minutes (use the sauté mode on the instant pot) to thicken it.

Serving + Storing:

Enjoy homemade applesauce as a sweet side dish with savory pork chops, as a light breakfast or afternoon snack, or as a not-too-sweet dessert.

If you know how to can, this applesauce can be canned. Then it’ll last for at least a year stored at room temperature! Otherwise, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

You can also freeze it in any freezer-safe tupperware or glass containers. It will keep well for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Expert Cooking Tips:

• Natural Release – If making homemade applesauce in the Instant Pot, be sure to let the pressure release naturally. Otherwise, you WILL end up with a saucy mess everywhere.
• Blend Well – I’m a big fan of smooth applesauce and suggest running the blender for a good minute or two to really smooth it out. But you can totally puree it less for a more chunky applesauce, if you like!
• Pot Size – I have the 6 quart Instant Pot – if you have a smaller size you will need to cut the recipe down to fit into a smaller pot.

FAQs:

Special Tools:

• Instant Pot – Use a name brand Instant Pot or other pressure cooker like a Ninja Foodi to make this easy recipe nearly hands-off.
• Dutch Oven – You’ll need a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed large pot if you want to make this on the stovetop.
• Food Mill – A food mill (affiliate link) will get rid of the apple skins for you after you cook them – so all you need to do is slice + core them first! It makes life so easy.
• Blender – If you don’t have a food mill you’ll need to puree the applesauce using a high-powered blender, food processor or immersion blender.

More Easy Sauce Recipes to Love:

• Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce
• 10-Minute Salted Caramel Sauce
• Quick Homemade Candied Pecans
• Homemade Maple Cranberry Sauce
• Cinnamon Sugar Baked Peaches

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