This quick + easy homemade applesauce is unsweetened and full of fresh apple flavor, and a great way to use up excess apples from a day of apple picking! It can be mashed right in the pot for a chunky texture or pureed in a food processor for silky smooth applesauce that’s perfect for baking and snacking or using as homemade baby food!
Let’s make applesauce!
I’ve been experimenting with homemade applesauce for a few weeks now, and have come up with my absolute favorite flavor combination:
apples
apple cider
lemon juice
cinnamon
and salt.
That’s it.
The apples get peeled, cored, and diced, then simmered for 30 minutes with apple cider (for ultra concentrated apple flavor + natural sweetness) lemon juice (for a little bit of tang + to balance the natural sweetness), cinnamon (for a little spice), and salt (to round out all that sweetness!).
It’s simple, but oh so delicious, and requires absolutely no fancy gadgets or complicated techniques (read: you can actually make this at home right now with what you have in your kitchen).
I’ve been eating it in yogurt for breakfast and love the combination of warm, cinnamon apples with tangy yogurt and granola. It’s also kind of perfect just eaten straight out of a bowl or used in any recipe you love that calls for applesauce.
This recipe is perfect for those of you who tend to go a little overboard when apple picking (tell me I’m not the only one who comes home with enough apples to feed an army) and find yourself with some past-their-prime apples on the counter. It’s also a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen since they can help you peel and dice the apples, then mash them up once they cook!
I love keeping this applesauce completely unsweetened and find the combination of ripe apples and apple cider to be just sweet enough, but if you enjoy snacking on sweetened applause, a drizzle of maple syrup or honey would be absolutely perfect here!
If you make this easy stovetop applesauce, let me know how it turns out! Leave a comment below or take a picture and share it with me on Instagram. I love seeing my recipes in your kitchen! Happy applesauce-ing, friends!
- 8-10 apples, any variety you like
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup apple cider*
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- a pinch of salt
- 1. Peel, core, and dice the apples. Place them in a large saucepot with the juice from the lemon and all remaining ingredients. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pot and let the apples cook for 30 minutes.
- 2. Once fully cooked, turn off the heat and use a potato masher to turn your apple chunks into applesauce, leaving it as textured as you'd like (alternately, carefully spoon the applesauce into the base of a food processor and pulse until completely pureed, if you'd like this completely smooth). 3. Transfer the applesauce to a 4-qt mason jar (or any glass container with a lid) and let cool completely before storing in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Serve cold or warm, plain or on top of pancakes, oatmeal, yogurt, etc, or use in any recipe that calls for applesauce.
- *using apple cider in this applesauce recipe helps concentrate the natural apple flavor and adds an extra hint of sweetness. If you don't have any, feel free to use water instead; taste once finished and add maple syrup to sweeten, if needed (1-2 Tablespoons should be a good starting point).
- This recipe yields about 4 cups of applesauce, depending on the size of your apples.