I have fond memories of making applesauce recipes at home with my kids every year. Although we no longer live in an area with apple trees (it’s too hot here!), I still love making them. Unlike some canning adventures, I think home-made applesauce is worth the effort. Plus, your house smells great!
But be warned… your family will never want to eat store-bought applesauce again. Mine won’t!
An Easy Recipe for the Best Applesauce
There’s really no comparison between homemade applesauce and store-bought, watery applesauce. Homemade apples tasted much better. And I’m skipping the downsides of store-bought applesauce with added sweeteners…
It’s easy to make a small batch as needed, but I usually make larger batches for canning. If you want the short and sweet version, I’ve included instructions on how to make applesauce in the Instant Pot. The taste is fantastic with a little apple pie spice seasoning and refreshing lemon juice. My kids can’t get enough of it!
How to make applesauce at home
Here’s what we do…
Step 1: Make a Plan to Do It
If you have little underfoot, making and canning applesauce might work best over the weekend. We usually pick a nice fall weekend and make it a family event. (Having extra hands makes the job easier!)
Spend a day together at a farmer’s market or apple orchard. Kids can enjoy the sights and sounds (and tastes!) and purchase affordable, organic, local produce.
Step 2: Quantity Estimation
How much to make will vary from family to family, but it is an important step to consider. Nothing kills the joy of cooking and canning from scratch like handling too much at once. (Ask me how I know…)
In my experience, you can get about 15 to 16 quarts of applesauce from a bushel of apples. I usually use 2 bushels, enough to last a family of 7 for about 6 months.
Here are some equivalents that may be helpful to remember:
- 21 pounds of apples = about 7 quarts of processed applesauce (one full water bath)
- 1 bushel = 40 pounds of apples
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to buy extra for snacking, baking, and dehydrating. We love making seasonal dishes like apple cinnamon muffins, apple pork chops, apple cider, apple butter, and side dishes like apple kale salad.
Step 3: Buy apples (preferably local and organic)
Making applesauce at home may not save you time, but it does save you money. The first year I started making applesauce, I was able to get a bushel of organic apples from my CSA for just $20. (Really good deal!)
Step 4: Clean and prepare
Even if you buy pesticide-free, wax-free apples, it is still a good idea to soak them in vinegar. Fill the sink with vinegar and water and let it soak. This will remove any dust or debris from harvesting. After soaking, rinse well with clean water.
You can use a peeler to remove the apple skin, but I prefer to leave it on. Cut the apples into quarters and remove the cores before cooking. (if you have Kitchen Aidthese attachment Can be easily sliced and cored).
Step 5: Cook and mix until smooth.
You can cook applesauce in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or a large pot on the stovetop. Cover and simmer the apples over medium heat with a little water (less than a cup of water) in the bottom of the pot. I usually add a few tablespoons of cinnamon to each pot of apples.
Since the skin of the apple is left intact, it is used when it becomes soft. immersion blender Mix it right in the pot. A large blender, food mill, or food processor will also work. The point is to blend it out so it doesn’t stand out on your skin. You can mix the sauce to your desired consistency to create a smooth or thick applesauce.
Step 6: Freeze, can, or just eat it!
Now your applesauce is ready to eat! Now is a good time to distribute warm applesauce to your kitchen helpers before canning. If you are new to canning, This helpful FAQ This is a good place to start.
Introducing a new fall tradition. We hope you love it as much as we do!
Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe
Try making applesauce using this simple homemade method. Applesauce can be canned or frozen.
- 21 pound apologize (Increase or decrease the amount as desired)
- 2 TBSP cinnamon (Increase or decrease the amount as desired)
- ⅔ cup water
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Soak apples in vinegar and water in your kitchen sink for a few hours to remove any dirt or residue. If you don’t rinse it well after soaking it in water, the applesauce will have a slight pickle taste. This step isn’t strictly necessary for organic apples, but it’s still a good way to clean them.
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Peel the apples if you wish. Cut the washed apples into quarters and plant them.
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Place all the apples in a crock pot or large pot on the stovetop, add 3/4 cup water and cinnamon to taste. I usually add a few tablespoons of cinnamon to each pot of apples.
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Cook over medium heat until apples are soft. Time varies, but expect it to take at least a few hours. Your home will smell great all day while you cook!
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Once the apples have softened and the skins have started to fall off, remove from the heat and let the apples cool until slightly warm. Using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender (not a hand blender), puree the apples until smooth.
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If storing fresh, pour into a clean quart jar, cover, and store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe
Per serving (1 cup)
calorie 178
calories from fat 9
% Daily Value*
province 1g2%
Saturated fat 0.1g1%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.2g
Monounsaturated fat 0.03g
sodium 4mg0%
potassium 366mg10%
carbohydrate 47g16%
8g fiber33%
35g sugar39%
protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 185IU4%
Vitamin C 16mg19%
calcium 26mg3%
steel 0.5mg3%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe makes about 7 quarts of applesauce. One bushel of apples makes about 15 quarts of applesauce. You can easily adapt this recipe to smaller or larger batches.
Best Types of Apples for Applesauce
The key is to ask organic farmers for “seconds” (not-so-pretty apples with small defects on the outside). This isn’t a problem with applesauce since you cook and mix the apples anyway. This makes the process much cheaper. We get different types of apples each year depending on what is available from local farmers. It also depends on which apple trees grow well in your local climate.
In the past I have used McIntosh, Jonathan, Gala, Fuji and Ida Red regularly. The key is to use a mixture of three or more varieties. You’ll get a better flavor by combining tart apples, like Granny Smith apples, with sweet apples, like Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious.
Instant Pot Applesauce Recipe
This quick and easy recipe uses the Instant Pot for an even faster version. I love this when I don’t have a lot of apples to can, but still want some homemade applesauce.
- 8 apologize (Using a variety is the key to flavor)
- ½ cup water
- 1 TBSP lemon juice (about half a small lemon, juiced)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder (Optional, depending on your taste)
- ½ teaspoon apple pie spice (Optional, depending on your taste)
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Soak apples in vinegar and water in your kitchen sink for a few hours to remove any dirt or chemical residue. If you don’t rinse it well after soaking it in water, the applesauce will have a slight pickle taste. This step isn’t strictly necessary for organic apples, but it’s still a good way to clean them.
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Peel the apples, if desired. Core and cut into quarters.
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Add apples, water, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon/apple pie spice to the Instant Pot.
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Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 5 minutes.
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After releasing the pressure naturally for 10 minutes, quickly release the remaining pressure.
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Mash to desired texture using an immersion blender, potato masher or fork.
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Applesauce Recipe
Amount per serving (per serving)
calorie 128
calories from fat 4
% Daily Value*
province 0.4g1%
Saturated fat 0.1g1%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated fat 0.02g
sodium 4 mg0%
potassium 264mg8%
carbohydrate 34g11%
6g fiber25%
25g sugar28%
protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 132IU3%
Vitamin C 12mg15%
calcium 18mg2%
steel 0.3mg2%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Serve warm or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Have you ever made applesauce? What happened?
