You only need four ingredients (five if you count water) and no special equipment to make this easy recipe. I love how light and refreshing this applesauce recipe is without being overly sweet or tart. It’s the perfect snack for all ages and can be made ahead of time and frozen to be enjoyed for months. For more apple recipes, try my apple bread recipe, applesauce cake recipe, and apple muffins recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Apples — I love using a variety of apples to get a delicious balance of flavor. I like sweet apples like Honeycrisp apples, Mcintosh, Golden Delicious apples, Granny Smith Apples, and Gala apples. It’s important to use ripe apples for the best results. Sugar — you can use white or brown sugar for this applesauce recipe. You can even use a combination of both if you prefer. Cinnamon — make sure your cinnamon is fresh. Old, expired cinnamon will not taste as strong or rich. A good quality bottle of cinnamon is preferred as it’s the only spice added to the sauce. Lemon juice — use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. Bottled juices do not taste as fresh or bright.
How to Make Applesauce Recipe
- In a large pot, combine the apples and sugar.
- Add the ground cinnamon and water. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and cook the apple mixture for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the apples are very soft. Stir in the lemon juice, then remove from the heat.
- Blend the apple mixture until it has reached your desired consistency. Let the applesauce recipe cool completely before refrigerating in airtight containers.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
Applesauce is a great way to use up any fresh apples that are starting to soften or if you have an abundance of fruit. I listed my favorites, but any kind of apple you have on hand will work as it really just depends on your personal preference! Flavor this applesauce recipe however you like! I love a little sprinkling of cardamom in mine, but apple pie spice, pumpkin spice, ginger, nutmeg, and clove are also great additions. Don’t add too much sugar at once in the beginning. You do not want to oversweeten the applesauce accidentally. Some varieties of apples tend to be more watery than others. If the apple mixture seems watery, you can drain some of the liquid before you blend or mash the mixture to avoid a runny applesauce. Make sure you dice the apples as uniformly as possible, as it helps them cook evenly. Avoid large chunks as well, so they do not take too long to cook. Double-check that you don’t leave any apple seeds when you core the apples. Apple seeds will lead to a bitter applesauce. You can also use an immersion blender or food processor for this recipe.
If you’ve tried this Homemade Apple Sauce Recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
