Your guide for making homemade applesauce in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or stovetop. Homemade applesauce is made from a few simple ingredients and is easy to make! Apples, cinnamon, water, and a bit of sugar (optional).
You might also like our apple cider donuts, our instant pot apple cider, or our baked apple chips!
Watch our step by step video!
Homemade Applesauce
When we lived in Ohio we lived right down the road from an apple orchard and would pick apples every year to make applesauce. I don’t live near an orchard anymore, but that doesn’t stop us from filling up a large pot with sliced apples and simmering it down to make this cinnamony goodness. It’s the perfect side to any meal and so easy to make. You can make it in an instant pot, stovetop, or slow cooker and I’ll show you how!
Best Method for Homemade Applesauce
What’s the best way to make homemade applesauce? Honestly, there are benefits to all 3 methods. The Instant Pot is quick and automatic. Slow cookers are easy and fool-proof; “set it and forget it”. A good old-fashioned stock pot is also quick and easy, and honestly my preferred method. Just use whatever method you are most comfortable with.
Best Apples for Applesauce
The type of apple that you use depends on the flavor of applesauce you’d like! Want a sweet applesauce that needs little to no sugar? Try Golden Delicious or Honeycrisp. Want a great all-around applesauce? Gala, Macintosh, Rome, Jonagold, Fuji, or Pink Lady are great options! Looking for a tangy or tart apple? Granny Smith is an obvious choice.
My personal favorite apples to use are Gala and Golden Delicious because they are sweet and inexpensive. Many applesauce recipes call for 1/2 cup+ of sugar, but I find that when you use a sweet apple you can get away with far less sweeteners (or none at all).
Homemade Applesauce Ingredients
- Apples: a 3-pound bag of your favorite variety will yield a little over 3 1/2 cups of apple sauce.
- Cinnamon: I use 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, which is just the right amount. You can easily sprinkle a bit more over your finished sauce later on.
- Water: you don’t need a lot of water. As the apples simmer in the slow cooker they will release quite a bit of juice. Simply pour 1/3 cup of water over the apples before adding the lid.
- Sugar: the amount of sugar depends on how sweet you’d like your sauce. 3 Tablespoons is typically what I add.
How to Make Applesauce In a Slow Cooker
- Peel, core, and thinly slice 3 pounds of apples.
- Place apple slices in a slow cooker.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
- Pour water over the apples.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook apples on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.
- Mash apples with a potato masher for chunky applesauce or blend with an immersion blender for a smooth texture.
- Applesauce will thicken as it cools.
How To Make Applesauce on the Stove
- Peel, core, and thinly slice 3 pounds of apples.
- Place apples in a large stock pot.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
- Pour 1/3 cup of water over the apples.
- Cover the pot with a lid and bring it to a boil. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until apples are tender and fall apart easily.
- Mash apples with a potato masher or use an immersion blender for a smooth sauce.
- Applesauce will thicken as it cools.
How To Make Applesauce in an Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker)
- Peel, core, and thinly slice 3 pounds of apples.
- Place apples in an Instant Pot pot.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
- Pour 1/3 cup of water over the apples.
- Secure the lid and cook on HIGH (manual) pressure for 8 minutes.
- Allow pressure to release naturally.
- Mash apples with a potato masher or use an immersion blender until desired consistency is achieved.
- Applesauce will thicken as it cools.
How To Store Homemade Applesauce
Allow the applesauce to cool. Store applesauce in a jar in the refrigerator.
If making a large batch, spoon/pour applesauce into freezer bags, containers, or jars. Leave at least a 1/2″ headspace before adding a lid to allow for expansion in the freezer. Applesauce freezes beautifully and can be stored in the freezer for up to a year. Simply take a jar from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator or counter to allow it to thaw.
If you’d like to make your applesauce shelf-stable canning it is the way to go.
Homemade Applesauce Recipe
Homemade Applesauce (Stovetop, Instant Pot, Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. apples Gala, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, etc.
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (more or less depending on taste)
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 Tbsp. sugar (optional)
Instructions
HOW TO MAKE APPLESAUCE IN A SLOW COOKER
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
- Place apple slices in a slow cooker.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
- Pour water over the apples.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook apples on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.
- Mash apples with a potato masher or use an immersion blender for a smooth sauce.
HOW TO MAKE APPLESAUCE ON THE STOVE
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
- Place apples in a large stock pot.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
- Pour 1/3 cup of water over the apples.
- Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to LOW and simmer for 20 minutes or until apples are tender and fall apart easily.
- Mash apples with a potato masher or use an immersion blender for a smooth sauce.
HOW TO MAKE APPLESAUCE IN AN INSTANT POT (PRESSURE COOKER)
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
- Place apples in an Instant Pot pot.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
- Pour 1/3 cup of water over the apples.
- Secure the lid and cook on HIGH (manual) pressure for 8 minutes.
- Allow pressure to release naturally.
- Mash apples with a potato masher or use an immersion blender for a smooth sauce.
Notes
- You don't need a lot of sugar in homemade applesauce. I generally use 3 Tablespoons, or none at all depending on the type of apple that I use.
- Applesauce will thicken as it cools. If you mash it down and think it's too runny, don't fret. It'll be just fine.
- Store applesauce in the refrigerator in a jar or container.
- If making a large batch, store applesauce in freezer containers in the freezer. Allow at least 1/2" headspace in the container to allow for expansion in the freezer.
- You can also process the applesauce in a water bath canner to make it shelf-stable.
- Applesauce is delicious served warm or cold.
Nutrition
Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!
My mom always had thinner applesauce would I just add more water? Hers was sweet and tart would I use Granny Smith plus sweet apples? Thx
You can add a little more water if you’d like! That would thin it out. You can even do that after you make it if it isn’t as thin as you’d like.
How long does it last in the fridge?
A couple of weeks. You can freeze it for up to a year.
Super easy and my Toddler class loved making this and eating it!!
So glad to hear Karrie!