Homemade Applesauce

Say good-bye to store-bought applesauce. Homemade Applesauce is a game changer and once you learn to make your own you will never go back. Use the right combination of apples to get the perfect sweet and tart applesauce. Perfect to use in baked goods or to eat as is.

Homemade Applesauce

With the arrival of fall comes the abundance of apples. Apple Picking is one of my favorite fall activities. Every year we head over to our favorite farm as soon as fall starts and pick all kinds of different apples. Even if you don’t have Apple Picking where you are apples are in season and you can find them everywhere.

This is the perfect time to bake all kinds of delicious apple baked goods that will make your house smell just like fall. Apple pie, apple cobbler, apple cider donuts, etc. And of course you have to make homemade applesauce.

Making applesauce at home is pretty easy and much better than store-bought. First off, the taste is obviously much fresher than buying a processed jar of applesauce. Homemade tastes just like apples.

Another great reason for homemade applesauce being better than store-bought is the sugar content. Processed applesauce can contain additives and added refined-sugars. While making it at home you control what goes in it and the sweetness all comes from the natural sugar the apples contain. No need to add any type of sweeteners.

Say good-bye to store-bought applesauce and start making your own. Homemade Applesauce is a game changer and once you learn to make your own you will never go back! Use the right combination of apples to get the perfect sweet and tart applesauce. Perfect to use in baked goods or to eat as is. 

Ingredients needed to make Homemade Applesauce:

• Apples– I like using a combination of Fuji and McIntosh apples.
• Cinnamon Sticks– Adds so much flavor!
• Water– To help apples cook down.

Equipment needed to make Homemade Applesauce:

• Vegetable Peeler– For peeling apples.
• Medium Saucepan– To cook apples in.
• Mashed Potato Masher– Makes it easier to mash apples down into applesauce.

How to make Homemade Applesauce:

• Step 1– Peel and remove core from apples. Rough chop into big chunks. 
• Step 2– Place a medium saucepan on stovetop. Pour in 1/3 cup water then add apple chunks right on top and throw in cinnamon sticks. Turn heat on medium-high and place lid on saucepan. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
• Step 3– Remove cover from saucepan and gently mash to softened apples using a mashed potato masher. Turn heat down to low. Pour in the rest of water and cover again and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes on low heat. 
• Step 4– Remove cover and mash again with mashed potato masher. Very gently. If you like the consistency of the apple sauce at this point remove from heat. If not, cover again and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes to reduce more. Then mash again very gently until all chunks are gone. 
• Step 5– Remove saucepan from heat and leave covered until applesauce cools-off. Remove cinnamon sticks and serve applesauce in a large wide mouth mason jar or airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 5-7 days. 

Tips for making Homemade Applesauce:

1. Use a combination of sweet apples and tart apples– The trick to the perfect applesauce is to use a mixture of apples that tend to be sweet and those that tend to be more on the tart side. This allows the sauce to reach that perfect sweet and tart taste.
2. The best tart, crisp with a hint of sweetness apples for applesauce are– Gravenstein, Jonamac, and McIntosh.
3. The sweetest and juiciest are– Cortland, Crispin (Mutsu), Fuji, and Golden Delicious.
4. My favorite combo of apples to use are Fuji and McIntosh- I find them to make a great combo to make great applesauce.
5. Use softer apples to make your applesauce- These kind of apples will soften faster when cooking taking less time to turn into sauce. All the type of apples mentioned above tend to be on the softer side. 
6. Applesauce is great for baking– It contains pectin which acts like a binder just like eggs. It also prevents baked goods from becoming tough and dense.
7. Don’t add any additional sweeteners to your applesauce if you are using it for baking– This will prevent your baked goods from becoming too sweet and having any extra sugar. Just the natural sweetness from the apples.

How to use Homemade Applesauce:

• As a snack– Homemade applesauce makes for as tasty and healthy snack. Especially for babies and toddlers. Since there are no added sugars in this recipe, it is perfectly safe for babies to have. It’s also a great snack to pack in your kid’s school lunchbox.
• For baking– Applesauce is great for baking. It contains pectin which acts like a binder just like eggs. It also prevents baked goods from becoming tough and dense.
• As a dip– Homemade applesauce is great for dipping sweet chips, pancakes, crackers, etc.
• Make desserts and baked goods– A great hack for adding more of an apple flavor to bread, apple cider donuts, cobbler, etc.
• In oatmeal or overnight oats– Add a nice apple pie flavor to your oatmeal or overnight oats.

Recipes to use Homemade Applesauce in:

• Banana-Berry Sheet Pan Pancakes
• Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes
• Gluten-Free “Caramel” Apple Granola
• Sweet Potato Apple Bites
• Gluten-Free Homemade Cornbread

Homemade Applesauce FAQ’s:

What kind of apples are the best for making applesauce?

The trick to the perfect applesauce is to use a mixture of apples that tend to be sweet and those that tend to be more on the tart side. This allows the sauce to reach that perfect sweet and tart taste. Use apples that are softer so they cook down faster and are easier to mash.

• The best tart, crisp with a hint of sweetness apples for applesauce are– Gravenstein, Jonamac, and McIntosh.
• The sweetest and juiciest are– Cortland, Crispin (Mutsu), Fuji, and Golden Delicious.

How long does homemade applesauce last in the fridge?

You can keep this homemade applesauce for up to 5-7 days in your fridge. If you have a fridge with a really low temp it may last even longer. Applesauce tends to get moldy once it starts to go bad. If you see any blue or white spots then it has gone bad. Also, make sure you use a clean spoon and avoid any cross contamination with any other food when serving your applesauce. If bits of other foods stay in your applesauce it will cause mold to grow making it go bad.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes. You can certainly double this recipe for more homemade applesauce! Just note that it will take bit longer for apples to simmer and cook-down.

Storing Homemade Applesauce:

Once your applesauce is done cooking through and has cooled-down, pour into mason jars. You can either keep it all in a large wide mouth mason jar, or in smaller ones portioned out. Mason jars are great for storing your applesauce as they keep tightly closed and prevent air from getting in. This will help the applesauce stay fresh in the fridge for a longer period of time. Keep your homemade applesauce refrigerated for up to 5-7 days.

Did you like this Homemade Applesauce recipe? You may also like these other condiment recipes:

• Easy Homemade Pumpkin Puree
• Homemade Gluten-Free Gravy
• Homemade Vegan Mayo
• Best and Easiest Homemade Guacamole 
• Veggie Loaded Tomato Sauce
• Loaded Guacamole
• Pickled Read Onions
• Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Print

Homemade Applesauce

Say good-bye to store-bought applesauce. Homemade Applesauce is a game changer and once you learn to make your own you will never go back. Use the right combination of apples to get the perfect sweet and tart applesauce. Perfect to use in baked goods or to eat as is. 

Course Condiments, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Homemade Applesauce

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 73 kcal

Author Angelica Arias

Ingredients

• 3 Fuji apples (or any sweet apples of choice)
• 3 McIntosh apples (or any tart apples of choice)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2/3 cup water (divided into 1/3 cups)

Instructions

1. Peel and remove core from apples. Rough chop into big chunks.

2. Place a medium saucepan on stovetop. Pour in 1/3 cup water then add apple chunks right on top and throw in cinnamon sticks. Turn heat on medium-high and place lid on saucepan. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Remove cover from saucepan and gently mash to softened apples using a mashed potato masher. Turn heat down to low. Pour in the rest of water and cover again and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes on low heat. 

4. Remove cover and mash again with mashed potato masher. Very gently. If you like the consistency of the apple sauce at this point remove from heat. If not, cover again and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes to reduce more. Then mash again very gently until all chunks are gone. 

5. Remove saucepan from heat and leave covered until applesauce cools-off. Remove cinnamon sticks and serve applesauce in a large wide mouth mason jar or airtight container. Keep refrigirated for up to 5-7 days. 

Recipe Notes

Tips for making Homemade Applesauce:

1. Use a combination of sweet apples and tart apples– The trick to the perfect applesauce is to use a mixture of apples that tend to be sweet and those that tend to be more on the tart side. This allows the sauce to reach that perfect sweet and tart taste.
2. The best tart, crisp with a hint of sweetness apples for applesauce are– Gravenstein, Jonamac, and McIntosh.
3. The sweetest and juiciest are– Cortland, Crispin (Mutsu), Fuji, and Golden Delicious.
4. My favorite combo of apples to use are Fuji and McIntosh- I find them to make a great combo to make great applesauce.
5. Use softer apples to make your applesauce- These kind of apples will soften faster when cooking taking less time to turn into sauce. All the type of apples mentioned above tend to be on the softer side. 
6. Applesauce is great for baking– It contains pectin which acts like a binder just like eggs. It also prevents baked goods from becoming tough and dense.
7. Don’t add any additional sweeteners to your applesauce if you are using it for baking– This will prevent your baked goods from becoming too sweet and having any extra sugar. Just the natural sweetness from the apples.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Applesauce

Amount per Serving

Calories

73

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

0.2

g

0

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.04

g

0

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

0.01

g

Sodium

 

2

mg

0

%

Potassium

 

150

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

 

20

g

7

%

Fiber

 

4

g

17

%

Sugar

 

14

g

16

%

Protein

 

0.4

g

1

%

Vitamin A

 

76

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

 

6

mg

7

%

Calcium

 

18

mg

2

%

Iron

 

0.2

mg

1

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.

**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used. 

**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family. 

*Post updated as of 7/2/20

**Photos updated as of 10/22/2020