Homemade Applesauce

This Homemade Applesauce is such a treat! It's smooth and slightly sweet with a touch of cinnamon. Eat right away or freeze in bags to enjoy later!

Jump to Recipe

My brother has always been very particular when it comes to applesauce. He only eats the smooth, sweetened applesauce with no cinnamon and it has to be cold. Like I said, very particular.

I, on the other hand, could eat about any type of applesauce, but especially love it homemade! Homemade applesauce is super easy to make and is worth every second of peeling and coring those apples!

Something that I love about making my own applesauce is that I can make it exactly how I want it - sweetened or unsweetened, cinnamon or no cinnamon, and smooth or chunky. Oh, and I can enjoy some right away and freeze the rest in baggies for the rest of the year.

How do you make applesauce from scratch?

There are six main steps: Pick, peel, flavor, cook, blend, store.

First off, pick the apples. You can use about any kind of apple for applesauce. I've been using the apples off my cousin's apple tree (see photo below). For this particular recipe, you'll need about 12 medium apples. You can always double, triple, etc. this recipe if you have more to use and want to freeze some!

Next, you'll peel, core and cut the apples into chunks. I like to put the cut apples into a bowl of water with some lemon juice so they don't brown a ton. Once they're all ready, simply drain the water off the apples.

Then add the sugar and cinnamon if you'd like. You can certainly keep it plain, too!

Now, cook the apples. Put the apples in a large pot with a lid and cook on medium for 20-30 minutes, stirring every few minutes. You'll know the apples are done when they're very soft and you can easily smash one with a fork. The mixture will be lumpy at this point.

If you like your applesauce chunky, you can be done! However, if you like it smooth, add the cooked apples to a food processor and blend until smooth. Then pour onto a baking sheet and let cool.

How should I store and freeze the applesauce?

Once the applesauce is cooled to room temp, you can bag and freeze it (or enjoy right away!). Scoop applesauce into labeled freezer bags and make sure they're well-sealed. Freeze for up to 12 months! To defrost, let the bag sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.

Can you make applesauce in a slow cooker?

You can!! You'll follow the same instructions in the recipe except for the stovetop part. Instead, you'll put the ingredients into your slow cooker and cook on HIGH for about 4 hours or until the apples are very soft. Be sure to stir them a couple times while cooking.

Then, you'll follow the recipe - blend, cool and store!

Apple recipes - where to begin?!

Do you have a tree that's packed with apples? Or did you make a trip to the orchard and come home with a ton? Applesauce is a great option to use up (and freeze!) some of the fruit! However, there are so many more things you could do...

If you're looking for something sweet, I love Caramel Apple Cobbler and these Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars. Frosted Apple Cookies are another great option and they freeze really well.

If you need a quick lunch idea, try my Apple Orchard Sandwiches – using apples is fun way to add some crunch and sweetness to a simple sandwich. I look forward to these all year - for some reason it just says "fall!"

Connect with Dance Around the Kitchen!

Follow us on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook so you never miss a recipe!! And as always, thank you for following along with my blog, making my recipes, liking and sharing on social media and any other way you support Dance Around the Kitchen!  -Kelsey