Homemade Applesauce
User Reviews
5
Homemade Applesauce
Description
This Homemade Applesauce recipe uses about 3 pounds of peeled and diced crisp, sweet apples such as Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, or Cortland. Apples cook slowly with water, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and optional cinnamon sticks on the stovetop until soft enough to mash or blend smoothly or leave slightly chunky.
The simmering process softens the apples, blending natural sweetness with a gentle acidity from the lemon juice and a warm-spiced touch from cinnamon when included. The consistency can easily be adjusted to personal preference using a potato masher for a chunkier sauce or an immersion blender or regular blender for a smooth texture.
Homemade applesauce pairs well as a snack, side dish, or ingredient in baking. It offers a fresher taste compared to store-bought versions and can be tailored for sweetness by varying or omitting the added sugar or substituting with brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
The recipe scales well for smaller or larger batches, increasing the water slightly when doubling or tripling quantities. Store the finished applesauce in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or freeze for six months or more. Thaw overnight in the fridge before use. While canning is possible, guidance is recommended since it is not detailed here.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs apple peeled, cored, and diced to be about ½" (I recommend using a crisp, sweet apple like Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, or Cortland.) Weigh before peeling/coring apples
- 1 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 cinnamon sticks optional, see note to omit or use ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine apples, water, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon sticks in a large pot on the stovetop. Stir to combine.
- Turn stovetop heat to medium and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium/low, cover with lid, and continue to cook for 20-30 minutes, checking/stirring just once or twice to make sure the heat is not too high and apples are not burning to the bottom of the pot.
- Cook until apples are completely soft and tender when pierced with a fork (they should give easily to the fork and offer no resistance).
- Remove from heat and carefully remove cinnamon sticks. Mash with a potato masher (for chunkier applesauce) or blend with an immersion blender until smooth (for a smoother applesauce). You may also transfer the apples to a blender and puree until smooth if you don’t have an immersion blender.
- If applesauce is too watery for your liking you can return to the stovetop and cook over medium/low heat, stirring occasionally, until the water is reduced and mixture is the desired consistency.
- Allow to cool and then serve!
Notes
- Sugar amount can be adjusted according to apple sweetness; use up to 4 tablespoons or omit entirely if apples are very sweet.
- Ground cinnamon can substitute cinnamon sticks by adding ½ teaspoon after pureeing.
- The recipe can be scaled up or down, adding about ½ cup water per additional 3 pounds of apples.
- Store applesauce in airtight containers refrigerated for up to two weeks or frozen for six months; thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 5cups (1 liter)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 193 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cup | |
| Calories | 193kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 51g | 17% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 6mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 333mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 8g | 32% |
| Sugar | 39g | 78% |
| Vitamin A | 168IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 15mg | 17% |
| Calcium | 36mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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