It is apple season here in the Carolinas! Making homemade applesauce is somewhat of a special occasion around here since a healthy store-bought alternative (with no sugar added) can easily be found. I am not saying the store-bought stuff is nearly as good as the homemade version…just more convenient of course. Let’s just say that my husband and I do not regularly consume the little store-bought containers of applesauce, but all four of us fight over the last few drops if it is homemade! Plus making it yourself can be a fun activity (especially with kids), and luckily you can freeze the leftovers.
It is especially quick and easy to make this dish at home if you have a handy dandy apple slicer that will cut out the core and cut the rest into pieces. You can find these inexpensive tools at most grocery stores (or Target), and they will easily cut your prep time in half. Not to mention they come in handy for just slicing apples for a snack (or even pears too!).
- 3 pounds cooking apples (a variety is good), cut into ½ inch or 1 inch slices…no need to peel them unless you have an extra hour you want to kill
- ½ cup apple juice or cider
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 large cinnamon stick (optional)
- 1 – 2 tablespoons honey (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Combine the apples, apple juice/cider, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick (if using) into a large pot. Cover and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes or until tender (but not mushy).
- Remove the cinnamon stick (if using) and transfer warm apple mixture to a food processor (or you can mash by hand with a potato masher) and add honey (if using) and nutmeg. Puree to desired chunkiness.
Serve, refrigerate, or freeze the leftovers!
I absolutely love the fact that if I want to make something specific 9 times out of 10 I can go to this blog and can find a recipe for whatever it is I wish to make. Another huge bonus as a busy mom is I normally have the dry Ingredients on hand. It’s terrific.
We love unsweetened applesauce for eating and baking but also making seasonal apple butter. I love this recipe because we can multiple it and follow it easily without adding the honey and spices. Then puree, spilt in half freeze the unsweetened portions (to be flavored however later) then add the apple butter portion back to the pot. We spice it accordingly, simmer low for an hour and then freeze. If doing this though make sure you strain the cooking juice but don’t discard before processing/mashing. Apple butter should be thicker in consistency then applesauce and I like to add juice back as needed. 1 pot and 1 mess to clean up but two different products.
Jocelyn, What is your apple butter recipe?
[…] 48 pounds). Most of them we will likely just end up eating as is, but I made a few batches of this applesauce (I didn’t have any apple juice on hand but just used water instead and it turned out fine) […]
Fantastic – we used local, organic honeycrisp apples and this will be a yearly fall routine going forward! Thank you!
[…] Easy Peasy Homemade Applesauce (100daysofrealfood.com) […]
[…] used the Easy Peasy Applesauce recipe from 100 Days of Real Food, with one substitution. I didn’t have apple juice or apple […]
I just made this using an assortment of apples that were soft and bruised – granny smith, red delicious, gala and honeycrisp. It is delicious and I didn’t need to add any sugar because the apples were overripe and had plenty of their own sweetness.
This applesauce looks yummy! I usually make a much simpler homemade applesauce in the slow cooker for my 2 year old and he loves it! I use 3 sweet apples, 3 Granny Smith apples, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and a tablespoon of water. That’s it! It’s delicious without the added sugar (honey, etc.)!
I have made applesauce for years but this is the first time I used lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. It is a little too acidic tasting for me…any ideas on how to change that taste/flavor?
Oh, the recipe said apple cider or apple juice, not apple cider vinegar.
I bet it WAS acidic with the vinegar!
Pays to read a recipe a few times before you cook it. I had made another batch my old way and ended up mixing both together and it tastes fine!
[…] we like are: baby carrots, sliced bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, watermelon cubes, unsweetened applesauce, dried fruit, nuts, and brown rice […]
I am making the Easy Peasy Applesauce today (LOVE this website!) but it doesn’t say to take the cinnamon stick out before turning the food proccesor on. I’m assuming I take it out?? I’ve never used a cinnamon stick before…wasn’t sure?
Hi Debbie. Yes, remove the stick. The apples will have already absorbed the flavor.
Hi Debbie – I just updated the recipe to make this more clear. – Jason