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Home » Recipes

Easy Peasy Applesauce

diced apples in a pan.

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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.

applesauce recipe on 100 Days of #RealFood

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!).

applesauce recipe on 100 Days of #RealFood

Easy Peasy Applesauce

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. But nothing beats this homemade Easy Peasy Applesauce recipe. I love that this recipe freezes well, too!
9 Reviews / 5 Average
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Course: Breakfast, Holiday, Lunch, Sides, Snacks & Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Method: Freezer Friendly
Diet: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Peanut/Tree Nut-Free, Vegetarian
Print Recipe
Servings: 2 cups
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Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds apples (cut into ½ inch or 1 inch slices (no need to peel them unless you have an extra hour you want to kill, any variety is good))
  • ½ cup apple juice (or cider)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1 stick cinnamon (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons honey (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (ground)

Instructions
 

  • 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!

Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Easy Peasy Applesauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 453 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 10mg0%
Potassium 791mg23%
Carbohydrates 120g40%
Fiber 17g71%
Sugar 94g104%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 365IU7%
Vitamin C 34.7mg42%
Calcium 58mg6%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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3.9K shares

About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Mara says

    December 18, 2013 at 1:05 pm

    I am buying a food processor for this recipe since I don't yet have one. How big of a food processor do you need? Is a 4 cup food processor big enough? Or do you need a larger one - such as a 7 cup?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      December 22, 2013 at 10:49 am

      Hi Mara. That depends on your needs. Lisa uses an 11 cup processor. I believe mine is nine. Four might be a little small for whole recipes. ~Amy

      Reply
  2. Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

    December 13, 2013 at 10:07 am

    Hi Kelsey. The lemon balances the flavor and slows down oxidation. You could add a different form of citrus but lemon works best. ~Amy

    Reply
  3. Kelsey says

    December 10, 2013 at 4:43 pm

    Bought all the ingredients and realized I was out if lemons when I get home. Are there any reasonable substitutes? Or should I just wait until I can get back to the store? Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Danise says

    December 03, 2013 at 3:17 pm

    Hi, I understand that it's not necessary to peel the skin but can you "feel" the skin when it's done? My girls really have some texture issues when it comes to food.

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      December 05, 2013 at 9:35 am

      Hi Danise. If you are worried about the texture, you can peel the apples. My boys never notice the skin, however. ~Amy

      Reply
  5. Foods & Wine says

    November 30, 2013 at 3:39 am

    Very delicious recipe. very simple and nice

    Reply
  6. Jamie Dunson says

    November 26, 2013 at 7:31 pm

    The nutmeg was too much for my girls but other than that we loved it. The consistency was like that of baby applesauce, I really liked that.

    Reply
  7. Tay says

    November 12, 2013 at 1:05 am

    Do you keep the skins on?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      November 12, 2013 at 2:48 pm

      Hello Tay. You do not need to peel the apples. ~Amy

      Reply
  8. Leli says

    November 10, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    5 stars
    Remind me why I ever bought applesauce? Easy peasy is right. I omitted the honey (b/c I didn't have any) and used a stick blender (I drained a bit of the juice 1/2 thru blending b/c mine was a little too runny). The house smelled heavenly. I used 3 lbs chopped apples (not counting the cores) and ended up with just over 4 cups of applesauce. Deeelish.

    Reply
  9. Melissa Shirts says

    October 27, 2013 at 12:54 am

    5 stars
    You were right, it was simple and great tasting! Thanks!

    Reply
  10. Renee says

    October 11, 2013 at 11:57 am

    What kind of apple juice do you use? Store bought?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      October 14, 2013 at 1:11 pm

      Hi Renee. Look for an organic 100% apple juice. ~Amy

      Reply
  11. Lisa McGork says

    October 06, 2013 at 3:18 pm

    5 stars
    I just made this, and it was delicious! We live in Upstate New York, and it is apple season! I used fresh picked Cortland apples (because that is what was ripe), and I didn't need any honey at all. The applesauce was perfect with the cider and cinnamon (I didn't have a stick so I used 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon). I looked up a few recipes before finding this one, and they all called for a ton of white sugar. If I had added it, I can't even imagine how sweet it would have been, because it is perfect without it! Thank you for all of the great recipes!

    Reply
  12. Trisha says

    September 30, 2013 at 9:54 am

    Just wondering if you put the cinnamon stick in the food processor as well?

    Reply
    • beth says

      November 18, 2013 at 9:46 pm

      Trisha, you will need to take the cinnamon stick out. 😊

      Reply
  13. Carrol Dahl says

    September 15, 2013 at 7:04 pm

    I make this without the apple juice or cider as I rarely have this on hand. Instead, I just use a little water. It is so easy and so tasty.

    Reply
  14. Kerry says

    August 24, 2013 at 11:15 pm

    Wondering how many cups the 3 lbs ends up to be. I'm excited to try this.

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      August 28, 2013 at 2:07 pm

      Hi Kerry. According to another website:1 pound apples = 2-3/4 cups cored, sliced or chopped apples. Hope that helps. ~Amy

      Reply
  15. Liz says

    April 04, 2013 at 7:55 am

    How much does this make?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      April 05, 2013 at 8:24 am

      Hi Liz. My rough guess is 4-4 1/2 cups. ~Amy

      Reply
  16. Stefani says

    March 26, 2013 at 6:22 pm

    What do you mean when you say cooking apples? Are there some apples that you want to avoid using?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      March 27, 2013 at 9:47 am

      Hi Stefani. This might help: http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101_basics_and_techniques/types_of_apples_the_best_apples_for_baking_cooking_and_eating. ~Amy

      Reply
      • Tracy says

        April 13, 2013 at 9:31 pm

        I always thought I didn't like apples mostly because of their texture. What I have realized is that i just don't like red delicious. Honey crisp is worth the extra price. I now live in upstate NY with lots of apple orchards and am enjoying trying all the new varieties!

      • JP says

        August 24, 2013 at 7:26 pm

        Tracy, I too didn't care for Red Delicious apples either. My husband, a northern California native, introduced me to Braeburn apples - they're so crispy and flavorful, and I've not touched a Red Delicious in over 15 years. You can find U.S. grown, but off-season they're typically imported from New Zealand.

      • Joanna B says

        September 23, 2013 at 10:59 pm

        Tracy, have you tried Cortland apples? I've only seen them in upstate NY and they're delicious. Picking them this week too!

  17. Laura says

    March 10, 2013 at 1:20 pm

    Can I do this recipe in the crockpot?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says

      March 15, 2013 at 8:05 am

      Hello Laura. I see no reason why that wouldn't work. Let us know how it turns out. ~Amy

      Reply
    • Monica says

      April 23, 2013 at 9:19 pm

      Laura, Skinnytaste has a recipe that is pretty much the same as this (minus apple juice/cider) that you cook on low in a crock pot for 6 hours. I make some about every 2-3 weeks and my 2 year old LOVES it!

      Reply
  18. Sarah says

    January 25, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    I just made this and it's so so good. I can't believe how easy it is and without all the sugar. Thanks.

    Reply
  19. Rachel says

    January 03, 2013 at 8:09 pm

    Thanks so much for posting a great recipe that does not include all that sugar!! So easy and yummy!!!

    Reply
  20. Angela says

    November 26, 2012 at 9:11 pm

    I will never buy applesauce again. This tastes wonderful and I was able to cook it while also cooking your Tomato Bisque. Super easy and amazing! Thanks for the great recipes.

    Reply
  21. Kristy says

    October 14, 2012 at 11:11 pm

    Thanks for all your fabulous recipes! If I use the optional cinnamon stick, do I put it in whole? And does it go into the food processor at the last step too?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says

      October 28, 2012 at 9:52 pm

      Hi Kristy. Yes to both. Hope you enjoy. Jill

      Reply
  22. Stephanie says

    September 20, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    Could I use an apple/peeler/core/slicer? It makes the apples pretty thin, but is super fast. Would that change the cooking time?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says

      October 03, 2012 at 11:03 pm

      Hi Stephanie. I don't see why you couldn't use that, although, you don't need to peel them for this recipe. The recipe says to cook until they're tender, so, I would just keep a close eye on them - you may have to reduce the time a little bit. Jill

      Reply
  23. Jeanne Spencer says

    August 27, 2012 at 10:37 am

    I read through a few of the posts and was excited to see so many making their own applesauce. I have made it the last few years and my kids love it. We peel our apples and I just bought an old-fashioned applepeeler, which makes it go very fast. Good investment for $20.

    You can "can" the applesauce using hot mason jars, a hot lid, and boiling water bath to process it. We do this and it is really great. No need for a pressure cooker. I just heat the jars with hot tap water, boil the lids to sterilize and then put hot applesauce into the jars. Seal with a ring and process all jars in a large stock pot for 20 minutes. You want to put a upturned pie pan or trivet in the bottom of the pot, so the jars don't have direct contact with the bottom. Cover and process. If they seal properly, you will hear a "pop" about 2-6 hours later. The middle indent will also be down (in case you're not around to hear).

    Last thing. If you want variety in your applesauce, I add fresh or frozen strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, mango or whatever I have on hand to make flavored applesauce like they sell at the store. You might need a bit more sweetener, but the kids love this! It doesn't need to be a lot, about a cup or so for a 5 pint batch.

    Reply
  24. Nikki says

    August 25, 2012 at 8:05 pm

    This is my absolute favorite late night treat! Whenever I have a sweet tooth - I warm up the applesauce, drizzle a little honey, top with some pecans and YUM! Sweet Tooth fixed!

    Reply
  25. Robin says

    August 07, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    As school days are quickly approaching, I am currently in lunch planning mode for my kids. My silicone ice pop molds arrived today. I'd only planned to use them for smoothies, but now will be sending this applesauce in them as well! Have you had any issues with leaking when using non frozen foods?

    Reply
    • Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says

      August 18, 2012 at 7:30 am

      Hi Billy. They do sometimes leak, even as the frozen thaws. Just be sure to have the lids on very tight and that the kids take off the lids once they've stood them up straight. I think the leaking is more due to "user error" in our house :-))). Good luck. Jill

      Reply
  26. Katrina says

    July 04, 2012 at 4:09 pm

    I just discovered your site a few months ago and I love it! I've made this applesauce recipe three times now, and loved it every time!! I experimented with it a little bit by mixing different types of fruit. Thought I'd share in case anyone else was interested--first I tried mixing apples with pears and it turned out great. I kept everything the same, just did 3 lbs of apples and pears combined (I left the skins on the pears). This last time I tried apples with peaches (with skins)--again it turned out great! Thanks so much for the great recipes!!

    Reply
  27. Kat says

    May 30, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    We use ginger instead of nutmeg. Gives it a taste reminiscent of a gingerbread cookie!

    Reply
  28. Dotchi says

    April 23, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    This sounds way better than my applesauce recipe. I am going to try it tonight.

    Reply
  29. Kacie says

    April 19, 2012 at 6:07 pm

    I was wondering if you could can this applesauce? My mom always said that when making homemade applesauce to can, you should omit the sugar and then just add it in after you open the can. Since this uses syrup, I was wondering if I would do something similar or if I could make this recipe and then can it as is?

    Reply
    • 100 Days of Real Food says

      April 22, 2012 at 9:27 pm

      I wish I could answer that, but I've never "canned" anything before...I am actually taking a class on it at a local farm this week!

      Reply
  30. Becky says

    March 23, 2012 at 3:05 pm

    I have a family of 7. I was wondering roughly how much does this recipe make?

    Reply
    • 100 Days of Real Food says

      April 01, 2012 at 2:24 pm

      It should be plenty for 7 people!

      Reply
  31. kh says

    March 02, 2012 at 9:49 pm

    How long will this stay good for in the refrigerator and freezer??

    Reply
    • 100 Days of Real Food says

      March 03, 2012 at 4:42 pm

      It would last in the freezer for months. In the fridge no more than week....

      Reply
  32. Elizabeth says

    October 15, 2011 at 2:08 pm

    I use my slow cooker for apple sauce, sure it takes a little longer, but it cooks the apples without any attention and to a nice consistency without dirtying any additional dishes :) YUM

    Reply
  33. Jennifer says

    October 01, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    Made this today exactly as it was listed. OH.MY.WORD. Everyone loves it!!! Going to the apple orchard tomorrow to get a bushel to make more apple favs!

    Reply
  34. lilmrsmchenry says

    July 15, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    I know that I am a bit late on this post. I just discovered your site last night and have been reading since then. I noticed where you have stated that oil is your weakness. You can substitute unsweetened/plain apple sauce for any oil in your baking (with the exception of oiling your pan). It works like a charm and I honestly can not taste the difference.

    Reply
  35. Wendy says

    May 20, 2011 at 8:01 pm

    Mmmm... warm applesauce with raisins and walnuts on top of a whole-wheat waffle... mmmm!

    Reply
  36. Rachel says

    September 09, 2010 at 11:35 am

    I make homemade applesauce all the time too! I'm so thrilled that it's apple season again. I have to admit I eat an apple everyday, whether it's in season or not.

    I leave the skins on when I make applesauce, and just use my stick blender in the pot. I don't notice the skins as much when the applesauce is warm, but when it cools down the texture seems to change and they are more noticeable. What did you think? Also, I don't add any sweeteners. Apples are sweet enough for me! :)

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 10, 2010 at 6:20 am

      I have a stick blender and never think to use it...thanks for the reminder! And I agree you do find yourself "chewing" a little when the skins are left on. I just hate doing extra work that I don't think is completely necessary. And per your suggestion I will add an "optional" next to the honey ingredient!

      Reply
  37. r says

    September 09, 2010 at 6:02 am

    So excited to see a new post.. I am hoping there will be other recipes you will be able to share from past posts that you haven't gotten around to yet.(I am patient) and we loved the ravioli, although my pasta was too thick, I guess and big(gotta work on that)! Thanks again for sharing... how about a healthy pumpkin bread recipe??

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 10, 2010 at 6:18 am

      So now I am curious...was there anything in particular you were waiting on that I talked about on the 100 days site and haven't posted a recipe for yet? Just checking! And figuring out a pumpkin bread recipe is a great idea. Thanks!

      Reply
  38. Ruthie says

    September 08, 2010 at 10:28 pm

    I steam my apples and don't peel them when I make applesauce! Yummy!!

    Reply
  39. Fiona says

    September 08, 2010 at 8:52 pm

    We make it at home in apple season too. We don't process through a food mill, but I usually peel the apples because I have a picky eater who doesn't like the skins. Hmm, maybe I'll try using the hand blender and see what he thinks. Thanks for the idea!

    Our recipe is chopped apples, little bit of water to cover bottom of pan, shake of cinnamon. I have a friend who adds walnuts. mmmmm

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 10, 2010 at 6:16 am

      Mmmm...walnuts sound like a great addition. Thanks for the tip!

      Reply
  40. Heather says

    September 08, 2010 at 8:43 pm

    I am thinking about making applesauce this fall with my kids. All the recipes I've seen call for processing the cooked apples through a food mill to remove the skin. How is the texture of this recipe when the food processor is used? Can it be smooth at all?
    Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 10, 2010 at 6:15 am

      It is still smooth (even with the peels on) although you do find yourself chewing a little bit when you eat it. You could definitely take the peels off if that is how you prefer to have it...I am just all about cutting out steps if I can!

      Reply
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