5-Ingredient Homemade Applesauce (No Added Sugar)
If you love applesauce but don't want the added sugar or risk of gluten cross-contamination, try your hand at making this recipe for homemade applesauce instead. It's naturally gluten-free, extremely fresh, and oh-so-delicious.
Servings: 32 ounces
Calories: 32kcal
Equipment
- 1 large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pan with cover
- 1 Potato masher
- 1 immersion blender optional (or high-speed blender or food processor)
Ingredients
- 4 lbs apples (Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, etc.) see notes for recommend apples types; approximately 8 medium apples
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed, or orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
- 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup - OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples and roughly chop them into large chunks or wedges. Add the apples to a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pan.
- Add water, lemon juice, cinnamon, and vanilla to the apples, then cover and cook over medium to medium-low heat to simmer the apples. The apples will take about 35-40 minutes to become fork-tender. Allow them to cool slightly before moving to the next step.
- Once tender, remove the apples from the heat and mash them with a potato masher for chunky applesauce or use a handheld immersion blender for smooth applesauce. Alternatively, puree the apples in a high-speed blender or food processor for a smooth applesauce.
- Taste the applesauce. It will be naturally sweet but might also be slightly tart. At this point, you can eat the applesauce as is. Or, if you want to sweeten it, add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup to taste.
- Store the cooled applesauce in an airtight container (i.e., mason jar) in the fridge for up to one week. See notes for extended storage.
Notes
Recommended Apples: I recommend using sweet or semi-sweet crisp apples like Honeycrisp, Gala, and Fuji apples. The natural sugar from the apples will sweeten the unsweetened applesauce. Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples are tart and, therefore, will produce tart applesauce. You could also use various apple types to create different flavors and levels of sweetness in your homemade applesauce.
How to Peel and Core Apples: If you have an apple peeler, use it to save time. If not, you can use a handheld vegetable peeler. I also use an apple corer to help remove the core and slice the apples quickly.
Storage: For extended storage, portion the room-temperature applesauce into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 10 months. You could also preserve the applesauce by canning it.
Flavor Enhancers: You could add more cinnamon, star anise, or apple pie spice to switch up the flavor of ordinary applesauce.
Need a Big Batch of Applesauce? This recipe will fill up one 32-ounce mason jar with a little extra to snack on. Double or triple the recipe to make a big batch to feed a crowd.
Nutrition
Calories: 32kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.004g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.1mg