An Easy Homemade Applesauce Recipe
It’s apple season, and I hope you’ve got your apples ready! So far we’ve covered apple butter, apple crisp, apple fritters, apple dumplings (to name just a few) and today we’re enjoying the BEST way to enjoy fresh apple flavor (other than biting into one fresh off the tree): applesauce!
Besides the flavor, perhaps the best thing about my homemade applesauce recipe is that it can be easily adjusted to fit your needs–whether that means quantity, taste, or even technique.
It doubles well, can be made with pretty much any kind of apple, and it can be blended/mashed using several types of tools. You also know exactly what’s in it, which can’t always be said for the kind you buy in the store!
Simple, and adaptable (much like my granola recipe I just shared) –let’s get to it!
What You Need
You only need four ingredients (five if you count water) to make my homemade applesauce recipe:
Apples. Use an apple that you enjoy the taste of, and make sure to peel the apples before cooking! While I tried making applesauce without peeling my apples, every time it let me with tough bits of peel in finished product. Water. If your apples are very juicy you may not need as much water as I call for. I recommend starting with the amount listed in the recipe, then if you find your sauce is too liquidy after pureeing, simply return it to the stovetop and cook over medium/low heat until you reach your desired consistency. You could substitute apple juice or cider for water, but just remember that will affect the sweetness of your applesauce. Sugar. I like adding sugar for a slightly sweetened applesauce recipe, but you can always make it without. Depending on the tartness of your apples, you may need to use more or less than I recommend. Feel free to substitute brown sugar (light or dark) or even honey or maple syrup! Lemon Juice. Lemon juice (fresh or bottled) prevents the apples from oxidizing (turning brown). This can be omitted if needed, but I don’t recommend doing so if you plan to can your applesauce, as it helps preserve the color. Cinnamon. I prefer using cinnamon sticks, but you can also cook the apples as instructed without cinnamon and then stir in ½ tsp of ground cinnamon at the end. If you use the sticks, make sure to remove them before blending. Or, if you don’t want any cinnamon at all, you can leave it out entirely.
SAM’S NOTE: Many people confuse applesauce and apple butter, and while they have very similar ingredients, there are some major flavor, color, and texture differences between the two. Applesauce isn’t as smooth and doesn’t have the same rich, almost dessert-like consistency that apple butter has. This is because it cooks for less time and as a result, it contains more liquid, and it also has less sugar and fewer spices added. You may also find bits of apple in applesauce, which you’ll never find in apple butter. This homemade applesauce recipe is pretty customizable. Feel free to adjust these ingredients to your liking–it’s pretty hard to mess this one up!
How to Make Homemade Applesauce
SAM’S TIP: This applesauce recipe calls for an immersion blender, but you can also use a potato masher instead. Your applesauce won’t be as fine/smooth this way, but as long as you cook your apples properly, it will still work. Alternatively, you can also just transfer your sauce to a blender and blend in batches. Enjoy!
More Fall Recipes You Might Like
Fried Apples Apple Cake Apple Crumb Muffins Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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