How long it takes: 4 to 6 hours Equipment you’ll need: slow cooker Servings: makes 7 cups Homemade applesauce is a real treat, and it’s also super customizable. It can be cinnamon spiced, or you can experiment with other spices (I share some ideas below!); you can make it super chunky, extra-smooth, or somewhere in between! Different apples produce different flavors too, so you can double down on your favorite variety, or use a mix of a few varieties to see what happens. Use this homemade crockpot applesauce as an accompaniment to spice rubbed pork tenderloin or air fryer pork chops, or just enjoy it as a healthy snack or dessert! We love to top our whole wheat pancakes or buckwheat pancakes with warm applesauce and cinnamon for a hearty breakfast.
Reasons to Love Crockpot Applesauce
Cozy, warm flavor. And not just flavor but aroma too. Your whole house will smell amazing while this applesauce cooks in your crockpot! The combination of cinnamon and apples is a little bit like a warm hug. Ridiculously easy. All you need are apples, cinnamon, and water, and once you’ve prepped the apples, the hard work is done. It’s all hands-off while the slow cooker does its job. It uses a lot of apples. If you overdid it at the apple orchard or couldn’t pass up a big bag of apples on sale at the grocery store, crockpot applesauce is a perfect way to put them to use. Apples are economical and healthy, too. It freezes well. Since it makes a large batch, being able to freeze it is awesome! Freeze applesauce in smaller portions and then take it out of the freezer when you’re craving applesauce.
Ingredient Notes
Apples: Choose medium-sized apples, or if yours are bigger or smaller, go by weight. This isn’t a fussy recipe; using more apples or fewer apples won’t change the end result too much. Ground Cinnamon: You can use more, less, or leave it out altogether. Water: You may need to adjust this and add more if your apples aren’t yielding much juice as they cook. Some varieties have more juice than others.
How to make Crockpot Applesauce
Prepare the apples by washing, peeling, and coring them, then chop them into about 8 pieces that are roughly even in size. McIntosh, Gala, Jonagold, Cortland, Ida Red, Golden Delicious, and Rome apples are considered the best choices because they cook down nicely. That being said, pretty much any variety of apple can be cooked into applesauce. Experiment with different varieties, or a combination, to make your applesauce uniquely yours! Add the apples to the slow cooker with the cinnamon (optional) and water. Gently stir. Cover the crockpot and cook the apples on the Low setting for 4 to 6 hours, or until the apples are soft and easily mashed. The applesauce can be served as is, or you can add more cinnamon or sweeten it with sugar, if desired.
Choose the texture you prefer (3 ways)
Once the apples are soft, there are three different methods to choose from:
Recipe Variations
Try different spices. A chai spice blend is fabulous for crockpot applesauce, or you can use apple pie spice. If you want to come up with your own combination, in addition to cinnamon, other warm spices that work well with applesauce include cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Add pears. You can substitute pears for half of the apples for pear applesauce. (I love this vanilla bean pear applesauce too!) Infuse it with flavor. Speaking of that vanilla bean pear applesauce, you can use a whole split vanilla bean to infuse your applesauce with vanilla flavor, or throw a cinnamon stick in your slow cooker. If you have whole cloves, cardamom pods, etc., wrap them up in a small piece of cheesecloth, add them to the slow cooker, then remove them when the applesauce is finished cooking. Looking for a faster method? Try Instant Pot applesauce. It’s ready to eat in less than an hour. You can also cook applesauce in a large pan, such as a Dutch oven, on the stove.
How To Serve Homemade Applesauce
Side dish: A bowl of applesauce is a versatile side dish that goes well with almost any meal. It can be served as a salad or a dessert. Breakfast: Spoon chunky homemade crockpot applesauce on top of crockpot oatmeal or layer it with yogurt and granola to make breakfast parfaits. Try layering warm applesauce on apple pancakes, French toast, or waffles for a breakfast “apple pie”. Baking: Use applesauce for baking, like in this whole wheat applesauce bread. You’ll find applesauce as a “hidden” ingredient in many of my quick bread and muffin recipes. Using applesauce reduces the need for oil, resulting in a healthier baked good. A couple of examples are banana bread muffins and triple chocolate banana muffins.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate/Freeze: Once the applesauce cools, transfer it to a covered bowl or into airtight containers. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months. If you freeze your crockpot applesauce, let it thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
