Applesauce
4.7
(49)
Active Time
15 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes plus cooling
The most crucial step in any homemade applesauce recipe is deciding which type of apples to use. The best fruit for the job may not be the apples you use for pie. Look for soft-fleshed varieties that break down as they cook, like Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, or McIntosh. Steer clear of Jonagold, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp, which are firmer and better suited to baking or eating out of hand. For the best applesauce, use a variety of apples in a single batch.
This recipe has brown sugar and cinnamon, but you should feel free to play around. Swap out the sweetener for plain white sugar; add honey, maple syrup (you’ll only need about half as much), or another brown sugar substitute. Or cut the sugar entirely if you’re using especially sweet apples or prefer a no-sugar option. Meanwhile, you could swap the spice for powdered cardamom or ginger—one reader accidentally used cumin and reported great results!
We like a chunky applesauce, but that doesn’t mean you have to. For a smoother purée, grab your food processor or immersion blender—or run the cooked apples through a food mill—to reach your desired consistency.
There are all sorts of ways to deploy this easy recipe. Stir a spoonful of applesauce into your morning oatmeal; follow the Bradys’ lead, and serve as a side dish to pork chops; plate it up with a fresh batch of hot latkes; or use applesauce in your cake batter. For a quick dessert with lots of apple flavor, mix homemade applesauce into store-bought vanilla ice cream and drizzle with Tahini-Walnut Magic Shell.
Ingredients
Makes about 3 cups
Step 1
Combine 3 lb. apples (preferably a variety), peeled, cored, cut into ¾" pieces, ⅓ cup (packed; 70 g) light brown sugar, ¼ tsp. kosher salt, and 1 cup water in a heavy medium saucepan. Place on stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer until apples are very tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover and simmer until almost all liquid in pan has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 2½ Tbsp. fresh lemon juice and ½ tsp. ground cinnamon. Cool 30 minutes.
Step 2
Using a fork or potato masher, crush apple mixture until coarse and chunky. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until cold.
Do Ahead: Applesauce can be prepared 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container, such as a mason jar, and keep refrigerated.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed as Cinnamon-Spiced Applesauce. Head this way for Our Favorite Apple Pie and more great apple recipes →
Leave a Review
Reviews (49)
Back to TopEasy, Fun and Quick.I love it! It's so good! The first time we did it, we accidentally added cumin!!In the end, it turned out great! I REALLY like it! My mom helped me with it.Anyway, I really liked it.
cooksinflorida
St. Augustine, FL
10/6/2019
If you want a slightly thicker applesauce, decrease water to 3/4 cup. I also simmered uncovered for about 5 minutes longer. There was still a decent amount of liquid left, but once I used the immersion blender to blend it, the applesauce turned out fine. So much better than store bought!
fangler
Culver City, CA
12/5/2018
I ended up having to pour out the extra liquid after simmering it for about 10 minutes. There was too much extra liquid to just let it evaporate. After squeezing the lemon juice and adding the cinnamon, I decided to add some nutmeg, cloves, and a touch of ginger as well. It has a really good holiday flavor. Would recommend!
sydneydolores
Tulsa, OK
12/10/2017
Good applesauce. Use a food mill for a soother/consistent texture.
renofoodie
10/23/2017
Easy and not too sweet. The lemon is a must.
bas614
Boston
10/8/2017
Delicious! I will be making this with fall apples again and again. P.S. I also had to boil off the liquid for much longer than five minutes!
annieruderman
Cambridge, MA
10/9/2016
Man, this was excellent! I decided to make it because I like a chunk cinnamon applesauce and can't find them in the store anymore. I used a mixture of apples, sweet and sour, to make this and it worked out very well.
pasubscriptio
SW Pa
11/19/2015
I used about half the sugar and a tablespoon of lemon along with the half teaspoon cinnamon. But instead of going through the hassle of peeling the apples, I cored them with one of those great easy kitchen tools that takes the core right out, and then I cut them in quarters and threw them in a Dutch oven at 250 for about 2 hours with the lid on. I used a food mill to remove the skin and creates the consistency that I like. I like it chunky, so I use the large holed food mill but you can use the fine holed food mill if you like it smooth. Then I cook it down for about 15 minutes, adding the other ingredients, with the apple liquids from the Dutch oven, no added liquids otherwise. Delicious, and super fresh. If you like fresh apple sauce, invest in the tool to core the apples quickly and a food mill, and there's hardly any work to it at all.
rlort703
Charlottesville.
11/9/2015
This recipe is a keeper! I used granny smith apples, decreased the water to 3/4C, omitted the lemon juice and added cinnamon period to cooking. The applesauce is so delicious and what an easy recipe!
elainekwas
USA
3/6/2015
perfect with pancakes
Flozzi
UK
11/9/2014
We used honeycrisp apples, apple cider, and no extra sugar. Freezes and thaws well. Followed others' suggestion and used potato masher and cinnamon stick. Very good!
scottiepupvet
Langley VA
9/28/2014
Fabulous. I doubled the recipe, using fresh picked Sonata apples, used apple cider instead of water, used cinnamon stick, and used about half the amount of sugar. Used a potato masher to break up the apples because we like it chunky. Very easy to make, and it was delicious.
moragaebd
East Bay, California
11/29/2013
Fabulous! I made a triple batch with freshly picked apples and added a 3 inch cinnamon stick to them while they were simmering. I used an immersion blender (after removing the cinnamon stick) in place of a fork to break up the apple chunks at the end. It was relatively easy to make and very good!
CStefaniak
Michigan
10/7/2011
Made this today with all organic Gala apples and I used apple pie spice instead of cinnamon. Mashed the apples with a potato masher as the liquid evaporated and it was the perfect texture. I think the lemon juice is for color (acidulated liquid) and not flavor.
Anonymous
Annapolis, MD
1/19/2011
I used Trader Joe's Pear Cinnamon Cider instead of water and did not add any sugar. Delish!
lorielewis
Atlanta, GA
12/6/2010
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