Our easy homemade Applesauce Recipe tastes like apple pie without the crust! Kids love to help make this one.
Making applesauce is a must-do activity every autumn! Everyone raves about this homemade applesauce and will want the recipe. Our neighbor Lois used to make it for us when we were kids and then invite us over to eat it with her.
Here’s Everything You Need To Make Our Applesauce Recipe
Best Apples For Applesauce
The best apples for making this applesauce recipe are softer apples that will break down while they are cooking. Here are some of the most popular choices for sauces listed by sweet, combination, and tart.
The type of apples you choose will determine the flavor of your applesauce. For the best apple sauce, we suggest using two or three varieties of apples. Look for apples that are on sale at your local grocery store and then choose some sweet and some tart apples for a good balance.
Sweet Apples
- Fuji – Crisp and ultra-sweet.
- Gala – Mild sweetness with thin skin.
- Golden Delicious – Sweet with golden yellow skin.
Sweet and Tart Apples For Applesauce
- Crispin – Sweet, juicy, and crisp with a hint of tartness.
- Paula Red – Juicy, tart, and crisp.
- Honeycrisp – Crisp, sweet, and a little tartness.
- Ida Red – Tangy and tart.
- Jonagold – Sweet and tart with yellow skin.
- Cortland – Tart with a little sweetness.
Tart Apples for Applesauce
- Jonathan – Tart, tangy, and sweet.
- Pink Lady – Tart, with a little sweetness and pinkish skin.
- McIntosh – Juicy and tart.
- Granny Smith – Sour, crisp, and tart.
Applesauce Recipe Ingredients
You only need five ingredients to make this applesauce recipe: apples, juice, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Plus, this recipe is totally customizable. You can swap things out or add more spices to make different flavors.
- Apples: We used a combination of Fuji (sweet) and Pink Lady (tart).
- Juice: For this recipe, we used no sugar added apple juice for even more apple flavor. You can try adding using apple juice blends for different flavors or just plain water if you prefer.
- Sugar: We used brown sugar in this applesauce recipe but granulated sugar would work too. You can skip the sugar if you prefer especially if you choose sweet apples.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is the only spice we included but nutmeg, allspice, and ginger could also be added.
- Vanilla: The vanilla extract adds flavor and helps it taste like an apple pie.
Homemade Applesauce Recipe Steps
Making this homemade applesauce recipe is surprisingly easy! First, prep the apples, then cook them until soft and finally mash them to however smooth you want the applesauce to be.
- Prep: Peel and slice the apples. We love using an apple peeler, corer, and slicer for this step because it makes it so easy. You can also do the peeling and slicing by hand.
- Cook: Combine the apple juice, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a large stock pot. Add the sliced apples and stir to coat. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Stir in the vanilla extract after removing the apples from the heat.
- Mash: After allowing the apples to cool slightly, puree them using an immersion blender, or mash them with a potato masher or even a fork. You can also use a food processor or vented high-speed blender, but you need to allow the apples to cool first.
- Store: Once the applesauce has cooled, transfer the apple puree to jars and store it in the refrigerator. If you want to add labels to the jars, you can print these labels here: printable applesauce labels
Applesauce Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
This applesauce is a combination of cooked, pureed apples, apple juice, sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
The main difference is that apple butter is cooked longer so that the apples caramelize and it turns a brown color.
Yes, you can freeze applesauce in an airtight container for 1-2 months for the best results but can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Want more apple recipes? Try these next:
Fried Apples can be served as a dinner side dish, a dessert with ice cream, or a breakfast topping.
Fall is the perfect time to enjoy a warm slice of Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce on top!
These Apple Fritter Bites are the mini version of everyone’s favorite fall treat! Drizzle them with a powdered sugar glaze.
Every autumn, we make homemade caramel apples and top them with M&M’s, nuts, Oreos, and chocolate chips.
Applesauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 lbs apples about 10-12 medium apples
- 1 cup unsweetened apple juice no added sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar up to ½ cup depending on sweetness of apples
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel, core, and cut apples into small chunks.
- Combine the unsweetened apple juice, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a large pot. Stir in the sliced apples until coated. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Mash with a fork, potato masher, or immersion blender. Or allow the apples to cool completely and use a food processor, or in batches in a vented high-speed blender (leave the center cap off the lid and cover with a dish towel).
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