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This Instant Pot Applesauce is made with just 4 ingredients! It’s remarkably easy to make and a great way to use up extra apples. Crockpot instructions included too!
Easy Homemade Applesauce
This Instant Pot applesauce is so incredible easy to make. You literally throw everything into the Instant Pot, cook it quickly and then stir it. The apples just fall apart and turn into applesauce. It’s a beautiful (and easy) thing!
Of course, homemade applesauce is much better than storebought applesauce. First and foremost, I know EXACTLY what’s in it. In this case, just 4 ingredients! No added sugar or weird preservatives. Just apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, and water. That’s it!
With making applesauce in the Instant Pot, you also have a lot more control over the flavor. Not only the sweetness but the variance in flavor based on what apples are used. For example, this version uses two kinds of apples – sweet Honey Crisp and slightly tart Granny Smith applies. Using two (or more) kinds of apples helps to give your applesauce a nice, more complex flavor.
After making this a few times, all I can say is, I’ll never buy storebought applesauce again!
What You’ll Need
Did you know you only need 4 ingredients to make homemade applesauce?!
- Apples – I used a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples.
- Water
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best.
- Ground cinnamon – Adds a warm flavor to the applesauce.
What Are the Best Apples for Applesauce?
In this recipe, I use Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples. As I mentioned, I like to use more than one type of apple for a more robust flavor. In this case, Granny Smith provides a tart taste while the Honeycrisp are much sweeter.
However, you can use pretty much any type of apple for homemade apple sauce. Golden Delicious and Macintosh are great options all-around. If you prefer sweet applesauce, Fuji apples are great while Cortland apples will give a much sweeter taste.
I recommend choosing a sweet and mildly sweet or tart variety and combining the two, as I do with the Honeycrisp (sweet) and Granny Smith (mildly tart). Using all Granny Smith apples will give a pretty tart applesauce.
How to Make Instant Pot Applesauce
There’s just 2 steps to making this Instant Pot applesauce – and it’s SO easy!
- Cook in the Instant Pot. Distribute all ingredients evenly in the Instant Pot. Cook for 8 mintes under HIGH pressure. Let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes.
- Stir. Use a fork to stir everything together. It will immediately turn into applesauce.
Can I Make This In the Crockpot?
No Instant Pot? No problem! You can easily make crockpot applesauce! To make this applesauce in the crockpot, just add everything to your crockpot, cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Stir twice during cooking.
Tips for Success
First time making homemade applesauce? Here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Use multiple types of apples. I mentioned this above but I like to use at least 2 types of apples in my applesauce, for a more robust flavor.
- Adjust the sweetness. If you want, you can add sugar to sweeten your applesauce. Since apples are naturally sweet, I usually don’t do this but it’s definitely an option!
- Add more cinnamon. For more flavor, you can increase the amount of cinnamon you add. I’ll sometimes add a sprinkle on top of my applesauce just before serving.
- Make extra smooth apple sauce. You can leave the applesauce as is, which I did, or use an immersion blender to make it a little more smooth.
How to Store Leftovers
Store your homemade applesauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to two weeks. Just stir before serving and enjoy!
Can I Freeze Homemade Applesauce?
Yes, applesauce freezes surprisingly well! Once it’s finished cooking, allow it to cool completely. Then transfer to a freezer-safer container or Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge.
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Instant Pot Applesauce
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 4 3/4 cups
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Instant Pot Applesauce is made with just 4 ingredients! It’s remarkably easy to make and a great way to use up extra apples. Crockpot instructions included too!
Ingredients
- 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced/chopped
- 4 large Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and sliced/chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to your Instant Pot and stir to distribute everything as evenly as possible.
- Lock the lid and make sure the valve is set to seal. Set to cook for 8 minutes under HIGH pressure.
- When the time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes. Manually release any remaining pressure.
- Use a fork to stir everything together. It will immediately turn into applesauce. You can leave the applesauce as is, which I did, or use an immersion blender to make it a little more smooth.
- Store the applesauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 105
- Sugar: 19.1 g
- Sodium: 2.5 mg
- Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.4 g
- Protein: 0.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I’ve been making my own applesauce for years–old school, as the younger ones say. Never put lemon juice in it though so I have something new to try this year. My tree is producing its little heart out–don’t know the variety but they taste good.
Try Cortland, Macintosh and Jonathan sometime. It is sweet and has a lovely rosy color. I simply cook the cut up apples – nothing added until after I process through a VillWare food processor and then I do add sugar to taste (usually nothing more than 1/4 cup to every 9 quarts/36 cups of applesauce). If you don’t have the freezer space, you could also process this in a hot water bath – easier than you think.