Name: Applesauce
Yield: 8

This from-scratch Applesauce Recipe is quick, straightforward, and so much better than store-bought! Make it smooth or chunky, sweet or spiced, and exactly how you like it!

Author’s Notes

Our Apple Trees Keep Me Busy And I LOVE It!

There are few things my kids love more than applesauce, and after buying one too many of those pouches, I finally thought, why am I not just making this myself?! Especially because we have a few apple trees.

We planted several fruit trees years ago, and our apple trees are always the best producers. We get SO many apples every year, which It is satisfying to because apples are one of a reliable ingredients to bake with. A good amount goes into this applesauce, and the rest are pretty much guaranteed to end up in my husband’s all-time favorite dessert, apple pie, his second favorite, apple crisp, some after-school apple nachos, or my slow cooker apple butter.

It is satisfying to making applesauce from scratch because, besides making the entire house smell incredible, I can make it exactly how my family likes it: super smooth, subtly sweet, and with just the slightest touch of cinnamon.

All the ingredients in this recipe prepped out for straightforward assembly including the apples, salt, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon.

Applesauce Recipe Ingredients

Ingredient	Swaps & Tips
Apples	I use half Granny Smith and half Fuji or Gala. The tart and sweet combination gives this applesauce so much more flavor than using only one variety.
Maple syrup	This gives the applesauce a subtle sweetness without overpowering the apples. You can use sugar instead if you prefer.
Cinnamon	Totally skippable. I only use a little because I want the apples to stay front and center. Add more if you like a more heavily spiced applesauce.
Lemon juice	Don’t skip it! That little bit of acidity brightens up all the apple flavor and keeps the finished sauce from tasting flat or overly sweet.

The apples peeled and chopped, then added to a large pot with cinnamon, salt, and maple syrup for this applesauce recipe.

How to Make This Applesauce Recipe

Prep apples: Peel, core, and chop the apples into large chunks.
Combine: Combine the apples with water, salt, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
Simmer: Cover and cook until the apples are VERY tender.
Blend or mash: Blend for smooth applesauce or use a potato masher for chunky.
Finish the flavor: mix in fresh lemon juice and vanilla.
Chill: Let it cool, then refrigerate until cold.

Quick Tip

Don’t fill your blender all the way with hot applesauce.

Hot mixtures expand and create steam as they’re blended, so I only fill the blender halfway and work in batches if needed. Start slowly and carefully remove the lid when you’re finished.

The mix added into a blender to blend until smooth.

the cook’s Notes

A Little Thin At First? Totally Normal

Don’t worry if this applesauce recipe seems a little thin at first. It thickens as it cools thanks to the natural pectin in the apples.

Storage

Store leftover applesauce in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1 week.

You can freeze it for 6 to 9 months. I like freezing it in smaller portions so you don’t have to thaw an entire batch at once.

For longer-term storage, you can also can the applesauce. Follow a tested water-bath canning guide for safe processing times, jar sizes, headspace, and acidity requirements.