This simple recipe for easy homemade applesauce is easy, delicious and a great reason for an afternoon of apple picking! This sugar-free applesauce is the definition of good and good for you.
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Why we love this recipe ❤️
I am a great lover of making homemade staples (looking at you, homemade butter and homemade ricotta and homemade taco spices)…as long as they are EASY. I mean seriously – no long list of ingredients that are hard to find.
And this applesauce recipe is as easy as it gets. Some apples, some apple juice (optional!) and some cinnamon (also optional)…that’s all you need for the world’s best applesauce.
And while you CAN make it without a magical kitchen appliance I am about to tell you about (your grandma had one so don’t worry, it’s not the latest new-fangled gadget), if you have a food mill it’s also ridiculously easy because it means no apple peeling needed.
What is a food mill? 🥄
A food mill is a kitchen tool that mashes and strains soft foods like cooked fruits and vegetables. It is made up of a bowl, a bottom plate with holes, and a crank that you turn to push the food through that bottom plate. As you turn the crank to push the food through the holes, it separates the soft interiors from skins and seeds.
IT. IS. MAGICAL. And a great job for the kiddos if you have any of those running around your kitchen. 🙋🏼♀️
It’s perfect for making mashed potatoes, tomato sauce, baby food…and applesauce! With no peeling, coring or any of that other stuff that always gives me a small pause before I make a recipe with apples.
(And if I haven’t convinced you that you need your grandma’s favorite utensil I promise I will tell you how to make this applesauce without one!)
Ingredients you need 🍎
Ingredient notes and substitutions 📝
- Apples: You can use any apple you like for this recipe! And you can also use a mixture. Soft and sweet apples like Macintosh, Fuji, Gala and Honeycrisp will have a sweeter taste. If you like your applesauce tarter, go for Granny Smith or Pink Ladies.
- Apple Juice: You need a little liquid to cook your apples, and if I have unsweetened apple juice around I use it. Otherwise I just use water.
- Cinnamon: Totally optional, but I LOVE a swirl of cinnamon in my applesauce!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe 👩🏻🍳
STEP 1: Cut up your apples into pieces (quarters are usually fine but go with eighths for larger apples) and drop them in a Dutch Oven or other large pot as you go. (If you aren’t using a food mill you need to peel and core your apples.)
STEP 2: Add the apple juice to the pot and bring it all to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 45 minutes or until apples are tender and falling apart.
PRO TIP: When your apples are done, or even almost done, you can turn off the heat and let them cool if you want…you can mash them up later!
STEP 3: Set your food mill over a bowl, ladle the cooked apples into the mill and grind the apples into sauce – the mill will catch all the seeds and peels. (And if you aren’t using a food mill, you can mash them with a potato masher until they are the consistency you like.)
STEP 4: Let your glorious applesauce cool a little and serve, garnished with cinnamon stirred in if you like!
Recipe FAQs 🧐
Nope! Any kind will work, and you can mix them up if you want to. We like sweeter apples like Macintosh, Fuji, Gala and Honeycrisp, but you can try Granny Smith or Pink Lady apples if you want a tarter flavor. Denser apples (like Granny Smith) may take longers to cook but just keep them simmering – they will eventually soften up, I promise!
You can! You do need to core and peel the apples before you cook them, and when they are done just mash them up with a potato masher.
We find it to be perfectly sweet all on its own, but of course you can stir in a little sugar (or cinnamon sugar) if you like. Add it by the tablespoon and taste as you go.
Yes yes yes! And the experts say that it will last 10 days in the fridge in a covered container…I have found that it lasts at least a couple of weeks.
Pop your question in the Comments section under the recipe card and I will answer pronto!
Equipment we used for this recipe 🥣
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
- Food Mill: This classic kitchen gadget is perfect for making smooth applesauce, tomato sauce, hummus and the like!
- Dutch Oven: This sturdy all-purpose pot is spendy, but we literally use it so much that it never leaves our stovetop.
Other apple recipes we love! 🥰
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe card.
Easy Homemade Applesauce
This easy recipe for homemade applesauce is easy, delicious and a great reason for an afternoon of apple picking! Good and good for you.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 cups applesauce 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3–4 pounds apples
- 1 cup apple juice or cider (or water!)
- Cinnamon for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cut up your apples into pieces (quarters are usually fine, but go with eighths for larger apples) and drop them in a Dutch Oven or other large pot as you go. If you aren’t using a food mill, you also need to peel and core the apples.
- Add the apple juice to the pot and bring it all to a boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 45 minutes or until apples are tender and falling apart.
- Set your food mill over a bowl, ladle the cooked apples into the mill and grind the apples into sauce – the mill will catch all the seeds and peels. And if you aren’t using a food mill, mash the apples with a potato masher until they are consistency you like.
- Let it cool a little and serve, garnished with cinnamon if you like!
Notes
-
- Apples: You can use any apple you like for this recipe! And you can also use a mixture. Soft and sweet apples like Macintosh, Fuji, Gala and Honeycrisp will have a sweeter taste. If you like your applesauce tarter, go for Granny Smith or Pink Ladies.
-
- Apple Juice: You need a little liquid to cook your apples, and if I have unsweetened apple juice around I use it. Otherwise I just use water.
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- Cinnamon: Totally optional, but I LOVE a swirl of cinnamon in my applesauce!
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