How to Make Homemade Applesauce

Last Updated on December 18, 2020 by

Making homemade applesauce is not hard.  Honestly you only need a few ingredients, a pot and a spoon.  Unless you have access to your  own apple trees, making homemade applesauce is not going to be particularly cheap.  I live in Georgia and buy organic apples.  My small batch of homemade applesauce this weekend cost me about $7 and fed 4 people as a side dish with our pork roast.  So, why make homemade applesauce when it is expensive and so easy to find prepackaged at the grocery store?  Because, honestly, you have never tasted anything so delicious as homemade applesauce before.  You can control the ingredients, adjust the amount of sugar (if any at all), and make it as smooth or as chunky as you would like.  While I still buy store bought applesauce occasionally, for a special Easter meal of pork tenderloin, I just had to make it from scratch!  Want more apple recipes?  Check out BestApples.com!

Step One: Choose the Best Apples

In order to really have the most flavorful homemade applesauce, you need to start with good apples.  If you like tart applesauce, grab the Granny Smith apples (the green ones).  If you prefer a sweeter applesauce, get a Red Delicious or a Macintosh.  The key to finding a nice, juice apple is to hold it in your hand and compare it's weight based on it's size.  If you hold two apples that are the same size, the heavier one is juicer.  Juicier usually means sweeter and more flavorful so spend some time choosing the right apples.

Step Two: Peel and core your apples, then chop

This is my least favorite part and yes, peeling apples is a bit time consuming.  Put on some TV or music and grab a sharp pairing knife.  I start with about 3 pounds of apples and end up with about 4 cups of chopped apples.  Put your chopped apples into a good sized sauce pan. This will make enough for 4 to 6 servings, depending on how much your people want to eat.  My daughter would empty the entire bowl if I let her!

Step Three: Simmer

All you have to do next is to add about ⅓ to ½ cup of water or apple juice to your apples in the saucepan and put over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.  Put the lid on the pot and cook 10  to 15 minutes.

Step Four: Mash!

I prefer a chunky apple sauce so after they are tender enough, I grab my potato masher, remove the pan from the heat, and start smashing.  If you prefer a smoother consistency you will have to use an immersion blender to puree.  Personally, I love the taste of the tiny chunks of apple in a chunky sauce!

Step Five: Flavor and Concentrate

Put your sauce back on the stove over medium heat.  Add sugar and /or cinnamon if you are using it and simmer until it is the right consistency.  I usually add about 1 tablespoon brown sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon and simmer another 10 minutes to blend the flavors.  Depending on your taste preferences and the type of apples you are using, your experience may vary.   After this, you can chill or serve warm depending on your preference.

Homemade Applesauce

Yield: 4 to 6

Homemade Applesauce

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Quick and easy. So tasty you will never want to buy the premade kind again!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds of apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• ⅓ to ½ cup apple juice or water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

2. Place the chopped apples and the water (or apple juice) in a heavy sauce pan over medium high heat
3. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for about 10 to 15 minutes or until tender.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and mash with potato masher until only small chunks remain. If you prefer a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to puree.
5. Return the apples to the heat and add brown sugar and cinnamon. Simmer until desired consistency, about 10 minutes, or until most of the excess water is evaporated.
6. Chill or serve warm, depending on preferences

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 760Total Fat: 2gSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 202gSugar: 164gProtein: 4g

Diane Hoffmaster

Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy.  She has two college aged kids, one husband and more pets than she will admit to. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire  but left her career in science to become a stay at home mom. Years of playing with LEGO and coloring with crayons had her craving a more grown up purpose to her life and she began blogging and freelance writing full time.  You can learn more about her HERE.