My favorite homemade applesauce recipe uses just 4 ingredients and can be ready in less than an hour (psst: most of the time is hands-off as it simmers!). Made in just one pot and super customizable with lots of tips (and a how-to video tutorial!). This one beats anything you’ll find on the shelf at the grocery store.
My Family’s Favorite Homemade Applesauce Recipe
A good applesauce recipe is one of the best, if not simplest, way to enjoy fresh apple flavor (other than biting into one fresh off the tree). Yet so many people buy it from the store rather than make it at home!
Today I want to share my favorite homemade applesauce recipe with you. It’s simple (far simpler than so many other apple favorites (though I’ll certainly take the time and effort for a good apple crisp, apple fritter, or batch of apple dumplings) and is easy to customize (you can even make it sugar-free!). This recipe doubles well, can be made with pretty much any kind of apple, and you also know exactly what’s in it, since you made it at home.
What You Need
- Apples. Use an apple that you enjoy the taste of, I go into more detail about this in the FAQ section below.
- Water. If your apples are very juicy you may not need as much water as I call for. I recommend starting with the amount listed in the recipe, then if you find your sauce is too liquid after pureeing, return it to the stovetop and cook over medium/low heat until you reach your desired consistency. You could substitute apple juice or cider for water, but just remember that will affect the sweetness.
- Sugar. An optional ingredient, I typically only add this if my apples are particularly tart. Feel free to swap the granulated sugar with brown sugar (light or dark!), or even honey or maple syrup, for a fun twist. You can even add a splash of vanilla extract, just know you’re treading further and further into apple butter territory.
- Lemon Juice. Lemon juice (fresh or bottled) prevents the apples from oxidizing (turning brown). This can be skipped, but I don’t recommend doing so if you plan to can your applesauce, as it helps preserve the color.
- Cinnamon. Again, optional, but lovely. I prefer using cinnamon sticks, but you can also cook the apples as instructed (without the cinnamon sticks) and then sprinle/stir in ½ tsp of ground cinnamon at the end. If you use the sticks, make sure to remove them before blending.
SAM’S NOTE: Many people confuse applesauce and apple butter, and while they have very similar ingredients, there are some major flavor, color, and texture differences between the two. Applesauce isn’t as smooth and doesn’t have the same rich, almost dessert-like consistency that apple butter has. This is because it cooks for less time and as a result, it contains more liquid, and it also has less sugar and fewer spices added. You may also find bits of apple in applesauce, which you’ll never find in apple butter.
This homemade applesauce recipe is pretty customizable. Feel free to adjust these ingredients to your liking–it’s pretty hard to mess this one up!
How to Make Applesauce
- Peel, core, and dice your apples. The smaller you chop them, the faster they’ll cook. Try to keep the pieces close in size, that way they all cook evenly!
- Add water, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon sticks (if using — you should!) and stir everything together.
- Bring everything to a simmer and cook until the apples are soft. Simmer over medium heat before covering and cooking on medium/low for 20-30 minutes, stirring just once or twice. Don’t open the lid more than you need to as it slows the cooking process, but I do recommend taking a peek once or twice to ensure you’re not accidentally burning the apples! The apples should be completely soft and tender before moving on (try piercing them with a fork! It should slide right through with no resistance!).
- Finish and blend. Remove the pot from heat and discard the cinnamon sticks. Then puree, blend, or mash the apples. If you like your applesauce thicker, you can return it back to the stove over low heat where it will continue to thicken, otherwise, simply let it cool and enjoy!
SAM’S TIP: The easiest way to blend your applesauce is to use an immersion blender (I linked to my favorite one in the recipe card). If you don’t have one, use a potato masher instead. The applesauce won’t be as fine or smooth this way, but so long as everything is properly cooked they will still mash nicely. Alternatively, blend the apples in batches in a blender.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend a crisp, sweet apple like Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, or Cortland. Using a blend of different apples is also a great option, and I used a combination of Honeycrisp and Fuji for the applesauce recipe shown here!
I’ve used many kinds of apples with success, but the general consensus seems to be to avoid Red Delicious. Food52 reports they can get mushy and unpleasant. Also note that if you’re using a variety, they should be of similar firmness, otherwise they may not cook evenly.
I do not recommend it. Multiple times I tried making this exact applesauce recipe without peeling my apples, and every time it let me with tough bits of peel in the finished product.
Fruits like cranberries, strawberries, pears, and even mangoes taste great in applesauce. Dice and cook them right along with your apples.
To enrich the flavor you can use brown sugar, honey, or even maple syrup instead of granulated sugar, and experiment with increasing the amount according to your personal preference. Some people also like to melt in a pat or two of butter or a splash of homemade vanilla extract after the apples have finished cooking for a richer flavor. Try experimenting with different flavors to find your favorite combination!
More Fall Recipes You Might Like
Every Fall after we pick (far too many) apples, this applesauce recipe is the first thing the kids ask me to make for them. It’s become a tradition here and I hope it becomes one in your household, too!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
Homemade Applesauce
Ingredients
- 3 lbs (1.4 kg) apples peeled, cored, and diced to be about ½" (I recommend using a crisp, sweet apple like Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, or Cortland.) Weigh before peeling/coring apples.
- 1 cup (236 ml) water
- 3 Tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar¹ see note
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 cinnamon sticks² optional, see note to omit or use ground cinnamon
Recommended Equipment
- Apple peeler
Instructions
- Combine apples, water, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon sticks in a large pot on the stovetop. Stir to combine.3 lbs (1.4 kg) apples, 1 cup (236 ml) water, 3 Tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar¹, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 2 cinnamon sticks²
- Turn stovetop heat to medium and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium/low, cover with lid, and continue to cook for 20-30 minutes, checking/stirring just once or twice to make sure the heat is not too high and apples are not burning to the bottom of the pot.
- Cook until apples are completely soft and tender when pierced with a fork (they should give easily to the fork and offer no resistance).
- Remove from heat and carefully remove cinnamon sticks. Mash with a potato masher (for chunkier applesauce) or blend with an immersion blender until smooth (for a smoother applesauce). You may also transfer the apples to a blender and puree until smooth if you don’t have an immersion blender.
- If applesauce is too watery for your liking you can return to the stovetop and cook over medium/low heat, stirring occasionally, until the water is reduced and mixture is the desired consistency.
- Allow to cool and then serve!
Notes
¹Sugar and substitutitons
I recommend using the amount listed, but you may reduce or even omit the sugar (if you have very sweet, flavorful apples) or increase it up to 4 Tablespoons or even more if you are using particularly tart apples. Brown sugar (light or dark), honey, or maple syrup may be substituted for the sugar but each will impart their own flavor into the applesauce.²Cinnamon
I like to use cinnamon sticks for a subtle cinnamon-flavored applesauce. You may omit if you do not like the flavor. If you do not have them but want the flavor, stir in ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon after pureeing/mashing the applesauce.Scaling the recipe
This applesauce recipe may be reduced in half or doubled or even tripled (if you have a pot that’s large enough). I usually only add an additional ½ cup (113ml) of water for every additional 3 lbs (1.4kg) of apples that I use.Storing and Canning
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Applesauce may also be stored in the freezer for 6 months or longer, just use an airtight container, preferably a plastic bag that you can remove the air from. To defrost I thaw in the fridge overnight. While this applesauce recipe may be canned, I have not personally canned it and don’t feel comfortable advising on the specifics of how to do so. Here is a canning guide that I found that may be helpful, though!Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally published this recipe in September of 2021, I have since updated it to include more helpful information but the recipe remains the same.
Kelly
The best recipe ever 😍😍😍
Tammy McMurray
we have a bunch of apples. I will be doing this tonight.
thank you.
Sam
I hope you love it, Tammy! 🙂
Anita Santiago
Easy and delicious,
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Anita! 🙂
James Stowe
Excellent outcome with orchard-picked apples.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for the review, James! Enjoy 😊
Suze
Thank you so much for the recipe, and for the helpful tips and video! I’ve made the applesauce multiple times now – making my own spins on sugar types, spices & such – and it’s a total winner!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoy it so much, Suze! 🙂
Maddy
Thank you for the nice recipe! Can we warm it up a little before serving to baby?
Sam
Hi Maddy! It can certainly be warmed slightly before serving.
Paige
Wow! Best apple sauce I have ever had! I don’t remember what kind of apples I used but they weren’t crisp as I like them for eating whole so I decided to try out this recipe for apple sauce and I’m so glad I did! My daughter and husband love it as well. The only thing I did different was use organic cane sugar instead of granulated sugar and added a tiny bit of more water. Perfect recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Paige! 🙂
jim hynes
Hi Sam
Can’t wait to try this. As a child I had the apple peeling job for my grandmother. She liked her applesauce with some chunks so a potato masher was used as you suggested in recipe.
Your recipe triggerred such wonderful memories!!!
Thanks,
Jim
Mary
Can I use a food processor?
Sam
Hi Mary! That should be fine if you’d like to puree them that way after cooking. Enjoy!
Diana
Wonderful……I did not peel the apples…..why waste the best part.
Sam
So glad you enjoyed, Diana! Personally we don’t like the texture of the peels here (my son won’t eat it if I leave the peels in, especially) but I am so glad you enjoyed!
Ellie
For how long can you store and where should we store it?
Sam
Hi Ellie! Storing instructions can be found at the bottom of the recipe card 🙂
Ashley Bryan
I accidentally put 2 TBSP of lemon juice instead of 2 top of lemon juice. 🤭 whoops. Will see what happens. My first time ever making applesauce and already messed it up. Apples were gonna get tossed in the compost so if it’s no good no worries.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
It might be a bit more tart than expected, but hopefully it still tastes good. Thanks for trying our recipe, Ashley!
Nicole
Literally THE BEST RECIPE my wife is not an applesauce person and this was by surprise the best I did cinnamon sticks plus after it was cooked I added some powdered cinnamon just a touch I also let us simmer in rly low for an additional 10 mins after the 30 mins just the best by far
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Nicole! 🙂
Douglas
My coworker at UCLA gave me a basket of apples 🍎 from her garden.
I used this recipe and was more than pleased with the results.
Thank You
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! We’re so happy you chose our recipe, Douglas ❤️ Enjoy!