Fall is the perfect time to make homemade applesauce. This easy-to-make cinnamon applesauce recipe is ready in about 30 minutes and can be served hot or cold. It can also be canned or frozen to enjoy later.
If you’ve never made homemade applesauce, you are missing out. You won’t believe just how easy it is to make or how much better it is than preserved, store bought varieties.
I make homemade applesauce to use in Old-Fashioned Applesauce Pie, a dessert my husband’s grandmother used to make. It’s also a key ingredient in this moist and fruity Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake.
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Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The Best Apples to Use In Applesauce
- To Make Homemade Applesauce, You Will Need:
- How to Make the Best Applesauce
- How to Make Applesauce in a Slow Cooker
- How to Can Homemade Applesauce
- How to Freeze Homemade Applesauce
- Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Apple Recipes
- Easy Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This stovetop apple sauce is such a forgiving recipe, as well. (It can also be cooked in a slow cooker.)
You can make chunky or smooth applesauce, using any kind of apples you like. Make it sugar-free, if you’re using a sweeter variety of apples, and you can also omit the cinnamon.
Personally, I loved the cinnamon-spiced version and prefer applesauce that is a bit chunky. It’s delicious for snack or breakfast, or as a side served with babyback ribs or pork tenderloin.
Homemade applesauce lasts for about a week in the fridge,. It will keep in the freezer for 6 to 9 months, or you can can it and store in the pantry for a year or longer.
The Best Apples to Use In Applesauce
Fall is one of the best times of the year to make homemade applesauce because the fruit is in season. You can find lots of tasty varieties of apples, including honeycrisp, Jonagold, Fuji and Cortland, to use.
Whenever I can, I prefer to buy apples from local orchards or farmers. (Find pick-your-own orchards and farms here.) But you can also find a good selection and lots of varieties at the grocery store, especially in fall.
Good varieties of apples to use for sauce include:
- Gala
- Fuji
- Granny Smith
- Honey Crisp
- Pink Lady
- Golden Delicious
- Cortland
- Jonagold
- Braeburn
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To Make Homemade Applesauce, You Will Need:
- Apples – You can use any variety of apple to make homemade applesauce. A mixture of tart and sweet apples provide a nice flavor balance. Softer varieties, such as McIntosh, Golden Delicious and Cortland, will cook down quicker.
- Lemon juice – If you’re making applesauce to can, use bottled lemon juice to ensure proper acidity for food preservation. Otherwise, opt for freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar works best for this recipe. You can omit it if you”re using sweeter apples or prefer a tart or sugar-free applesauce.
- Cinnamon – Used ground cinnamon for this recipe.
- Water – You’ll need just a little bit of water to keep the apples from sticking to the pan while they’re cooking down.
- Apple peeler and corer – If you’re planning to make a lot of homemade applesauce, you may want to invest in an apple peeler and corer, so you don’t have to do all the prep work by hand. I use a knife to peel my apples, then use a handheld corer slicer.
- Large stock pot or slow cooker – Opt for a larger pot to allow for plenty of room to stir the apples as they cook.
- Woode spoon, potato masher, immersion blender or food mill – Depending on whether you’re making chunly or smooth applesauce, you’ll need a wooden spoon or potato masher, immersion blender or food mill to break down the cooked apples. You can also use a regular blender to process the cooked apples.
- Canning jars and water bath canner (optional) – This canner set comes with everything you need (except the jars) to get started with canning and preserving.
How to Make the Best Applesauce
- Wash apples, peel, core and chop into cubes.
- Place the cored and chopped apples, lemon juice and water in a large pan.
- Cover the pan with a lid and bring to a low boil over medium-low heat.
- Stir occasionally to make sure the apples do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to press the apples as they soften.
- Continue to simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes until the apples are soft and tender and the sauce is the desired consistency. Mash with the spoon or potato masher.
- If you prefer a smoother applesauce, use an immersion blender to break the cooked apples down further. Alternately, you can allow the mixture to cool slightly and run it through a food mill, blender or food processor.
- Stir sugar, to taste, and cinnamon into warm applesauce. Depending on the types of apples you used and how tart you want the applesauce to be, you may need to add more or less sugar.
How to Make Applesauce in a Slow Cooker
This recipe can be easily made in a Crock-Pot or another slow cooker if you don’t have time to watch the applesauce while it cooks on the stove.
- To cook in a slow cooker, combine the peeled, cored and chopped apples with the water and lemon juice.
- Cook covered on HIGH for 4 hours, stirring after the first hour and again after three hours, to prevent the apples from burning or sticking to the crock.
- While stirring, use a wooden spoon to mash the apples as they cook down.
- After four hours, remove the lid of the slow cooker and add sugar, to taste, and cinnamon. Stir well and turn off the heat.
How to Can Homemade Applesauce
If you want to can the applesauce, make sure that you use 1/2 cup of bottled lemon juice, instead of fresh, when preparing the recipe. This will ensure proper acidity when canning.
This recipe will make approximately 4 pint-sized jars of applesauce.
You can reuse canning jars and bands, but always use new lids to ensure a proper and safe seal.
- Once you have completely cooked the apples, mashed the sauce and added the sugar and cinnamon, return the pan to the stove over medium-low heat.
- Return to a low boil and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.
- Ladle hot applesauce into sterlized, hot canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace.
- Remove air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim clean before adding the lid and band. Tighten to fingertip tight.
- Process the jars on a rack, covered, in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes. Be sure to adjust and increase processing time, depending on your altitude.
- Once the jars have processed, turn off the heat and remove the lid from the canner. Allow the jars to stand for 5 minutes before removing them from the canner to a cooling rack or a baking pan lined with dish towels.
- You should hear the lids pop as they seal. After 24 hours, check that the jars are sealed by pressing the middle of the lid with your finger. If the lid moves or springs back, it is not sealed.
Canned applesauce can be kept in the pantry for up to 18 months. Once you open a jar, refrigerate it and use it within a week.
How to Freeze Homemade Applesauce
Freezing homemade applesauce is a great way to preserve it.
To freeze applesauce, allow it to cool and transfer to freezer-safe containers, freezer bags or freezer jars. Be sure to leave 1/2 inch headspace in jars or containers to allow for any expansion when frozen.
To save space, I like to freeze applesauce in bags because they can be laid flat. This bag holder is helpful for holding the Ziplocs while you’re filing them.
Applesauce will keep in the freezer for 6 months.
Thaw frozen applesauce in the refrigerator. Use within a week.
Variations
- Use a mix of different apples — sweet and tart varieties — for more flavorful applesauce.
- Replace the lemon juice with orange juice for a subtle flavor difference. (If you’re planning to can the applesauce, be sure to add 1/2 cup of bottled lemon juice for proper aciditiy for safe preserving.)
- Omit cinnamon from the recipe to make plain applesauce.
- Use a blend of spices to make spiced applesauce. Options include cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom and ginger.
- Substitute maple syrup for sugar in the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Homemade applesauce lasts up to a week in the refrigerator. Applesauce can be frozen and will keep for about 6 to 9 months in the freezer.
Home canned applesauce can be stored in the pantry for up to 18 months.
Store homemade applesauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
Ladle the applesauce into glass mason jars and store in the refrigerator, or process in a water bath canner to make shelf-stable applesauce.
Honestly, there’s no bad apple to use for this recipe. Any variety will work, but the type of apple you choose can affect the flavor, sweetness and cooking time.
Softer varieties, such as McIntosh, Golden Delicious and Cortland, will cook down quicker. Sweet options include honeycrisp, Cameo,, Fuji, Gala and Cosmic Crisp.
Tarter varieties include Granny Smith, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Jonagold and Cortland.
I recommend using an apple whose flavor you like, or a mix of different apples.
Yes, homemade applesauce may be preserved or canned using a water bath canner. In fact, applesauce is very easy to can.
I’ve included instructions for canning applesauce in the recipe card below. You’ll also find more tips above.
Applesauce can be frozen. Simply transfer to freezer-safe bags or containers once cooled and place in the freezer.
It will keep about 9 months in the freezer.
Thaw frozen applesauce in the refrigerator and serve within one week.
Yes, this recipe can be easily made in a Crock-Pot or another slow cooker.
Add peeled, cored and chopped apples in the slow cooker, along with the water and lemon juice.
Cook covered on HIGH for 4 hours, stirring after 1 hour and after 3 hours. While stirring, use a wooden spoon to mash the apples as they cook down, After four hours, remove cover and add sugar, to taste, and cinnamon. Stir well and turn off the heat.
Yes, you can definitely use Granny Smith apples to make applesauce. Because they are a tart variety, the applesauce will not be as sweet.l. You may need to add more sugar to counteract the tartness.
For a tart and sweet applesauce, you could use a mix of tart and sweet apples.
More Apple Recipes
If you liked this recipe, try these other delicious apple dishes. They’re great in the fall or anytime of year.
- Old Fashioned Applesauce Pie
- Apple Butter Cream Cheese Wontons
- Applesauce Cake
- Caramel Apple Baked Brie
- Baked Brie
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Pin This! Homemade Applesauce Recipe
Easy Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce
Ingredients
- 12 apples (approximately 6 pounds) peeled, cored and chopped
- 1½ cups water
- juice of ½ lemon (Use 1/2 cup bottled lemon juice if canning the applesauce)
- ¾ cups sugar
- ¾ TBS cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the cored and chopped apples, lemon juice and water in a large pan.
- Cover. Bring to a low boil over medium low heat.
- Stir occasionally, using the back of a spoon to mash the apples as they soften.
- Continue cooking covered for 15-20 minutes until the apples are soft and the sauce is the desired consistency.
- Remove from heat and stir in sugar and cinnamon. You may need to add more sugar, depending on how tart you want your applesauce to be and the types of apples used.
Video
Notes
Variations
- Use a mix of different apples — sweet and tart varieties — for more flavorful applesauce.
- Replace the lemon juice with orange juice for a subtle flavor difference. (If you’re planning to can the applesauce, be sure to add 1/2 cup of bottled lemon juice for proper aciditiy for safe preserving.
- Omit cinnamon from the recipe to make plain applesauce.
- Use a blend of spices to make spiced applesauce. Options include cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom and ginger.
- Substitute maple syrup for sugar in the recipe.
Slow Cooker Method
- Add peeled, cored and chopped apples in the slow cooker, along with the water and lemon juice.
- Cook covered on HIGH for 4 hours, stirring after one hour and after three hours. While stirring, use a wooden spoon to mash the apples as they cook down,
- After four hours, remove cover and add sugar, to taste, and cinnamon. Stir well and turn off the heat.
To Can Homemade Applesauce
- Prepare recipe according to directions above, using 1/2 cup of bottled lemon juice instead of fresh to ensure proper acidity.
- Once you’re completely cooked the apples, mashed the sauce and added the sugar and cinnamon, return the pan to the stove over medium-low heat.
- Return to a low boil and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.
- Ladle hot applesauce into sterlized, hot canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace.
- Remove air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim clean before adding the lid and band, to fingertip tight.
- Process the jars on a rack, covered, in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes. Be sure to adjust and increase processing time, depending on your altitude.
- Once the jars have processed, turn off the heat and remove the lid from the canner. Allow the jars to stand for 5 minutes before removing them from the canner to a cooling rack or a baking pan lined with dish towels.
- You should hear the lids pop as they seal. After 24 hours, check that the jars are sealed by pressing the middle of the lid with your finger. If the lid moves or springs back, it is not sealed.
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