Homemade applesauce that’s so delicious and easy to make, you’ll never want to buy store-bought applesauce again! Perfect to use in recipes, as a topping, or just to eat on its own.
Confession: I’ve been meaning to share this homemade applesauce recipe with you guys for something like 4 years now.
Not even kidding.
I actually published a page for it waaaaaay back in December of 2012 (you can find it if you dig), and I’ve been meaning to write a legit recipe post with updated pictures/SEO every fall since then… only it never happened.
I guess I was worried that the recipe was just too simple to share. That no one would be interested in a basic homemade applesauce since it’s not exactly creative or original. And I do this all.the.time. All the time! I’ll love a recipe but ultimately decide that it’s too #basic for the blog. Because the world doesn’t need another recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Or banana bread. Or applesauce.
But yes it does, dammit! I adore this stuff and actually consider it to be a pretty big kitchen staple. Not just applesauce in general, but this applesauce. This chunky, unsweetened, stovetop applesauce that’s perfect in recipes, as a topping to oatmeal or yogurt bowls, or eating straight from the jar with a spoon. I’m so obsessed with it that I could easily eat 3 – 4 apples worth just by randomly snacking on it throughout the day.
So I’m sharing it with you guys. Basic or not.
Alright. First thing’s first. We gotta talk ’bout them apples.
There are a bajillion* (slight exaggeration) different apple varieties out there, but not all of them make good applesauce.
I mean, you can ultimately go with whatever kind of apples you have on hand, but I’ve found that Ambrosia, Gala, and Golden Delicious work really well. Google also tells me that Braeburn, Cortland, Crispin, Fuji, Gravenstein, Liberty, Jonamac, Ida Red, and Rome apples are good for applesauce, but I’ve heard of, like… one of those… so there’s that.
Personally, I’m a huge fan mixing Golden Delicious with either Gala or Ambrosia apples. Sometimes even Pink Lady. I find that combining a few different varieties yields a better tasting applesauce than just using one kind of apple. That and I also recommend avoiding really tart apples like Granny Smith since we’re not adding any sweetener.
Okay. We’ve got our apples. Now we peel them, core them, and chop them up into pieces.
Full disclosure -> I’m not the least bit particular about how I chop my apples, meaning they all end up being different shapes and sizes. It’s never been an issue for me since I like my homemade applesauce to have a lot of texture, but I guess you could be all precise with them if you have the patience for that sort of thing?
Personally, I just randomly slice the apples straight into the pot and call it a day.
And that’s about as hard as it gets!
From here on in, it’s about 20 – 25 minutes of letting the applesauce simmer while breathing in the intoxicating aroma of cooked apples. Like, forget fancy expensive candles – just toss a pot of apples on the stove and your house will smell amazing.
And as an added bonus, you’ll also have a batch of pretty freaking amazing homemade applesauce that tastes SO GOOD, you’ll never be able to go back to the store-bought stuff again.
Oh! And you can totally customize the texture depending on what you enjoy best. I like mine chunkier so I leave it as is, but you can also use a potato masher to make it slightly smoother while still maintaining some texture, OR you can use a blender or immersion blender to make the applesauce completely smooth… which is perfect for using in recipes.
Happy eating!
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Easy Homemade Applesauce
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4 cups, about 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 6 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped*
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan set over medium heat.
- Bring the apples to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the apples to continue simmering for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Depending on what kind of texture you like, either enjoy the applesauce as is, use a potato masher to break the apples up a bit, or use a blender or immersion blender to make the applesauce completely smooth.
- Store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Looking for more easy apple recipes? Try one of these!
One Bowl Greek Yogurt Apple Oat Bread
Caramel Apple Protein Smoothie
Caramel Apple Overnight Oatmeal Smoothie
Apple Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins
Flourless Apple Cinnamon Muffins
i would like to can this recipe in a jar as i make for my grandson and would like to keep longer than a week can you help me plz
ty patricia
So easy! My first time making my own apple sauce. I used autumn crisp apples and it was so sweet and delicious. TY
This is awesome! The combination of flavors sounds like a great authentic taste. I love everything about this recipe, need to try this!
Loveeee homemade applesauce! I use golden delicious because they’re so naturally sweet. It’s weird that I haven’t made a batch of homemade applesauce yet… although I keep making mini batches with just 1 apple for my morning oatmeal. I should probably just make a big batch to save myself a lot of time lol.
Love how easy this homemade applesauce is! I bet the house smells amazing while this is cooking!
I feel the same way about posting basic recipes but it makes since to have your favorite version in your site (or in your cookbook) because it’s unique to you.
That said, I have never made my own applesauce but this recipe makes me want to run to buy apples right now. I love that yours has so much texture. Definitely giving it a try once I have a kitchen again!
Textured applesauce is my favourite! Especially if there’s a little bit of juice with the apple chunks 😀
It’s not all about the base- IT’s ALL about the chunks- I am randomly craving this now…with a spoon.
Overthinking = our nemesis.
Spoons in ALL the things 😀
I so agree that homemade applesauce can’t be beat; and tis the season for ALL the applesauce! YUMMY!
I for one prefer the easier, more simplistic recipes. That being said, I published a much fancier one (for me) today. Irony.
This looks and sounds amazing and simple. I love it.
Ms Fancy Pants. I saw that one. I can’t even pronounce the sauce 😆
I love making this is the crock pot. The house smells amazing. I also like to keep my apple sauce chunky and use it as a pie filling. Paul dean has a great recipe for how to make apple pie using apple sauce.
I’ve always assumed stuff like homemade applesauce was really complicated, but this looks awesome. I’ve been on a huge apple kick lately!
Crazy how simple it is, eh? And it’s such a great staple to have on hand.
Hi ! Thank you for another seasonal work of art !
I remember this original post and I also remember making this recipe for MONTHS. I absolutely adore this chunk applesauce! It is amazing on literally anything and everything and even great by itself!
Right? Omg I can’t get enough of it. I mean, I like apples well enough on their own, but I’m eating about 3 – 4 apples worth a day with this stuff 😆
I’ve never made my own applesauce before but I’m in love with this recipe! Sometimes easy recipes are the best recipes. 🙂 I overthink things ALL the time, so you’re definitely not alone!
There are so many apple picking places around so this is a perfect recipe. I like applesauce for baking so I might need to try this!
You’ve sold me – now I need to make this today! A nice easy recipe is a breath of fresh air and this one looks sooooo good.
The easy ones are definitely a nice change of pace sometimes 😉