The Best Crock Pot Applesauce is made with fresh apples, cinnamon, apple cider and a bit of sugar to make the most delicious homemade applesauce.
AN EASY HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE RECIPE
Every year it is our family tradition to go apple picking. We have a great apple orchard that is about a 45 minute drive away from us. The destination is wonderful but the drive along the way is gorgeous. I've made all kinds of apple things over the years but I had never attempted my own applesauce before. This Crock Pot Applesauce changed all of that!
TIPS FOR MAKING SLOW COOKER APPLESAUCE
- The only downside with leaving the skins on is they never totally break down while cooking like the rest of the apple does. So, you have to go in there with an immersion blender if you want them totally incorporated. The skins do get very soft though and my husband did not mind eating the softer skins with the sauce.
- Or, you can peel the apple before cooking, and you will see that after cooking down for a few hours, all you need is a fork to stir the apples and you immediately have applesauce! Special thank you to Country Cook reader, Anita Allgood, for sharing her family recipe.
- The amount of sugar you use will depend on the tartness of your apples and your tastebuds. This is a VERY forgiving recipe and all the sugar does not have to be added at the beginning of the process. After I made this, I gave it a taste and realized it needed a tad more sugar. So I sprinkled a bit more on the finished product, gave it a stir, gave it another taste and it was perfect. So, if you want, start with a little and add more later if it is needed. The same goes for the cinnamon. Start with a small amount if you are unsure and then sprinkle more in later to get it to a taste you enjoy!
- This applesauce can be frozen.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- green apples
- apple juice, apple cider or water
- sugar
- ground cinnamon
- lemon juice
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CROCK POT APPLESAUCE:
Chop and core your apples (leaving the skins on or off, see my explanations for this at the top part of this post). Place chopped apples in a 4-5 quart slow cooker (also known as a crock pot.)
Add in apple cider, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and stir.
Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours. When it's ready it will look like this. Those apples will be so soft, so that all you will have to do is stir and you will have applesauce. Give it a taste test at this point (be careful, mixture will be hot!) and see if you need any more sugar or cinnamon to meet your tastes.
If you left the skins on and want to break them down into the sauce more, then break out your immersion blender, and gently (I use short bursts) chop up the apple skins. I did about 5 or 6 quick short pulses so that it left the applesauce intact and didn't turn it into apple soup. Just long enough to break down a few of those apple skins.
Then serve!
It's wonderful warm but this can be put into the fridge and it will stay good for about a week or more. It also freezes beautifully!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
Crock Pot Applesauce (+Video)
Ingredients
- 10 cooking apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Jonagold)
- ½ cup apple juice or apple cider
- 1 cup sugar, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Chop and core apples (leaving the skins on or off).
- Place chopped apples in a 4-5 quart slow cooker.
- Stir in apple cider, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and stir.
- Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.
- After cooking, apples will just need to be stirred to breakdown the rest of the way. If you left the skins on, you'll need to chop up the skins with an immersion blender or handheld mixer.
- Give it a taste test (be careful, mixture will be hot!) and see if you need any more sugar or cinnamon to meet your tastes.
Video
Notes
- The only downside with leaving the skins on is they never totally break down while cooking like the rest of the apple does. So, you have to go in there with an immersion blender if you want them totally incorporated.
- Or, you can peel the apple before cooking, and you will see that after cooking down for a few hours, all you need is a fork to stir the apples and you immediately have applesauce.
- The amount of sugar you use will depend on the tartness of your apples and your tastebuds. This is a VERY forgiving recipe and all the sugar does not have to be added at the beginning of the process. After I made this, I gave it a taste and realized it needed a tad more sugar. So I sprinkled a bit more on the finished product, gave it a stir, gave it another taste and it was perfect. So, if you want, start with a little and add more later if it is needed. The same goes for the cinnamon. Start with a small amount if you are unsure and then sprinkle more in later to get it to a taste you enjoy!
- This applesauce can be frozen.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Sara
Applesauce is amazingly forgiving. Depending on the consistency you want your sauce to be, you can cook it for shorter or longer, you can add apples or use less. For example, I used 8 apples with a half cup of water. Use seasonings at the end to suit your tastes. You may not even need sugar! For chunky applesauce you may want to try a 2 hour cook time instead of 4 to 6. If your sauce is too watery, simply remove the lid.
Ms. Lori
How many ounces does this recipe make? I want to make homemade applesauce with my class to use in our homemade apple butter.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Ms Lori! That is a great question and I will be honest - I never measured when I tested this recipe. I am so sorry. I'll have to work on that!
Terri
Love this recipe! So easy to make. Delicious!
Katherine Cusick
How many pints does this recipe yield
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Katherine, I am sorry - I didn't measure this out in pints when I made it so I am honestly not sure.
PATRICIA LEE
I forgot to add that my secret ingredient (not so secret now!) is 1-2 tsp vanilla.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Love it! Thanks so much Patricia!!
PATRICIA LEE
Excellent! Delicious apple sauce! I never peel the apples, just core and seed them, cut them into 8 slices with a slicer, cut again crosswise into 16 pieces. Season and cook and put them through a food mill. Taste and correct seasoning if needed. I believe that peeling causes flavor and nutrition loss. I freeze the sauce in sour cream and Cool Whip containers. I begin cooking the sauce in June using Transparent apples followed by Gravenstein apples. In October, I use Golden Delicious. All offer a different flavor twist; but all are just delicious.
Heather
I used this recipe and have never made apple sauce in my life and I can honestly say it came out amazing a tad bit to sweet. A little less sugar if using apple cider. But I'll never buy apple sauce ever again.
Susan
When I make homemade applesauce, I peel the apples first and simmer them separately with a little sugar and water. I then discard the peelings and use the same water to cook the apples in. Just add more water and sugar to taste. The peelings really give the sauce a great flavor.
Anonymous
If you add a few grates of nutmeg at the end the applesauce is even better.
Anonymous
Want to try this! Loved applesauce when my mom made it years ago but for some reason I can't print it off my computer. Would u email it to me? Would really appreciate it. Also could u tell me how to freeze it? TY 🙂
'Chele
I'm new to this, could you tell me how you can this? I'd like to can & give out for Christmas as this will remind them of Fall :-). Thanks
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Chele! The folks at Ball canning are the best resource for learning how to can this so that it can be properly preserved. Here is a link that will give you instructions. They also have videos on their site to help with canning as well! Hope that helps! 🙂 http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipe.aspx?r=126
Holly
I have been making my own applesauce for many years. I only use Macintosh apples as I live in Upstate NY and it is our local and favorite apple here. I got to playing around and found that adding rhubarb to it adds a slight tang but not overwhelming flavor as long as you do Half rhubarb to twice the apples. I also add a pkg of Yoplait smoothie mix.. strawberries, mango and pineapple with the rhubarb and apples, sugar and cinnamon. OMG what a flavor combo!!! DELICIOUS. It comes out slightly chunky but so tasty!!! Make sure your rhubarb is cut into 1/2" pieces and I peel mine, If you are allergic to rhubarb, I also can substitute pears, for barb.
Anonymous
I grew up in Mexico ny we have a great orchard there. Oh how I miss the apples. I'm in ga now and went to an apple festival here just today. My first in ga. Lovely crafts but a bit short on the actual apple part lol
Darlene Laurn
Can this be pressure cooked?Preserved.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
This can be canned but I've never tried to pressure cook it.
Marsha Baker
I just made crockpot applesauce over the weekend...using agave nectar and no added sugar. I love mine chunky too - it's fabulous! Really satisfies my sweet tooth. Yours looks really yummy too!
Danielle
Could this also be canned??
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Absolutely!
Pamela
I love making homemade applesauce but I never tried in the crockpot, going to give this a shot!
Pam McFarland
We just made our version yesterday and boy did the house smell wonderfully all day. My recipe is just a little different, but basically the same concept. I LOVE homemade applesauce. My son even had some with vanilla ice cream as it was still hot last night. 🙂 Your photos are so beautiful I can almost still smell it!
Pam
Amy C.
Do I need the lemon juice? I don't have any on hand.
Anonymous
Lemon juice will keep it from turning brown.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Ok, you don't ABSOLUTELY need it but I did find that adding a tad bit of lemon juice, it really brightened up the flavor of the apples themselves. The original recipe did not come with lemon juice but I added it in the second time I made this and we all agreed there was a small but noticeable difference in the flavors. I hope that helps!
Anonymous
Use some cinnamon red hots in it, gives it a lovely pink color and extra flavor