Homemade Applesauce with Cinnamon

Homemade applesauce is so easy you may never go back to store bought applesauce again! Apples provide their own sweetness and create such a delicious side dish that is perfect for the holiday season menu.

 

Fall is apple season and there is never a better time of the year to make sure you have all your recipes ready to go apple picking!

Even if you are not lucky enough to have an orchard near you, most farmers markets and local grocery have tons of apple varieties that help making your own homemade applesauce not only super easy, but a treat.

Homemade Applesauce Ingredients

This is the BEST apple sauce recipe! And it’s just so easy! You only need a few things to get started making homemade applesauce.

The great thing about making your own at home, is that homemade applesauce is a much more natural and healthier alternative to preservatives in the store.

Plus, you can really control the sugar content of the applesauce. In this recipe, I specifically used cinnamon and brown sugar because I love the sweetness it brings to the tart of the apples.

You could leave out the sugar if you wanted!

Scroll to the bottom for a printable version of this post, including all measurements and instructions, so you can follow along in your kitchen without being on your phone. 

Here is what ingredients you need to gather to get started: 

• Gala apples
• ground cinnamon
• water
• brown sugar

Also Need the following items to make it easier:

• Apple Slicer
• Potato Masher
• Food Processor (if serving smooth)

Applesauce Recipe Tips: I use an apple slicer and get 8 slices then I take a knife and cut those pieces into thin slices.

This helps to cut down on the cooking time.

You can leave them in full pieces, but it definitely takes longer to be mashable.

 

Best Apples for Applesauce

What I love about working with apples is how many kinds of flavors and textures there are! I think we all have our favorite kind of apple, whether those are red, yellow, green or a mixture.

Certain apples have a traditional flavor we can count on for our applesauce, ciders, crumbles and more but my favorite apples for applesauce are as following:

• Gala (as is used in this recipe)
• Fuji
• Honeycrisp
• Golden Delicious
• Melrose
• Courtland

These apples provide a variety of sweet and tart flavors and don’t be afraid to mix them up to create your own side dish unique to your menu!

Can you Freeze homemade Applesauce?

You can freeze homemade applesauce! Typically your fresh applesauce will last about 7-10 days in the fridge but usually there is so much left over that you do not want to waste!

You can also freeze your homemade applesauce and it will keep for about 2 months in a freezer.

Simply store safety and freeze and then let thaw in your fridge when you are ready to eat.

Once defrosted you should eat within a few days.

How to store Applesauce for Freezing?

If you are going to freeze your applesauce, here are a few ways to help keep it fresh and delicious. 

• Canning jars (Do not overfill)
• Plastic Gallon Bags
• Covered containers
• Mason Jars

Homemade Applesauce for Babies

This recipe works fine for babies although some parents may want to keep the brown sugar out.

Just be careful of too many chunks and it’s recommended to add your cooled ingredients to a food processor to be sure there are not choking pieces prior to serving your fresh homemade applesauce to a baby or child.

How to make Applesauce on the Stove

Peel and slice apples and add apples into a saucepan. If you make your apple slices too chunky, it takes a lot more simmering to make them mashable.

You can peel them and slice down into thin slices for a faster cooking time. 

Add water and cinnamon and mix well.

Heat over medium low until mixture begins to boil, which is usually very quickly, 2-3 minutes.

If you walk away, you may burn the bottom of your apples because once on heat, that water goes quickly. 

Cover your apples and reduce heat to simmer.

Cook apples for about 20 minutes or until apples are tender and mushy.

Depending on how big the apple slices are, it could take longer to cook.

Stir in brown sugar and mash with a potato masher to make a chunky applesauce with your desired consistency.

 

Makes 2 cups of applesauce and tastes delicious served over ice cream and with some candied pecans for crunch.

Fall Side Dish Recipes

Need more fall friendly side dish recipes?

1. Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
2. Keto Thanksgiving Sides
3. Honey Glazed Oven Roasted Carrots
4. Classic Green Bean Casserole