Making homemade applesauce in your crockpot is so easy! The only ingredient required is fresh apples of your choice (plus a tiny bit of lemon juice). There is no sugar necessary to make slow cooker applesauce- fresh apples cooked low and slow release just the right amount of sugar needed to make a sweet and delicious applesauce without anything added.
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Slow Cooker Applesauce is a great recipe to make during apple season and have on hand all Fall and winter long. Homemade applesauce is healthy and makes a delicious snack and side dish for light dinners. It can be used as an alternative to sugar in baked goods and the like.
This recipe is awesome because you don't even need to peel the apples! It contains no added sugar and simply uses fresh apples and a little bit of lemon juice. It's totally hands off, so you can let the applesauce cook itself while you go about your day.
Making applesauce is also a great way to use a lot of freshly picked apples that you may not get to eating. This is one of our favorite ways to use our apples, along with making creamy apple butter in the slow cooker and apple butter in the Instant Pot, and a tasty apple bread. I think you'll also love making apple pork chops in the slow cooker and homemade apple cider.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No peeling the apples! That's the best part about making applesauce in your slow cooker. The skins break down completely and blend right into the applesauce after being cooked.
- No added sugar! There is no sugar needed to make a delicious applesauce.
- It's low in calories and fat and makes a great, healthy snack.
- Homemade applesauce will last for weeks and can be used in a variety of baked goods too.
Best Apples For Homemade Applesauce
The best apples for applesauce are ones that break down easily when cooked, such as Granny Smith apples, Cortland, Jonathan, Rome and Golden Delicious. Choose one of these apple varieties or a combination.I think it's best to use a combination of sweet and tart apples to balance the flavor.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Crockpot applesauce is made in 3 simple steps:
- Wash, dry and core the apples. Slice into quarters or halves. Place in the slow cooker with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ cup of water.
- Set to LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. When cooking time is done, use an immersion blender to puree the cooked apples until smooth, adding water in small quantities if needed to create a thinner applesauce. Alternatively, transfer the cooked apples to a blender and puree on high speed.
- Let cool to room temperature before transferring to airtight mason jars or containers. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.
Tips From The Chef
- Use a combination of sweet and tart apples for the best flavor and texture.
- Add a cinnamon stick or a teaspoon or so of ground cinnamon to make cinnamon flavored applesauce.
Ways To Use Applesauce
Enjoy your homemade applesauce as a snack, as a healthy side dish for your kid's dinners, or in recipes for baked goods. Some recipes to use your applesauce in are:
Recipe FAQs
There is no need to peel the apples to make homemade applesauce in your crockpot. Because of the long and slow cooking time, the skins break down and turn incredibly soft. When blended after cooking, the skins will completely blend into the apples and become unrecognizable in texture. Of course, you can peel the apples if that is your preference.
To make your applesauce thinner, simply add water in small quantities and mix until you reach your desired consistency.
Applesauce is made by cooking apples with water until they soften, then pureeing them into a thin and smooth consistency. Applesauce can be eaten as a healthy snack or used as a sweetener in baked goods. Apple butter is cooked for a longer period of time with added sugar and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc. It has a thicker consistency than applesauce and is often used as a spread for breakfast toast, bread and bagels.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Applesauce
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh apples unpeeled, cored and cut into halves or quarters*
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash, dry and core the apples. Slice into quarters or halves. Place in the slow cooker with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ cup of water.
- Set to LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. When cooking time is done, use an immersion blender to puree the cooked apples until smooth, adding water in small quantities if needed to create a thinner applesauce. Alternatively, transfer the cooked apples to a blender and puree on high speed.
- Let cool to room temperature before transferring to airtight mason jars or containers. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.
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