With just 3 simple ingredients—and no added sugars—this simple Crockpot Applesauce boasts intense apple flavor and an easy method. It’s so easy, affordable, and delish!
We love eating applesauce as a simple side or stirred into Apple Yogurt, Applesauce Pancakes, Homemade Granola, or Applesauce Muffins. It’s a staple in our house year round, though I have the urge to make it myself come late summer and fall when we start to see local apples around town.
This method for making applesauce uses the crockpot, so it’s super easy. And once you prep 6-7 apples, it practically makes itself.
Plus, since the Crockpot cooks this applesauce, you don’t have to worry about it boiling over, stirring the apples, or adjusting the temperature. And all the flavor is locked into the applesauce, rather than evaporating out, which means you don’t really need to add any additional ingredients.
This is a great applesauce for kids and babies since it doesn’t contain any added sugars. And you can use it in an Applesauce Pouch, too.
(You may also like my Peach Sauce, Pear Sauce, and Strawberry Applesauce.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
The ingredients in this easy Crockpot Applesauce are very straightforward. Here’s a look at what you need so you know what to have on hand.
- Apples: I like to use apples that you’d use to bake a pie, so ones that tend to be firmer like Granny Smith, Cortland, Jonathan, Pink Lady, or Braeburn. Honestly, you can use whichever kind of apples you have and like—even Golden Delicious and Gala—but definitely use ones that have good flavor.
- Lemon juice: A little lemon juices helps ensure that the flavor is bright and the color stays light. But you can skip this if you don’t have it on hand.
- Cinnamon: I like to add cinnamon to my applesauce, but you can also leave it plain if you prefer.
TIP: If your apples are not at all sweet, you will wind up with applesauce that’s not at all sweet, so taste a bit of your apple first to make sure it tastes good.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved this simple crockpot applesauce. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe, including the amounts and the timing.
Step 1. Peel the apples, if desired, and dice them.
Step 2. Place into the crockpot and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook.
Step 3. Cook until the apples are very soft and golden brown.
Step 4. Mash or blend smooth if desired. Serve or store.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but they may not blend smoothly unless you have a very high powered blender. My kids eat very smooth applesauce at daycare and school, my homemade version with peels never passed muster for smoothness, even when I blend it as much as possible. And so, I adjusted.
When you remove the peels, yes, you do remove some fiber, but in exchange you get a much smoother texture.
The natural sweetness of the apples condenses as they cook in the crockpot, so it’s plenty sweet without adding any sugar or honey. It tastes really fresh and well, like apples! And this means it’s also a perfect baby applesauce.
You can really use any you prefer including Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Cosmic Crisp, or Granny Smith.
How to Can Applesauce
To can this applesauce so you can store it safely on a shelf, ladle the hot applesauce into sterilized pint jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Seal and process for 20 minutes. You can find more information on canning applesauce.
How to Store
You can store this crockpot applesauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer, once fully cooled, in a freezer-safe container. Let thaw in the fridge before serving and stir if needed. I like to store about half in the fridge and half in the freezer—but that will depend on how much your kids will eat in a given week.
TIP: The recipe makes about 2 ½ pints, so not a huge amount, but you can always double it to make more.
Best Tips for Success
- Cut the apples into mostly even pieces to ensure they cook evenly.
- Taste your apples before you start the recipe to make sure they have good flavor. (Very occasionally you get apples that are bland.)
- Mash or puree the applesauce to suit the texture preferences of your kids.
- To make this in an Instant Pot, cook for 5 minutes on high and let it naturally release before removing the lid to mash or blend.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback below in the comments if you make the recipe so be sure to rate it and chime in below!
Easy Crockpot Applesauce
Ingredients
- 6-7 large apples (about 4 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Peel the apples using a paring knife or vegetable peeler.
- Dice the apples into even 1-1½-inch chunks.
- Place into the crock pot.
- Stir in the lemon juice, cinnamon, and water. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 yo 7 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours, or until apples are very soft.
- Mash with a potato masher for a chunky applesauce. Or blend with an immersion blender for a smoother sauce. Let cool and store in mason jars or storage containers.
Notes
- Cut the apples into mostly even pieces to ensure that they cook evenly.
- Taste your apples before you start the recipe to make sure they have good flavor. (Very occasionally you get apples that are bland.)
- Taste the finished applesauce before serving and add more cinnamon if needed.
- Mash or puree the applesauce to suit the texture preferences of your kids.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer, once fully cooled, in a freezer-safe container. Let thaw in the fridge before serving.
- To make this in an Instant Pot, cook for 5 minutes on high and let it naturally release before removing the lid to mash or blend.
- Double the recipe to make more.
Nutrition
This post was first published August 2020.
I’ve always steamed apples and pears and then pureed them. We like the additional flavor of the pears – they’re always softer though than the apples. Do you think if I added them to the crockpot halfway through they would be alright? Looking for a more hands off approach.
Thanks!
I think so!
Hi! I have made this several times before with kids and love it – thanks for making it straightforward, easy, and delicious. Maybe silly question, but I was wondering, do you think mashing it with a potato masher would work the day after cooking, aka when it is cool? I’m trying to strategize how to do this in my preschool class so they are part of the process as much as possible but our days are short, so may need to work on it over two days with it in the fridge overnight. Thanks for your insight!
Hi- I think that should work fine as long as the apples are cooked until soft. Have fun with it and the kids!
Just curious if Instant pot method wouldn’t have as deep a flavour as Crock-Pot slow cook method? I have both machines so trying to see which one to use. Would love your opinion. Thank you
Honestly, it’s fairly similar!
Easy to make and tastes great.
I made this today and it is so good! I only used 4 apples, accidentally added some extra lemon juice, and then just poured off most of the liquid before blending because I was afraid it’d be too runny, and it was so good! I saved a few of the apples before blending to be a delicious stewed apple topping, and as an added bonus, the liquid I poured off tastes exactly like apple cider! Thank you so much! I love your site!
We made this today. It was delicious!
I’m excited to try this tomorrow! Thank you.