Sweet and tart, our homemade Cinnamon Applesauce is made with just three ingredients and no sugar added. It’s a sweet treat that’s packed with cinnamon, giving it a hint of apple pie, and seriously smooth – trust us, our recipe is the silkiest of the bunch, and guaranteed to make you skip store-bought.
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There’s nothing better than picking apples and making homemade applesauce. It’s a wholesome fall experience that’s become more of an all-season in our house, as our kids can’t get enough of it making it ideal for fuss-free breakfasts, snacks, or dessert or even served with granola, overtop yogurt, or vanilla ice cream. It’s a kid-friendly recipe and adult-approved.
Using a more naturally sweet apple, the Fuji is best for making applesauce, as it’s a softer variety and doesn’t require added sugar. Rustic yet silky, our cinnamon applesauce tastes very similar to apple pie filling, rich, spiced, and sweet, rather than the one-note textured version of store-bought.
It comes together quickly on the stove-top, and only requires a few simple ingredients, making it more delicious than store-bought, cheaper than store-bought, and much better for you than store-bought – no additives or unnecessary ingredients needed.
If you prefer to make your pantry essentials like our cinnamon applesauce, try our Cashew Butter, Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, or Homemade Ricotta Cheese.
Ingredient List
- Apples: gala, fuji, honeycrisp, and golden delicious are our favorites as they are on the sweeter side. Any apple variety will work, but you may feel the need to add sweetener. Use organic if available.
- Cinnamon: whole cinnamon stick or ground, just remember to remove the stick before blending.
- Salt: kosher or sea salt.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Baby-Friendly: Remove the salt from the recipe.
- Ginger: Adding 1-2 teaspoon of fresh ginger to the recipe gives a subtle spiced flavor.
- Pumpkin spice: Use premade or homemade pumpkin spice in place of the cinnamon.
- Maple syrup: If you like your applesauce extra sweet, try adding maple syrup which will also give a subtle maple flavor to the applesauce.
Recipe Steps: How to Make Homemade Applesauce
1. Wash and peel the apples.
Wash the apples well and peel the skin off. Optionally you can leave the peels on if blending.
2. Core and chop the apples.
Remove the core of the apple using an apple corer or by cutting away the flesh from the core. Roughly chop the apples.
3. Flavor the apples.
Add apples, water, cinnamon, and salt to a large pot and toss.
4a. Cook the apples.
Bring the pot to a boil and stir the apples. Lower the heat to simmer and cover the pot. Stir every 5-7 minutes.
4b. Cook the apples.
After about 10 minutes the edges of the apples should be softened.
4c. Cook the apples.
After 20 minutes the apples will start to break down and can be easily mashed with a fork.
5. Blend the applesauce.
Remove the applesauce from the heat and puree with an immersion blender until it reaches your desired consistency.
6. Serve, save, savor.
Cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying warm, or transfer to jars and cool to room temperature. Seal the jars and store the applesauce in the fridge to be enjoyed right away.
Chef’s Tip
If you make applesauce often, invest in an Apple Peeler and Corer (affiliate link), as it will cut your prep time in half.
Green Tip: Use the skins and cores of the apples to make homemade apple cider vinegar.
Recipe FAQs
Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious are all excellent apples for applesauce as they are sweet, vs. granny smith, which is tart.
Yes, you can use the peel in applesauce. Use organic if available and ensure to wash the skin well. You will also need to use a quality blender to ensure you don’t get large pieces of peel.
Applesauce will keep in the freezer for 6-12 months provided it is stored in a freezer-safe container or bag.
Other Kid-Friendly Recipes to Consider
If you tried this Cinnamon Applesauce Recipe or any other recipe on our website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe Card
Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 lbs apples peeled and cored
- 2 cups water filtered if available
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash the apples well and peel the skin off. Optionally you can leave the peels on if pureeing your applesauce.
- Remove the core of the apple using an apple corer or by cutting away the flesh, leaving the core and seeds, to discard or make cider vinegar. Roughly chop the apples and transfer to a large pot.
- To the pot of apples, add water, cinnamon, and salt. Toss to disperse the ingredients.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then stir the apples, reduce heat to simmer and cover, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes, until the apples are soft and easily mash with a fork.
- Remove the applesauce from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes before transferring to jars then cool to room temperature before storing.
Jessica Cameron says
My kids love applesauce too so much that I have to cut them off haha. Love that this recipe doesn’t have added sweetener, why would you add sugar to fruit?! Such a great recipe, easy to follow and so good. I love the cinnamon.
Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai says
Haha! Couldn't agree with you more!