Easy Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce

With just two ingredients and thirty minutes, this super easy homemade applesauce will have you think twice before ever buying it from a store again! And, if you used red apples, the applesauce will be pink - your kids will love it!

It's so easy! I started making my own applesauce in college. At the time, I preferred chunky applesauce, so I peeled the apples, cooked it on the stovetop and mashed it with a fork.

Now, I make it smooth. Not only do my kids prefer the smooth consistency, but it's much more versatile than chunky applesauce.

Here in Pennsylvania, many families serve applesauce with just about every meal. I thought it was strange at first, but now I get it!

They make a lot of applesauce in the Fall when apples are in season and store it in the freezer to be used throughout the year. Smart idea!

And I've learned that cooking it with skins on gives this applesauce a pretty color (not to mention more fiber). And, smoothing it out in a blender allows it to be used in baking in addition to serving it as a kid-favorite side dish!

In fact, even one of my baked oatmeal recipes calls for applesauce as an ingredient.

And, if your kids are like mine and they like fruit in pretty much anything, I have many more recipes that you've got to try, like lemon blueberry muffins, fresh fruit salad, strawberry vinaigrette, and a tropical smoothie bowl, to name a few.

My son even mixes applesauce in with lasagna. Whatever works!

Recipe Highlights

• Naturally sweet. No added sugar.
• Two ingredients.
• Quick prep time.
• Makes enough to have as leftovers.
• Can be served as a side or used in recipes that call for applesauce.
• This recipe makes about 8 cups of applesauce, so you will have enough to serve for days.

Ingredient Notes

Apples That's it! Homemade applesauce tastes the best when it's just made with apples and water! Apples are high in fiber, vitamin C, and they contain phytochemicals. They also contain pectin, which is a soluble fiber.

Any apple can be used to make applesauce. Still, it's important to keep in mind that apples vary in color, texture, level of sweetness, and cost. And, because there is no sugar added, this applesauce will only be as sweet as the apples you are using. Oh, and feel free to use a variety of apples. These apples work especially well for making applesauce: Cortland, Gala, Jonagold, Fui, Golden Delicious.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Here's a quick overview of the steps to make homemade applesauce. For the full list of ingredients and specific instructions, scroll down to the recipe.

1. Wash and core apples.
2. Place water and apple slices in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Boil for about 10 minutes, until the apples are mushy.
4. Either use an emersion blender to smooth out the apple mixture OR carefully pour apples and water into a high-powered blender that can handle hot liquid. I use my Vitamix for this step.
5. Let cool. Serve and enjoy OR store for later use.

Expert Tips and FAQs

• For chunky applesauce, peel the apples first. Then, when the apples start to get mushy, use a potato masher to achieve your desired consistency.
• Softer apples will cook quicker than hard apples.
• Use red apples to make pink applesauce.
• Because there is no sugar added, the applesauce will only be as sweet as the apples you are using.
• Let the apple and water mixture cool completely first if you are using a blender that is not made to blend hot liquids.
• Be very careful when transferring and blending the hot apple and water mixture. I use a two-cup liquid measuring cup for this step.
• Adjust the amount of water to achieve your desired level of thickness. My family prefers applesauce thinner than a few other families that we know who make their own applesauce.
• Cool the applesauce completely before freezing it.