Slow Cooker Applesauce (No Sugar Added!)

slow cooker applesauce stored in a glass jar near apples.

Slow Cooker Applesauce (No Sugar Added!)

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crockpot applesauce, slow cooker applesauce

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 4

Total Time: 4 10

Servings:

Calories: 59kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

I never thought I'd be the kind of person who makes applesauce from scratch, but this crockpot applesauce tastes 100% better than store-bought and couldn't be easier to make. The slow cooker does most of the work, and there's no added sugar required! (I'll also show you a tip if you want to skip peeling the apples, which makes this even easier.)

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

3 pounds apples
¾ cup water
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Prepare the apples by peeling them and removing their cores, stems, and seeds. (Use an apple corer & divider to save time after peeling.) Cut them into 1-inch pieces to promote even cooking. Note: You can skip peeling the apples if you plan to puree them in the blender later.
Place the cut apples, water, and ground cinnamon in the bowl of your slow cooker. Cover with the lid and set the machine to cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Stir halfway through the cooking time, if possible.
When the apples are done cooking, they should be very soft and tender, and easily pierced with a fork. Use a potato masher to mash the apples until they are relatively smooth, with a lightly chunky texture. For a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker to blend until smooth. (Or transfer the apples and liquid to a blender for a smooth puree; do this if you include the apple skins.)
Let the applesauce cool, then transfer to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze applesauce for up to 3 months, if you'd like to make a larger batch.

Notes

Nutrition information is for roughly a 1/4 cup of applesauce, assuming you get 2 1/2 cups total from this recipe. This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
My favorite apples to use for applesauce are Honeycrisp because they taste so delicious! The resulting applesauce reminds me of fruit compote that you could literally spoon warm over a scoop of ice cream for dessert. But any other variety of apple you love will work for this recipe, too.

Nutrition