My kids LOVE applesauce. Well, actually I think they just really love cinnamon and applesauce is a convenient vessel for said cinnamon. Either way, they ask for it a lot. I also love to use applesauce in my baking. It makes a great substitute for oil and acts as a natural sweetener.
So that being said we go through a lot of applesauce. I’m not out for perfection when it comes to lowering my plastic waste but I did see a big opportunity to cut out some plastic when it came to buying our preferred brand of applesauce. Plus homemade almost always tastes better so I figured it was time to start experimenting with homemade applesauce. After tweaking the recipe a few times I landed on this combo.
Making the Homemade Applesauce
When making applesauce I like to use a variety of apples. You can use your favorites, whatever is on sale or that you happen to be able to find. We usually grab Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith to name a few.
Lots of store-bought applesauce is loaded with sugar. We always bought the kind with no added sugar because we think it’s sweet enough naturally and it helps to have unsweetened for baking. But if you like your applesauce on the sweeter side you can add some sugar and you’ll know exactly how much is going into your homemade applesauce.
This is a great basic applesauce recipe that the kids love snacking on and works perfectly in my baking recipes. As we move into Summer I’m pretty excited to try some new varieties of this recipe by adding berries and other fruits for some fun different flavors. So hopefully I’ll be adding more delicious, healthy applesauce ideas to the blog in the future.
If you make this recipe snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #mealsbythemountain or tag me! I love seeing your personal takes on my recipes!
Homemade Applesauce
Ingredients
- 8 Medium – Large Apples – any variety – we like Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady & Granny Smith peeled, cored and chopped evenly
- 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
- Add prepared apples into a large pot over medium heat
- Add remaining ingredients and stir
- When the liquid starts to boil reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until apples are very soft – approximately half an hour depending on how large you chopped the apples
- Remove from heat and allow to cool
- Add to a blender and process to your desired consistency
- Store in mason jars or other airtight containers in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks or in the freezer for a few months
[…] applesauce in my baking frequently in place of oil or added sugar. I usually use my own favorite homemade applesauce. Whether you make your own applesauce or use storebought make sure you’re using the […]