Easy Homemade Applesauce (4-Ingredient, Better Than Store-Bought!)
A simple, comforting homemade applesauce made with fresh apples and warm spices. Perfect as a healthy snack, dessert, or side dish that’s naturally sweet and customizable to your taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: About 3 cups 1x
- Category: Side/Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 medium apples (about 2 lbs), peeled, cored and chopped (use a mix of sweet and tart varieties like Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith)
- 1/2 cup water or apple juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Apples: Peel, core, and roughly chop apples into 1-inch pieces.
- Cook Apples: In a medium saucepan, combine apples, water or apple juice, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Simmer: Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are very tender.
- Season: Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and sweetener if using. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Mash or Blend: For chunky sauce, mash with a potato masher. For smooth sauce, blend with an immersion blender or food processor.
- Finish: Stir in vanilla extract if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Serve: Enjoy warm or chilled. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- No need to peel apples for extra fiber (just blend smooth)
- Add more liquid for thinner consistency
- Experiment with spices: try cardamom, allspice or pumpkin pie spice
- Freezes well for up to 3 months
- Great for baby food (omit honey for infants under 1 year)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 18g (natural)
- Sodium: 10mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
