A bowl of homemade applesauce with an apple to the side

If you haven’t made homemade applesauce before, you’re going to appreciate how easy this recipe is and wonder why you never made it before! It’s especially great to make in the fall when apples are in season, and there’s an abundance of varieties to choose from. You can bet they will be super fresh and crisp!

What apples are best for applesauce?

There is no right or wrong apple for applesauce. It is a personal preference for how sweet or tart you want it and the texture you wish to have also. Some apples hold firmer than others and can give you chunkier applesauce if you want. Here is a list of 10 popular and easy to find apples that I recommend:

MacIntosh are tart, zippy and not too sweet. Great for smooth applesauce.
Honey crisp have a complex and balanced sweet-tart flavor. Their firmness makes them great for chunky applesauce.
Ambrosia are honey-like and terrific for sweetness. They make a smooth applesauce.
Cortland are tart for sour-tart lovers. Perfect for a smooth applesauce.
Gala are year round, balanced apple. They can be used to make a creamy-white smooth applesauce , or chunky also.
Braeburn creates a unique, spicy-sweet pudding-like applesauce. Their firmness can make a thicker applesauce.
Granny Smith will make a thick, crisp and sour applesauce with a lovely green color. It’s best to blend with a sweeter apple.
Golden Delicious are the most popular year round apple that is mildly sweet.
Fuji are perfect for those who love a juicy, sugary fine-textured applesauce. No need to add sugar when using these apple because they are incredibly sweet.
Pink Ladies make a zippy sweet-tart applesauce with a pretty pink hue.

Ingredients for applesauce separated into bowls on a table — To make applesauce only requires a few essential ingredients.

applesauce ingredients in a large pot — Place all ingredients in a large pot.

Cooked apples in a large pot — Cook for 25 minutes and purée with a blender.

Cooked apples pureed with a hand blender in the pot — Cook for 25 minutes and purée with a blender.

How long will homemade applesauce last?

Homemade applesauce can last in a refrigerator for up to 10 days. But applesauce in the freezer will stay fresh for 6-9 months; if you use a deep freezer, it will last for about a year.

What can you use applesauce as a replacement for in recipes?

Applesauce is a great addition for adding moisture and a little extra flavor to a baking recipe. But for vegan baking, applesauce is a must-have ingredient to have. You can replace one egg with ¼ cup of applesauce in sweet desserts. Applesauce can also replace butter 1:1 in most recipes. You will be amazed at how much better your desserts will taste when using homemade applesauce.

Best Homemade Applesauce

Author: Chef Cindy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 cups 1x
Category: Condiment
Method: Cooked
Cuisine: Healthy
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

This is the Best Homemade Applesauce Recipe! It’s especially great to make applesauce in the fall season when apples are abundant!

Ingredients

Scale

6 large apples, cored, peeled, and cut into cubes (about 8 cups cubed)

¾ cup apple cider

1 lemon, juiced

¼ cup brown sugar packed (less with sweeter apples)

1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a large pot, covered, and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes.
Purée in a food processor or blender (for smoother applesauce).
Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

Optional Ingredients: Nutmeg, allspice, maple syrup.

Keywords: best homemade applesauce, how to make homemade applesauce