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    Home / Recipes / How Tos

    Homemade Applesauce (apple puree)

    Oct 19, 2016 · Updated: Nov 27, 2023 by Dee Dine · Affliate links disclosure.

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    Spicy homemade applesauce or apple puree with 4 ingredients, blended then a quick simmer, filling your kitchen with a wonderful fragrance. A fresh applesauce ready in 20 minutes.

    apple cinnamon overnight oats in a jar.

    This delicious homemade applesauce with cinnamon is both easy and healthy, and full of spicy apple flavor thanks to the addition of apple cider. The texture is smooth thanks to a quick blend before simmering. The resulting applesauce, also considered an apple puree because of the blending, is perfect to use anywhere you would use applesauce.

    Since I often use applesauce to replace eggs, this means recipes like my healthy chocolate cake, my chocolate chip loaf cake, or any of my muffins, chocolate chip muffins, cranberry orange muffins, or even my Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'd Love This
    • Ingredients
    • Steps by Step Instructions
    • How to Use
    • Recipe Tips
    • FAQS
    • Other Apple Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'd Love This

    As healthy as the apples you use and then some. I suggest using organic apples and to balance the flavor, use half green for sour and half red for sweet. Apples provide so much fiber and essential nutrients for the immune system that the saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" actually can ring true.

    Also, because my method does not involve any cooking, on the stove or slow cooker or instapot, your butter will keep all the luscious nutrients that grew in your apples.

    Ingredients

    Apples. Use mostly red apples such as McIntosh, Fuji and Gala to add sweet flavor. Add a green Grannysmith for a less sweet note. Don't peel, don't use Red Delicious which can be mushy, and don't use overripe apples.

    Apple cider. You can use water instead but apple cider lends a tangy apple flavor to your applesauce.

    Lemon juice. This adds a bright citrus flavor.

    Spices. I use cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt. You can also use pumpkin pie spice.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    Steps by Step Instructions

    For more detail, visit the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.

    👉Want to Save This Recipe?

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    Step 1: Wash apples. If you are going to peel, peel now. Then cut. Stand an apple up, slice downwards to cut 4 chunks off, up against the core. Discard the core. Do not peel.

    Step 2: Add the apples and other ingredients to a blender and process for about 1 minute or until smooth.

    Step 3: Put that mixture into a pot and bring to a boil. At the first couple of plops, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. If necessary, add a tablespoon more of water to keep the mixture bubbling.

    Step 4: Let the mixture cool in the pot, then put in jars and refrigerate for up to 3 days. After that, freeze in ice cube trays for up to three months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator to use.

    How to Use

    1. in place of applesauce
    2. used as a fruit dip
    3. serve on cereal or yogurt
    4. eat out of a jar with a spoon.
    5. used in apple cinnamon overnight oats

    Recipe Tips

    Be sure to use organic apples because apples have a higher percentage of pesticides in their skins and you want to keep the skins on for this recipe!

    FAQS

    What is the difference between applesauce and apple puree?

    The terms are often used interchangeably, but some people say apple puree is run through a strainer after cooking to be served, say, to babies.

    Other Apple Recipes

    • Apple Cider Donuts stacked on a parchment paper on a table with a bite out
      Baked Apple Cider Donuts (low calorie)
    • pan of cooked cranberry apple crisp.
      Easy Cranberry Crisp
    • apple cinnamon overnight oats in a jar.
      Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
    • cranberry orange muffins with a spoon drizzling a glaze
      Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins

    If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

    📖 Recipe

    A jar of apple butter with red leaves all around.

    Homemade Applesauce (Apple Puree)

    Created by Dee Dine
    Spicy homemade applesauce or apple puree with 4 ingredients, blended then a quick simmer, filling your kitchen with a wonderful fragrance. A fresh applesauce ready in 20 minutes.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved! Rate Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 3
    Calories 102 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 3 apples
    • 3 tablespoon unsweetened apple cider
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    • pinch salt
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    Instructions
     

    Prep

    • Wash apples. If you are going to peel, peel now. Then cut. Stand an apple up, slice downwards to cut 4 chunks off, up against the core. Discard the core. Do not peel.

    Make applesauce

    • Add the apples and other ingredients to a blender and process for about 1 minute or until smooth.
      3 apples, 3 tablespoon unsweetened apple cider, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, pinch salt
    • Put that mixture into a pot and bring to a boil. At the first couple of plops, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. If necessary, add a tablespoon more of water to keep the mixture bubbling.
    • Let the mixture cool in the pot, then put in jars.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate for up to 3 days. After that, freeze in ice cube trays for up to three months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator to use.

    Notes

    Makes 3 cups of homemade apple butter.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 102kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 1gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 212mgFiber: 4gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 99IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More How tos

    • strawberry puree, or strawberry syrup made in a blender.
      How to Make Strawberry Puree (syrup & sauce)
    • coffee syrup in a bottle.
      How to Make Coffee Syrup (Coffee Concentrate)
    • homemade pistachio butter.
      Homemade Pistachio Butter (1 ingredient)
    • homemade pistachio milk.
      Homemade Pistachio Milk (1 ingredient)

    Comments

    1. Bianca Zapatka says

      October 10, 2018 at 4:51 pm

      Such a delicious fall dessert!
      Love the flavors and ingredients ❤️
      Great recipe, Dee! 😊

      Reply
      • Dee Dine | Green Smoothie Gourmet says

        October 13, 2018 at 11:38 am

        Bianca, thank you for stopping by! So happy you like my apple recipe! Happy fall sweetie! Dee xx

        Reply
    2. Elavegan says

      November 17, 2017 at 10:03 am

      5 stars
      I never heard of raw apple butter before but this idea is genius, Dee! I bet it tastes super creamy and delicious 🙂

      Reply
      • Dee says

        November 18, 2017 at 9:52 am

        Ela! Thank you for stopping by, yes, I made my more coarsely ground to avoid apple sauce texture, but a smoother texture might be super delicious too! Dee xx

        Reply
    3. Stina says

      November 04, 2017 at 1:28 am

      Is this alcohol free and OK to serve to kids? You mean apple cider right ( not vinegar) overnight...

      Reply
      • Dee says

        November 04, 2017 at 11:13 pm

        Yes, the 1/2 cup of apple cider is the sweet version made from apples and I would not suggest any alcoholic version for this recipe.
        The 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar is added to cleanse the oats. You can't taste it; you end up tasting only the sweet cider...
        Want to make it sweeter for children? Use more cider and less water, and maybe stir in a bit of sweet apple sauce as a layer when you create the parfait..
        Dee xx

        Reply
    4. John Graham says

      November 02, 2017 at 3:59 pm

      Hi there, recipe sounds delicious. Just a quick question, is the recipe for one serving? I am just wondering since I want to make this for a my wife and I for our breakfast.

      Thanks,
      John

      Reply
      • Dee says

        November 02, 2017 at 5:50 pm

        Hi John, that's great news, I hope you enjoy it! The recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups overnight oats once the oats swell up; and about 1/2 cup apple butter. I created three servings out of mine, and served them in 1/2 cup WECK jars you see in the picture!
        best, Dee xx

        Reply
    5. Nadia says

      November 01, 2017 at 7:28 pm

      I love overnight oats and must try this flavour combo! The raw apple butter sounds delicious 😀

      Reply
      • Dee says

        November 01, 2017 at 11:06 pm

        Well you are a sweetheart Nadia, so happy you like my flavors here. And raw apple butter is really easy - some people boil the apple puree and make it jam-like but I wanted to keep it raw..thanks for stopping by! Dee xx

        Reply
    5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    dee dine

    My name is Dee Dine and I’m a two-time cookbook author and certified nutritionist. Here you’ll find clean healthy recipes made with few ingredients, dairy free, & gluten free. About Dee →

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