Easy Applesauce
One of my favorite things to make in the slow cooker is applesauce. About 8 years ago I made apple sauce on top of the stove. I was trying to use up apples from our fruitful backyard tree the day before going to Germany for three weeks. Talk about lots of pressure to get things done before leaving. Stove-top saucing was labor intensive, and it just plain was not fun.
I don’t remember how I discovered crock-potting apples to make apple sauce because it was too long ago and in the midst of having my kiddos, but once I did it, I could not believe how incredibly easy it was. Seriously, you just cook the peeled apples until they are soft enough and then stir!
I use this recipe if I have two or twenty apples. Basically you can use however many apples you can fit in your crock-pot.
Crock-pot apple sauce makes a great gift, too!
The Verdict: What great baby food or anybody food! We all love it. It’s so easy. I love recipes that I can fix and forget instead of hovering over the stove for a long time.
I made baby food for Baby Lucas, my ultra-adorable nephew, that we froze and stored in a plastic food-grade bag. Updated 8/14.
I use this recipe if I have two or twenty apples. Basically you can use however many apples you can fit in your crock-pot.
Crock-pot apple sauce makes a great gift, too!
The Verdict: What great baby food or anybody food! We all love it. It’s so easy. I love recipes that I can fix and forget instead of hovering over the stove for a long time.
I made baby food for Baby Lucas, my ultra-adorable nephew, that we froze and stored in a plastic food-grade bag. Updated 8/14.
Ridiculously-Easy Apple Sauce
Ingredients
- apples
- water **update 8/31/13 I don't even use water anymore
- cinnamon opt.
Instructions
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Peel, and slice apples (however many apples you have)-I have done this with as little as 2 apples and with more than 20 apples
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Cover the bottom of the slow cooker with water (optional) if your apples aren't juicy. If you have a small amount of apples, just use a couple of teaspoons of water.
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Put the apples in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 3-4 hours or so. You don’t need to mash them, because the apples will soften as they cook. Just stir every 30 minutes to an hour or so if you are around. If the apples aren’t turning into sauce while you are stirring, leave them in for another 30 minutes, and check. You can make your sauce as chunky or as smooth as you like. Leave it in for longer to smooth it. You can use a potato masher or immersion blender to expedite the process.
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If you leave it in for 5 hours or so, the apples may brown more. I don’t like the darker brown applesauce, so I try to take it out before it gets too dark.
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When the sauce is ready, add a dash of cinnamon (or a lot more if you like). Cooking the cinnamon at the beginning strips the apple sauce of the cinnamon flavor, so be sure to add the cinnamon at the end if you want to taste the cinnamon.
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Store in a jar in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days, or freeze leaving 1 inch of space in your jar for expansion.
Have you ever made crock-pot apple butter? Just keep cooking it down and add some spices at the end.
How about homemade fruit leather in the oven??
Have you tried any crazy crock-pot recipes?
Have you made Blackberry Apple Crisp in the Crock-pot?
This applesauce recipe is so good! My mom loved it too and said it tasted like apple pie. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Bex. You are welcome. It’s really is so easy! Thanks for sharing!
How small do you cut the apple pieces?
Hi Youa.You can cut them however big or small you want, really. The smaller you cut them, the faster they will cook. I usually cut the apple into about 6 wedges. If they are big wedges, I’ll cut those in half. I know that isn’t that specific, but I hope it helps!
I just learned about crock-pot applesauce last week from another blog, and followed the suggestions of other commenters who said not to bother with peeling or coring the apples, because the skins and seeds would cook down into the applesauce. I found that the skins cooked down just fine, but the seeds did not, and I had to strain them out. However, it was still a LOT less work than peeling/coring, so it was good stewardship of my time AND of the apples with which God had blessed me through a friend who spent hours picking them from her tree for me. And yes, most of them were soft and they were too tart to eat, so it was a great way to use God’s bounty instead of letting it go to waste.
Hi Alison. Thanks so much for sharing. Next time I make apple butter or apple sauce I won’t peel, and I’ll just throw in apple slices. I love that you are being a good steward of your resources! God bless!
I love preserving apples in the crockpot–while I sleep. We have three productive trees and it saves a lot time to cook them this way. In fact, it what I plan doing on Saturday. Thanks!
Hi Sally. You are welcome. Enjoy the fruit of your labor:)!
I’m looking forward to trying this. I just found your blog while I was at Sew Many Ways and all of your recipes look delicious. I’ll be trying every one I’ve found so far. 🙂 Thank you.
That’s a great idea to make applesauce in a crockpot!
Hi Sarah. This is seriously so easy!! Thanks for visiting!
You read my mind! I found you in a link party and was just looking for an easy applesauce recipe!
Hi Rosemarie. Awesome! We’ve already made a few batches this summer. Hope you enjoy!
It’s working! It’s in now and looks amazing. You rock!
C”rock-on”:)
Hi there! I followed you over from a link party tonight and I love your applesauce recipe – especially the fact that there’s no sugar! I’m having my first baby in about a week so I’m stocking up on great ideas for healthy baby foods in the future! Thanks for sharing!
Congrats, Danielle! This is a great baby food recipe, and so easy too! Hope you enjoy!
Love how easy this is! Pinned and tweeted! Can’t wait to make it this fall when our apples are in season. 🙂
Hi Blair. We made ANOTHER batch today. The house smells divine! Very easy. I hope you enjoy. Thanks for visiting!
Looks so easy! It might be time for me to invest in a crock pot…my youngest daughter loves apple sauce and probably tastes even better than Mott’s!
This looks great! Going to give it a go!
Pinned this to my Food Preservation board. Looking forward to apple season and canning! Your recipe looks like a keeper!
Stopping by from WFMW. Do you know if this will work with apples that have gotten a little soft? I have some that I don’t really want to eat because they’re looking a little rough, but wondered if they might work for applesauce! Thanks!
Hi Abby, I usually use soft apples. In fact, I hate using “good” crisp apples for sauce. So, yes!! Sauce up those not-so-great apples!
Your applesauce looks wonderful! I am always buying unsweetened applesauce at the store, and seriously need to start making my own too! Yours looks so good!
Thanks Maria! It’s really so easy to do.
This looks delicious! Homemade applesauce is the best! Thanks for sharing at Monday Funday!
Hi Katie. Thanks so much. It’s really so easy to make!
I made apple butter this weekend exactly the same way, only I added sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and clove. Hot water bath canned the jars for later in the year. Yummo.
Yea, it just cooks longer. So easy. Thanks for sharing, Meari!
Can you can this? How long does it last in the fridge?
Hi Melody, I know my neighbors took this recipe and canned it. I even got to have some, and it canned well. I would keep in the fridge about a week. I hope this helps. Thanks for visiting!
I love the crock pot! I have never tried this! GREAT simple tip! Thank you for sharing with us at Healthy 2Day Wednesdays! Hope to see you again!
Love that this is so easy! I’m going to try this tomorrow with the apples we picked on Monday. 🙂 Pinning!
We’re heading out to the apple orchard today -I’ll need to give this a try!
What a great idea to make apple sauce in a slowcooker. I’ve cooking lots of apples lately with grape juice, cinnamon, raisins and honey or maple syrup to make pies. I always hand around the kitchen I’m so scared they will burn. This means I can be doing something else while they cook…clever…
Thanks for sharing. Deb
Thank you so much for being so faithful to Weekend Potluck. I am showing off apple recipes on my Facebook page today and will put this one up tonight. Pinning. 🙂
Perfect for days when we are running around like crazy and still want fresh food!
Great way to make apple sauce in big batches. I wonder why the apples turn brown the longer they are in? Maybe if you add lemon juice, they wouldn’t.
I’m your newest follower and look forward to more great ideas.
If you let the apples keep cooking, they will turn into apple butter, and that’s darker than applesauce. I think the longer you let it cook, the more brown it will become. Thanks for following!