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My kids and I LOVE applesauce! In fact, I would consider it a staple in our household. The issue that we ran into is that the applesauce we were purchasing was filled with high fructose corn syrup and lots of added sugar. In order to avoid these ingredients, I decided to start making our own applesauce. This also allows us to eat more locally and sustainably. We do our best to find locally sourced apples and then we mix them with a little cinnamon, ginger, water, and honey to make a delicious and healthy homemade crockpot applesauce.

How to Make Homemade Crockpot Applesauce

Applesauce can be made on the stovetop in about 30 minutes, but if you need a set-it-and-forget-it method then this crockpot applesauce recipe is for you! Before we jump into the full recipe, let’s talk about which apples are the best choice for you.

The Best Apple Varieties for Homemade Applesauce

You can use almost any variety of apples for a delicious homemade applesauce, however, different types of apples will yield different flavors and textures. Decide how you want your applesauce to turn out and then choose your variety.

Tart Apple Varieties:

These apple varieties will yield a tart sour applesauce. Honey or sugar can be added to balance out the flavor.

Granny Smith
Cortland
Jonathan

Sweet Apple Varieties:

These sweeter varieties of apples will give you super sweet crockpot applesauce that shouldn’t need additional sugar.

Golden Delicious
Fuji
Gala

Balanced Apple Varieties:

This type of apple will produce a balanced applesauce with just the right amount of sweetness and a hint of a crisp tart flavor.

Honeycrisp
Mcintosh
Pink lady

The two most popular apple varieties for applesauce seem to be Honeycrisp Apples and Granny Smith Apples. Granny Smiths are tart apples that make a deliciously sour sauce.

I used granny smith apples in this recipe. When I use Honeycrisp apples, I leave out the honey because the apples have enough sweetness without it.

I suggest looking for a local orchard to see what varieties they have available. Locally sourced foods are ALWAYS the best option.

Easy Homemade Crockpot Applesauce Recipe

This recipe is simple, sustainable, and naturally sweetened- calling for no white sugar, only honey or maple syrup.

Ingredients

2-3 pounds of apples
¾ cup water
½ tsp ground cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick)
¼ tsp ground ginger (or 1 TBSP fresh ginger sliced or grated)
¼ cup honey

Steps

STEP 1: Peel, Core, & Slice

Peel, core, and slice the apples. You can use a peeling and coring tool or a knife/vegetable peeler for this. I prefer to use this nifty little tool because it takes care of all of the steps in one.

The apples don’t have to be sliced in any particular way, but the pieces do need to be small enough to cook through quickly. Mine always end up spiraling. As long as they cook through so you can mash them they are fine.

STEP 2: Combine in Crockpot

Add all ingredients except for the honey into your crockpot. You can add the honey at this point, but when honey is heated it loses its nutritional qualities so I prefer to add it after cooking.

You can use any seasonings that you like here. I prefer cinnamon and ginger, but you could also use apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or any of the warming spices (or none at all).

STEP 3: Cook

Cover and turn the crockpot on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. It is finished when the apples are easily mashed with a fork.

STEP 4: Add honey

Mix the honey (or maple syrup) with the unsweetened cooked apples. If you used a sweet or balanced apple variety, you may choose to skip this step.

STEP 5: Mash or Blend

Use a potato masher or a fork to mash the apples. If you want a smoother consistency, you may wish to use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender for this.

Mashing applesauce in the crockpot with a potato masher

How to Store Homemade Crockpot Applesauce

Allow the finished applesauce to cool and add it into a mason jar or another airtight container for up to a week. You can also can this applesauce for long-term storage.

Uses for Homemade Applesauce

1. Apple Pie Filling

Leave this applesauce chunky and use it in place of apple pie filling.

2. side Dish

Serve applesauce as a side dish to your favorite entree (especially pork).

3. Healthy Snack

Homemade applesauce is a healthy snack to enjoy anytime!

Homemade crockpot applesauce in a white china bowl

4. On Top of Pork Chops

Add some applesauce on top of pork chops for a delicious flavor combo.

5. Baking Substitute

Applesauce can serve as a substitute for eggs, butter, and oil in many baking recipes… Think bread, cakes, muffins, etc.

Other Delicious Apple Recipes