Cinnamon Applesauce

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce is made with just 4 ingredients in the slow cooker. It’s easy to make and is much more flavorful than store-bought.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Apple season just wouldn’t be the same without the smell of apples and cinnamon in your kitchen. If you have fresh apples, whether they’re from the farmers market, grocery store, or apple picking at your local orchard, this recipe is for you!

If you haven’t tried homemade applesauce, you have been missing out! It has so much fall flavor and is incredibly easy to make. 

I’ve been making applesauce from scratch for years, especially for the holidays. I love serving it with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. It’s a favorite in my house and always disappears quickly.

A lot of recipes use white sugar or brown sugar, but I like to naturally sweeten it with pure maple syrup or honey. To make it sugar-free, simply leave it out.

Make a batch and serve it for breakfast or an afternoon snack. And, of course, you can serve it as a side with pork chops. You can even use it in your favorite baked goods, like Applesauce Zucchini Muffins or Apple Cinnamon Granola.

Ingredients

Four simple ingredients come together in your slow cooker in this applesauce recipe.

How to Make Homemade Applesauce

1. Place the apple slices in the slow cooker. Add the maple syrup or honey, lemon juice, and ground cinnamon. Gently stir to combine.

2. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender.
3. Blend until your desired consistency using an immersion blender. Serve it warm or refrigerate it for later in an airtight container.

Expert Tips: Use a potato masher instead of an immersion blender for a chunkier texture. For a smooth applesauce, you’ll want to blend it. No immersion blender? No problem! You can use a regular blender or food processor.

Cinnamon Applesauce Variations

• Swap out the cinnamon. Try it with pumpkin pie spice or a cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger mix.
• Sugar-free. If you want to make it without added sugar, leave it out. Opt for sweeter varieties of apples like Gala, Honeycrisp, and Fuji.
• Berry Applesauce. Leave out 2 of the apples and replace them with 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen berries. Strawberries and blueberries are both great options.
• Pear Applesauce. Swap out a few of the apples with pears.

Serving Suggestions

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce is the perfect addition to breakfast or served on its own as a snack. It’s also delicious as a side dish for the holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Try it with a weeknight dinner like pork chops or baked cornflake chicken tenders.

You could stir applesauce into oatmeal, overnight oats, or Greek yogurt. It’s even great to add to your favorite baked goods in place of some of the oil. Try it in muffins or quick bread.

Make Ahead and Storage

Make Ahead: Homemade applesauce can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. If you want to serve it warm, reheat it in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until warm.

To Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container or mason jars for up to 1 week.

To Freeze: Once cooled, place in an airtight container or souper cubes and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight to enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)