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    Home » What We're Eating » Crock Pot Applesauce

    Crock Pot Applesauce

    Published: Aug 31, 2015 by Blair Lonergan

    Jump to Recipe
    Long collage of Crock Pot Applesauce

    Homemade applesauce doesn't get any easier than this! Fill your slow cooker with the season's fresh produce and after a few hours of simmering you will have a sweet, healthy Crock Pot Applesauce ready to enjoy. It's a an easy fall side dish, breakfast, or snack that your family will adore!

    Small bowl of crock pot cinnamon applesauce with jars in background

    My kids are total applesauce connoisseurs! They LOVE the stuff. We've sampled more than our fair share of farmer's market sauces, store-bought jars, store-bought pouches, and homemade recipes. But you know what? This cinnamon applesauce recipe by far their favorite, which works out well for me...because it's so darn easy!

    How to make Crock Pot Applesauce:

    This overnight Crock Pot Applesauce requires just a few ingredients (and no lemon juice!):

    • Enough fresh apples to fill your slow cooker
    • Sugar (optional!)
    • Cinnamon
    • Water

    Here's what you do:

    1. Peel, core and slice enough apples to fill your Crock Pot. I have a 6-quart slow cooker, so if I'm using smaller apples that we pick in an orchard, I might need as many as 35 of the little apples. By contrast, if you buy the really large apples from a grocery store, you might only need about 15 apples.
    2. Stir in the cinnamon and sugar (if using), and toss to combine with the apples.
    3. Pour water over top.
    4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
    5. At the end of the cooking time, give everything a good stir and you'll find that you've got a delicious chunky applesauce ready to enjoy! If you prefer a smooth applesauce, simply use a handheld stick blender to puree the sauce once it has cooled (or process batches of the sauce in a blender).

    Large mason jar full of homemade crock pot applesauce

    What to serve with Crock Pot Applesauce:

    Applesauce is a delicious snack on its own, but it's also a nice side dish when paired with a meal. You can stir the applesauce into oatmeal or yogurt at breakfast, or serve it alongside a dinner such as:

    • Stuffed Pork Chops
    • Beer Brats
    • Slow Cooker Turkey Sloppy Joes
    • 4-Ingredient Pork Loin Roast
    • Crispy Roast Chicken with Vegetables
    • Dump-and-Bake Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

    Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:

    • The sauce will be chunky at the end of the cooking time. If you prefer a smooth applesauce, simply use a handheld stick blender to puree the sauce once it has cooled (or process batches of the sauce in a blender) until it reaches the desired consistency.
    • Make this Crock Pot Applesauce with no sugar! You can omit the sugar if you prefer unsweetened applesauce.
    • Homemade applesauce will keep in the refrigerator for about 7-10 days.
    • Can you freeze Crock Pot Applesauce? Absolutely! To freeze, transfer the cooled applesauce to jars, Ziploc freezer bags, or other airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
    • What types of apples are best for applesauce? You can use any apples that are readily available. I often use a blend of whatever we pick from the orchard! That said, soft apples are great because they cook down quickly and don't hold their shape in the way that Granny Smith or other pie-friendly apples will. Good options include: Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Cortland, Jonathan, Rome and Jonagold apples.

    Homemade applesauce in a white bowl with fresh apples in background

    More easy apple recipes that you might enjoy:

    • Shortcut Apple Pecan Date Bars
    • Light and Creamy Apple Salad
    • Slow Cooker Baked Apples
    • Slow Cooker Apple Butter
    Large mason jar full of homemade crock pot applesauce
    Print Pin
    5 from 1 vote

    Crock Pot Applesauce

    Homemade applesauce doesn't get any easier than this! Fill your slow cooker with the season's fresh produce and after a few hours of simmering you will have a sweet, healthy Crock Pot Applesauce ready to enjoy!
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Keyword crock pot applesauce, homemade applesauce, slow cooker applesauce
    Prep Time 25 minutes
    Cook Time 7 hours
    0 minutes
    Total Time 7 hours 25 minutes
    Servings 24 (about 10- 12 cups of applesauce)
    Calories 60kcal
    Author Blair Lonergan

    Ingredients

    • Enough fresh apples to fill your slow cooker, peeled, cored, and sliced (If using small apples from an orchard, you may need 30-35 apples; however, if you're using large apples from the grocery store, you may only need about 15 apples)
    • 1 Tablespoon sugar, plus more to taste
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 ½ cups water

    Instructions

    • Place apples in bowl of slow cooker until full. Add sugar and cinnamon, stir. Pour water over apples and cover.
    • Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. At the end of your cooking time, you should have a chunky applesauce in your pot. If your family prefers a very smooth consistency, just use an immersion blender to puree, or transfer applesauce to a large blender to puree until the sauce reaches desired consistency.

    Notes

    • The sauce will be chunky at the end of the cooking time. If you prefer a smooth applesauce, simply use a handheld stick blender to puree the sauce once it has cooled (or process batches of the sauce in a blender) until it reaches the desired consistency.
    • Make this Crock Pot Applesauce with no sugar! You can omit the sugar if you prefer unsweetened applesauce.
    • Homemade applesauce will keep in the refrigerator for about 7-10 days.
    • Can you freeze Crock Pot Applesauce? Absolutely! To freeze, transfer the cooled applesauce to jars, Ziploc freezer bags, or other airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
    • What types of apples are best for applesauce? You can use any apples that are readily available. I often use a blend of whatever we pick from the orchard! That said, soft apples are great because they cook down quickly and don't hold their shape in the way that Granny Smith or other pie-friendly apples will. Good options include: Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Cortland, Jonathan, Rome and Jonagold apples.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 60kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 5.2mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

      August 31, 2015 at 7:22 am

      Now I'm totally craving applesauce, Blair! I make it just about every fall, but have never tried it in my slow cooker before. This sounds just perfect! And I'm sure your house smells amazing all day long, too!

      Reply
      • Blair

        August 31, 2015 at 8:42 pm

        Thanks, Gayle! This recipe is so easy and you just can't beat the smell!

        Reply
    2. Jen | Baked by an Introvert

      August 31, 2015 at 10:23 am

      It's been a long time since I've made homemade applesauce. I really love the idea of making it in a slow cooker. The aroma must be incredible!

      Reply
      • Blair

        August 31, 2015 at 8:42 pm

        Jen...the aroma IS AWESOME. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Anna @ Sunny Side Ups

      August 31, 2015 at 6:50 pm

      Oh my goodness, this looks absolutely delicious!! Making applesauce in the slow cooker is such an awesome idea--I'm getting hungry just thinking about that heavenly fall scent it would give the house!

      Reply
      • Blair

        August 31, 2015 at 8:45 pm

        Thanks, Anna! It smells awesome and it tastes so good that it's almost like dessert!

        Reply
    4. Blair

      September 01, 2015 at 5:13 am

      Hi Tobi! If I cram my pot full of apples, I can get 4 full pint jars out of one batch. So I would say 7-8 cups. I assumed 1/2-cup servings when I used the 15 serving number. Hope that helps!?

      Reply
    5. Doris thomley

      September 24, 2015 at 10:23 pm

      Can you can this? If so foe how long? Thank you

      Reply
      • Blair

        September 26, 2015 at 2:33 pm

        Hi, Doris! Yes, I'm sure that you could can it, however, I have not tried to do that myself. I'm definitely not a canning expert, so I won't even pretend to give you advice about how to go about the process. I know that you would just have to follow canning protocol (boiling/sanitizing the jars and lids, boiling the jars to seal, etc.). Once it's properly canned, I believe that you can leave it on a shelf in the pantry for about a year!

        Reply
    6. Blair

      August 11, 2016 at 6:33 am

      Hi, Misty! It actually doesn't matter too much for this recipe. I'd go with whatever is available and whatever taste you prefer. If you like a more tart applesauce, go with something like Granny Smith apples. I often use a mix of whatever apples we can get from the local orchards. Sweet is good! Unlike a pie, the texture of the apples doesn't matter too much since you'll just be pureeing it all at the end. Hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply

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