Homemade Applesauce

a tulip jar with applesauce in it made in the instant pot and a spoon inside the jar.

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Applesauce

This Homemade Applesauce is made in the Instant Pot with 6 ingredients and barely any sugar, so it actually tastes like apples. Five minutes at pressure, a 20 minute natural release, and a quick mash. There's a stovetop version in the post too, and it freezes for up to 3 months.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

NPR Time20

Total Time40

Course: Sauce, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: applesauce, instant pot applesauce

Servings:

Calories: 167kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

Ingredients

10 medium apples such as Gala, Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious or a mix
½ cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
¼ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Start by washing the apples, then peel, core, and cut them into quarters.
Place the cut apples into the Instant Pot, then add the water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt.
Close the lid of the Instant Pot and set the vent to "sealing". Select the "Manual" setting and adjust the cooking time to 5 minutes on high pressure.
Once the cooking time is up, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally for 20 minutes.
After the pressure has been fully released, open the lid and use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash or puree the apples to your desired consistency. If the applesauce is too watery, you can use the "Sauté" function to cook off some of the extra liquid, stirring frequently.
Let the applesauce cool, then transfer it to an airtight container. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or you can freeze it for longer storage.

Notes

1 serving is about ½ cup.
Apples: ones that break down easily work best. Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Fuji, and Cortland. A mix of sweet and tart gives more flavor than one variety. Soft apples are ideal.
Natural release matters. Let the pressure drop on its own for 20 minutes. The apples keep softening and it's far less dramatic than venting hot apple.
Sugar is adjustable. Half a cup across 10 apples is gentle. Leave it out entirely with sweet apples, or add more at the end to taste.
Chunky or smooth: potato masher for rustic and chunky, immersion blender for smooth. Blend half and stir it back in for something between the two.
Too watery? Use the Sauté function for a few minutes to cook off the extra liquid. It also thickens as it cools.
Freezing: portion it before freezing rather than one big block, and leave headspace for expansion. 3 months.
Stovetop: gentle simmer, covered, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring regularly so it doesn't catch.

Nutrition