Homemade Applesauce (Small Batch)
Easy small batch homemade applesauce made with fresh apples, lemon, and hint of cinnamon will leave you wondering why you buy it from the store.
Out of carrots? Made applesauce. Ate all the cauliflower last night? Made applesauce. Nothing to dip in the hummus? Made applesauce.
You’d think by now I would make a giant batch, but I just make a small batch of one or two apples worth at a time.
With a little bit of prep and a little bit of cooking, you, too, can have fresh homemade applesauce for healthy snacking.
One of the benefits of making homemade applesauce is control. You don’t have to worry about preservatives or the amount of sugar.
Sweetness depends on your apples, so it’s hard to say how much sugar to add. Using tart, Granny Smith apples may require more sugar than say Honeycrisp apples, for example.
I love the naturalness of the apples, so I only use about 1 teaspoon of sugar. However, Dad said it needed more when I gave him a bowl.
Did you know if you keep cooking applesauce further, you can easily turn it into apple butter? Check out my crockpot apple butter recipe for more info!
I smash my apples using my adjustable potato ricer.
I didn’t realize how versatile this tool is. Not only do I use it to make applesauce, I also use it to squeeze out excess liquid out of shredded apples, shredded squash, and cooked spinach.
As far as which apples to use, I say it’s preference. Sometimes I’ll use two or three kinds of apples. So far I’ve used Golden Delicious, Gala, Jonagold, and McIntosh, some mixed; some not.
If you do mix red and green apples, your applesauce will be a bit on the pink side.
Do you like your applesauce warm or cold? Although I love eating it both ways, I prefer it right after cooking while it’s still warm.
Probably because it reminds me of hot apple cider that warms you up on a chilly afternoon outside.
You can also serve it with pork chops with mushroom gravy for dinner.
Equipment Needed
Homemade Applesauce (Small Batch)
Easy small batch homemade applesauce made with fresh apples, lemon, and hint of cinnamon will leave you wondering why you buy it from the store.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound cooking apples such as McIntosh, Golden Delicious, or Fuji (roughly 2 large apples), peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine the apples, water, lemon, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn it down to a simmer then cook for 10-15 minutes or until the apples are soft.
- Remove from the heat and press through a food mill, potato ricer, or smash by hand.
- Taste then adjust sugar and cinnamon as necessary. Cool for 15 minutes then serve warm or refrigerate until cold.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Eat as a snack or serve with Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy for dinner.
Recommended Products
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Source: Adapted from Long Grove Apple Haus Apple Cook Book (Amazon affiliate link)
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If you liked this Homemade Applesauce recipe, you may also like these:
From me:
- Apple Walnut Upside Down Spice Cake
- Apple Dumpling Cobbler
- Apple Crisp Cupcakes with Apple Butter Frosting
From other bloggers:
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchase.
This is the second applesauce recipe I’ve seen in the past few days- I guess that means I really should start making my own! I love that this only makes two servings; there’s no need to worry about it getting lost in the back of the fridge and going bad!
I think it’s a sign ;) and yes, no need to make a HUGE batch then get tired of eating it after day three.
Homemade applesauce is SUCH a lifechanger! Yours looks phenom!
I realized this morning I didn’t have applesauce for a cookie recipe. I had one fresh apple on hand and discovered your recipe….YUM! It was quite difficult setting some aside after I took a taste!:)
I am a person who likes to try new things.
Yes Now that doesn’t mean I have never made applesauce. My family was very large!
so I make a lot of things.
Today I tried cloves instead of cinnamon—delicious!
If you try this, be very careful with the amount of cloves.
Love the use of clove! And yes it’s a strong spice, so it’s best to use in small doses.
got ONE gigantic apple from a relative that I really wanted to use to make cupcakes for the fall. The recipe I found required applesauce and EVERYTHING online is a recipe for making applesauce for like a town. This was just the recipe I needed to make a small amount and simple enough to follow! Thanks so much!
Glad this recipe made the right amount for you! Thanks for sharing your experience.
This is delicious. I don’t think I’ve ever had applesauce so good. Thank you for sharing a small batch.
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
thanks for sharing this! I used two gala apples & 1/4 cup water, but after 15 mins they still weren’t cooked down so I added 1/4 cup more…and more and more…they cooked after about 40 mins with total 1 cup of water! I pressed them with a potato masher – not sure if I did something wrong. Worked fine for me anyway, but it’d be cool if anyone knows how to get the job done faster!
Hmm how many cups of chopped apple did your 2 apples make?
3/4 cup :) I made this again last Wednesday though and figured for me 1 apple needs 1/2 cup of water. Lid on it took about 10-15 mins, perfect. Thanks again!
Glad you made it work for you!
I wonder how this would do in a mini rice cooker Has anyone tried?
I haven’t personally tried it yet. Let me know if you figure it out!
I absolutely love this recipe. I’ve made it many times over the years and only changed one thing.
I add Penzeys Spices Apple Pie Spice instead of cinnamon.
Once the apples are peeled I cut them into squares and add to boiling water.
Don’t be afraid to add more water or apple pie spice to boiling water.
Use a potato masher to crush apples.
This recipe is so good you will never buy applesauce in a jar again.
Glad you love the recipe!