Instant Pot Applesauce Recipe

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All-natural, no sugar added, homemade applesauce, ready in 4 minutes!

As a long-time home baker and recipe developer, I spend a lot of time reading labels and testing ingredients so my readers don’t have to. And here’s something I’ve discovered that always surprises me: it’s shockingly hard to find chunky, no-sugar-added applesauce at most grocery stores.

Smooth, unsweetened applesauce? Tons of options. But if you want a little texture– something closer to the rustic, cozy applesauce your grandma might have made– you’re often out of luck. Judging by how quickly the few chunky versions sell out, I know for a fact I’m not the only one looking for that old-school vibe without any added sugar.

So I did what I usually do when store-bought falls short: I made my own. No surprise, eh?

With just apples, a few spices, and my Instant Pot, I created a version that checks all the boxes: no added sugar, full of flavor, and perfectly chunky. It’s quick, it’s customizable, and it tastes like autumn in a bowl. Honestly? It’s rare we buy applesauce anymore, and we love making whatever texture we’re feeling whenever we make it, it’s usually gone before our next shopping trip!

Instant Pot Applesauce Ingredients

I can’t emphasize enough how easy this recipe is. You need 4 ingredients.

One of them is apples.

Another is water.

Another is some lemon or lime juice.

And then cinnamon.

And if you don’t like cinnamon, that’s one less ingredient. So… Three to four.

And 4 minutes in the IP.

COME ON, PEOPLE! This applesauce is just begging to be made!!

I actually did a lot of research on this recipe before I attempted it, and I made a few batches myself before I settled on what I absolutely loved.

WHAT ARE THE BEST APPLES FOR APPLESAUCE?

First try, I used mealy apples. I figured that just like bananas, the ones that were “going” would be perfect for something that would make them all mashed up.

Umm, no. It was just as unappealing as it sounds.

FRESH APPLES, friends. Or at least non-mealy ones. And 2 pounds!

You’ll want them cored and sliced (this is my favorite appliance for that), but peeled is completely up to you. The type of apple is also your preference. I used gala, I would just suggest steering away from a Granny Smith situation. One on the sweeter side is perfect, and using a mixture is totally acceptable too!

Lemon or lime juice might seem out of place, but I liked the batches I made with it much better than without. Something about the addition of citrus really changes up the flavor, and it also helps keep things “preserved,” without being a preservative.

How to Make Applesauce in the Instant Pot

STEP #1: place the apple slices, water, lemon/lime juice, and cinnamon into the pot of an Instant Pot.

STEP #2: put the lid on your Instant Pot and make sure the lever is pointed to “sealing.” Press “manual,” and use the “+” or “-” button to set the timer to 4 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for your Instant Pot to come to pressure.

STEP #3: when the timer beeps, immediately and carefully release the steam. When it stops hissing, carefully remove the lid.

STEP #4: allow the apples to cool a bit before removing the cinnamon stick (if you used it) and mashing apples to desired consistency. I like to use a whisk for chunkier applesauce, but you can use an immersion blender or regular blender to make a smoother consistency. Allow the applesauce to cool completely before serving.

ADD CINNAMON FOR EXTRA FLAVOR

And then cinnamon, because, DUH. You can throw some ground cinnamon right into the apples OR do what I did and lay a stick in the pot that you’ll remove later. I, of course, added some cinnamon to my individual servings, but that’s my applesauce style.

You do you, applesauce lover. Whatever floats your apple boat.

MAKE YOUR APPLESAUCE THE DESIRED CONSISTENCY

Another great thing about making your own homemade applesauce is that you have complete control over the consistency! Like I said, I love me a super chunky applesauce, but my toddler doesn’t love chunks in his just yet.

I threw his into a blender with some yogurt, and he liked that much better. Since I like mine on the chunkier side, I just mashed with a whisk. If you’re feeling the super smooth stuff, something like an immersion blender might work best, or a standard blender or smoothie-making type machine.

FOLKS, I am never buying our applesauce ever again. This is such a killer method, and I can control everything that goes into my applesauce PLUS feel good about the amount of chunks I have going on in my snack.

I actually think it tastes better than anything I have ever bought, and just as good as the homemade applesauce my college roomie’s grandmother used to send her back to school with.

So basically, this is grandma level good. You know what I’m talking about!!

Oh, and also, I have a muffin recipe coming next week that includes applesauce, so having some of your own homemade stuff would come in quite handy for that one… Stay tuned!

5 from 1 vote

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Applesauce (Instant Pot Recipe)

All-natural, no sugar added, homemade applesauce, ready in 4 minutes!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Bake Time4 minutes mins

Total Time19 minutes mins

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 pounds apples peeled (or unpeeled, if desired), cored, and sliced
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons water
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice
• ▢ 1 cinnamon stick OR 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Need to keep track of your ingredients?Check out my Printable Ingredient List!

Instructions

• Place the apple slices, water, lemon/lime juice, and cinnamon into the pot of an Instant Pot.
• Put the lid on your Instant Pot and make sure the lever is pointed to “sealing.” Press “manual,” and use the “+” or “-” button to set the timer to 4 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for your Instant Pot to come to pressure.
• When the timer beeps, immediately and carefully release the steam. When it stops hissing, carefully remove the lid.
• Allow apples to cool a bit before removing the cinnamon stick (if you used it) and mashing apples to desired consistency. I used a whisk for chunkier applesauce, but you can use an immersion blender or regular blender to make a smoother consistency.
• Allow applesauce to cool completely before serving. Applesauce stays fresh in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, and it freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.