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My Easy Crockpot Applesauce recipe is like apple pie in a jar! Once you make homemade applesauce, you will never buy applesauce in a jar again. It comes together using simple ingredients, and the best part? Your crockpot does all the work!
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Easy Crockpot Applesauce
There is nothing quite like homemade applesauce. It is unbelievably rewarding to make your own applesauce at home, and even better when it's in the slow cooker!
Crockpot applesauce is deeply flavorful and easy to make, using just a few ingredients and minimal prep work. Really, all you have to do is peel and cut the apples.
If you live somewhere you can pick apples when they're in season, even better! Using hand-picked apples for homemade applesauce is an experience like no other.
Otherwise, homemade applesauce is a great way to use up apples you're not sure will be eaten, or to experiment with your favorite flavors from different kinds of apples!
Homemade Applesauce Ingredients
- Apples
- Orange zest
- Orange juice
- Apple pie spice
- Brown sugar
Adding brown sugar sweetens the applesauce; if you want it a bit more tart, you can use less or none at all. Spices are optional, but I find they add so much flavor to the sauce.
How to Make Crockpot Applesauce
- Prepare your apples by washing, peeling, and slicing them thinly. Add sliced apples and all other ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir, then cook on low heat for 6-10 hours.
- Once done cooking, mash with a spoon for a slightly chunky sauce.
- Alternatively, you can blend in a food processor for smooth applesauce.
Slow Cooker Applesauce Recipe Tips
- Homemade applesauce takes about 6 hours on low heat to soften enough to mash into applesauce. However, you can leave them in the slow cooker for up to 10 hours. It will continue to cook and thicken slightly.
- Don't cook the apples on high heat - you risk burning your apples or scorching the crockpot if you do.
- You can mash the apples with a wooden spoon for chunky applesauce, or process them in a food processor for smoothness.
Best Apples for Applesauce
- Red Delicious apples: Sweet, with a crumbly texture
- Golden Delicious apples: Sweet and juicy, similar to red delicious
- McIntosh apples: Soft, juicy, and sweet
- Honeycrisp apples: Very juicy with a crisp bite, and sweet
- Pink Lady apples: Lots of crunches, very flavorful
- Gala apples: Crisp and tart
- Fuji apples: Crisp and sweet
- Braeburn apples: Balanced sweet and tart
My advice is to use your personal favorite apples to make applesauce! The above choices are the best for a balance of sweet and tart flavor, but as you can see, there are plenty of options when choosing the best apples for applesauce.
How to Prepare Apples for Applesauce
Wash your apples, then peel and slice them into thin slices. You want slices about ¼-inch to a ½-inch thick. Cut all of the way around the core for the most apple you can get, then discard the core.
Don't worry about cutting the apples evenly - even a little bit of peel leftover is okay, too.
Slow Cooker Applesauce Recipe FAQs
As long as the apples are still good to eat, you can use them to make applesauce. Just cut away the bruised parts. That makes it a great way to use up apples you've had for a bit too long!
You can make homemade applesauce on the stove by combining all ingredients in a large pot, then covering and cooking them over medium heat for 45 minutes. Once 45 minutes is up, reduce the heat to low and cook another 2 hours. Finally, transfer everything from the pot to a food processor and blend until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator or serve warm!
You can store homemade applesauce for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can freeze or can applesauce to make it last longer.
Let your applesauce cool first, then add it to either one large freezer bag or portioned out into smaller freezer bags. Label with the freezing date, then freeze flat for up to 6-9 months. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then enjoy!
You can freeze applesauce in mason jars with at least 1½-inch of space left at the top to leave room for expansion.
Homemade applesauce is completely gluten-free.
Easy Dessert Sauce Recipes
- Homemade Chocolate Sauce
- Sauteed Apples Recipe
- Homemade Butterscotch Sauce
- Vanilla Whipped Cream
- Strawberry Glaze
Check out my all-time favorite sauce recipes here: Easy Sauce Recipes
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Easy Crockpot Applesauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 apples
- ¼ Tablespoon orange zest
- 1½ Tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- ¼ cup brown sugar more to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your apples by washing, peeling, and slicing them thinly. Add sliced apples and all other ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir, then cook on low heat for 6-10 hours.8 apples, ¼ Tablespoon orange zest, 1½ Tablespoon orange juice, 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, ¼ cup brown sugar
- Once done cooking, mash with a spoon for a slightly chunky sauce.
- Alternatively, you can blend in a food processor for smooth applesauce.
Notes
- Homemade applesauce takes about 6 hours on low heat to soften enough to mash into applesauce. However, you can leave them in the slow cooker for up to 10 hours. It will continue to cook and thicken slightly.
- Don't cook the apples on high heat - you risk burning your apples or scorching the crockpot if you do.
- You can mash the apples with a wooden spoon for chunky applesauce, or process them in a food processor for smooth.
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