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If your kitchen is overflowing with apples, skip the store-bought jars and make this slow cooker homemade applesauce instead. It’s rich, spiced, and naturally sweet—plus it fills your whole house with the most incredible fall aroma.
The best part? The slow cooker does almost all the work. Just peel and chop your apples, toss them in with a few warm spices, and let them cook low and slow until they collapse into tender, caramelized perfection. A quick mash, and you’ve got applesauce better than anything from a jar.
Why You’ll Love This Applesauce
- Easy hands-off recipe: The slow cooker does the work.
- Customizable: Make it spiced, unsweetened, chunky, or smooth.
- Kid-friendly: A wholesome snack or side dish for all ages.
- Freezer-friendly: Make a big batch and store for later.
Homemade Applesauce in the Slow Cooker
You'll never go back to jarred applesauce after trying this easy slow cooker recipe!
Ingredients
- 18-20 medium apples (any variety)
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 cup apple cider
Instructions
1. Peel and slice apples into large chunks (6–8 slices each). Add to slow cooker
.
2. Add lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, brown sugar, cardamom, and cider. Stir to coat.
3. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, until apples are very tender.
4. Use a slotted spoon to transfer apples to a bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork to desired texture.
5. Cool completely before serving or storing. Makes ~4 cups.
Notes
- For unsweetened applesauce: Omit sugar and spices, and replace cider with water. Still delicious!
Recommended Products
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OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler -
J.A. Henckels International 31161-201 CLASSIC Chef's Knife, 8 Inch, Black
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KitchenAid KO008OHOBA Gourmet Stainless Steel Wire Masher, One Size, Matte Black
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Hamilton Beach Portable 6-Quart Set & Forget Digital Programmable Slow Cooker With Temperature Probe, Lid Lock, Stainless Steel (33969A)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 291Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 12gSugar: 60gProtein: 1gWhat Are “Seconds”?
For this batch, I used orchard “seconds”—apples that are a little bruised or misshapen. They’re perfectly fine for cooking (often even better because they’re extra ripe) and usually less expensive. Perfect for applesauce, crisps, and pies.
Tips for Perfect Applesauce
- Use a mix of apple varieties: Sweet + tart = balanced flavor.
- Adjust sweetness: Taste before adding sugar—ripe apples may need less.
- Mash or blend: A fork or potato masher makes chunky sauce, while an immersion blender makes it silky smooth.
- Skip the cider: Water works if you prefer a lighter flavor.
Storage & Freezing
- Fridge: Store in airtight containers for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Portion into jars or bags and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Lunchbox hack: Freeze applesauce in small containers and pop into kids’ lunchboxes—it’ll thaw by midday.
FAQs
Yes! Just leave it out—ripe apples are naturally sweet.
Granny Smith + Fuji or Honeycrisp = balanced flavor. Use what you have!
Yes, use an immersion blender or food processor after cooking.
📌 Save This Recipe for Later!
Love this cozy fall recipe? Don’t forget to save it to Pinterest so you can make it all season long.
Click the image below to Pin it!
Hi, sorry this is completely random, but where did you get your “sharing is caring” widget? I want it for my blog! (http://17hourdays.blogspot.com/) Also, this apple sauce looks amazing and I am off to pin this recipe right now! Thanks!
Hi Brittany! It’s the Shareaholic widget: http://wordpress.org/plugins/shareaholic/
Hope you like the applesauce as much as we did!
I seriously cannot get it to work. Drat 🙁 Thanks though.
I could never get it to work when my blog was in Blogger either. 🙁
Well, at least I know I’m not alone… I FINALLY got it installed and where I want it (it took an entire day), but it is linking to my website instead of to the post, and it is pulling text from the comments instead of my blog post. It’s super cute, but super frustrating!
Yes, that would be SUPER annoying.
Liza- I tried this recipe today in my slow cooker. Ah-maazing! Thank you 🙂
Glad you loved it, Brit! The batch I made yesterday is nearly gone already….
I bet this smells just as amazing as it looks. I haven’t made homemade applesauce since my kids were babies – I think this may change that!
Did i read the nutrition label correctly about one serving being 610 calories??? :O
610 calories?
If you’re referring to the nutrition label applied by Yummly — they applied that, not I. It’s just apples, spices a little brown sugar and cider, so I’m doubtful that’d equate to 610 calories per serving! I’d love to know how that’s calculated by their site. To be fair, I don’t calorie count…
For that apple sauce recipe, when you remove the apples, use the remaining juice to make syrup by adding a bit of corn starch and bringing toa slight boil. Then simply add said flavoring and enjoy.
Davida – LOVE that idea!