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Homemade applesauce is not only fresher-tasting than store-bought, but it allows you the opportunity to control the sweetness, flavors, and texture to suit your taste. So whether you like your applesauce plain or spiced with cinnamon, smooth, chunky, or in-between, you can easily whip up the perfect batch and add your own personal culinary touch.
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
Aside from how simple it is to make, our favorite thing about homemade applesauce is its versatility because it’s easy to adapt the flavors to complement the other foods you’re serving. We especially love applesauce with pork dishes and poultry. This lightly spiced version with cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla is perfect with oven-fried pork chops and pork roasts, but for poultry dishes like roast chicken, we like to omit the spices and add fresh herbs instead (see the rosemary version below).
Key Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the essential ingredients for this recipe, along with shopping tips, and possible substitutions. The complete ingredient list is in the recipe card below.
- APPLES: The best apples for making any old-fashioned applesauce recipe are generally tender, tart apples. This can include McIntosh or Cortland, but we used Honeycrisp because they looked so beautiful at the store. Honeycrisp apples are naturally a little sweeter, so you can cut back on the sugar if you like. You can even mix varieties to find a combination you like – just try to find varieties with tender flesh so they cook down quickly.
- LEMON JUICE: The acidity of lemon juice serves two purposes in applesauce recipes – it helps preserve the color (as it prevents browning) and it brightens the flavor of the apples.
- SUGAR: We like using natural cane sugar, but you could even use brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor.
- CINNAMON
- CARDAMOM: Cardamom is an optional ingredient, but we highly recommend it alongside the cinnamon. Cardamom is a predominant flavor in chai tea, so if you like a warm cup of chai, you’ll enjoy cardamom in your applesauce.
- BUTTER
- VANILLA: A touch of vanilla extract just enhances the warm flavors of the spices.
- SALT
How to Make Cinnamon Applesauce from Scratch
Here’s a basic overview of how this dish is prepared. For detailed, step-by-step instructions and a complete ingredient list, please refer to the printable recipe card below.
PREP THE APPLES: Peel and core the apples and cut them into small cubes. Place them in a large saucepan and toss them with the lemon juice.
COOK THE APPLES DOWN: Add the water and sugar and bring the mixture to a simmer until the apples begin to break down, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat, stir in the spices, butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
FINISH THE APPLESAUCE: Cover the saucepan and cook another 20 minutes or so, until the apples have broken down completely and the sauce is thick.
Note: If you like your applesauce a little chunkier, cut the cooking time down a bit, but check the larger chunks to be sure they’re tender. If you like your applesauce very smooth, run the finished sauce through a food mill.
COOL AND SERVE: Allow the applesauce to cool before serving at room temperature or just slightly warm.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few ways to switch up the flavors of our homemade cinnamon applesauce.
Rosemary Applesauce
Follow the recipe instructions, but cut the sugar in half and eliminate the cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla extract. Add 1 to 1-1/2 sprigs of fresh rosemary to the pan during cooking and discard before serving.
Honey Ginger Applesauce
Follow the recipe instructions but substitute 3 tablespoons of honey for the sugar and add 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger instead of the cinnamon and cardamom. Sprinkle with ground nutmeg before serving.
Spiced Cider Applesauce
Follow our cinnamon applesauce instructions but substitute apple cider for the water and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup for the sugar. Omit the cardamom and add 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice, and a pinch of ground cloves. Alternately, use 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
As with the main recipe, feel free to adjust the sweetness and level of spices in these recipes to suit your personal taste.
How to Choose and Store Apples
The key to a great apple dish, whether it be sweet or savory, begins with choosing the right apple variety for your recipe. Tender, tart apples are good for making applesauce, and common varieties include McIntosh and Cortland. We used juicy, sweet Honeycrisp apples for this recipe.
Apples are interesting in that they remain alive after they’ve been picked. They actually continue to “breathe” and will spoil more quickly at room temperature. Storage temps close to but not below 32°F with high humidity are ideal, so in other words, they’re best kept in the crisper section of your fridge.
Apples bruise easily too, so handle them carefully and only plan to store ones that are blemish-free. The old adage does remain true: one bad apple will spoil the bunch, so remove any apples that show signs of deterioration, and use them immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Applesauce
Always allow applesauce to cool to room temperature before storing it in a tightly covered container. Homemade applesauce can be kept for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Yes! Allow the applesauce to cool completely before storing it in a freezer-safe container, and it will last up to 3 months. Defrost frozen applesauce in the refrigerator overnight. It may be slightly watery, but you can pour off a little of the liquid and stir in the rest.
What to Serve with Cinnamon Applesauce
The fresh fruit flavor and mild acidity of homemade applesauce offer a delicious balance to meat and poultry entrées like the ones below. If you have a favorite dish you like to serve alongside applesauce, let us know in the comments below.
Cinnamon Applesauce
Ingredients
- 3 pounds apples, about 6 medium
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, (see notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a 3 quart saucepan, add the lemon juice and toss to coat.
- Mix in the water and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the apples begin to break down and give off liquid, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the cinnamon, cardamom (if using, see notes), butter, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
- Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the apples have broken down enough to make a thick sauce with small chunks (see notes).
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool before serving or storing (see notes).
Notes
- ABOUT THE CARDAMOM: Although similar, cardamom has a more floral flavor profile than cinnamon, and they make for a delicious flavor combination when used together. However, if you don’t keep ground cardamom in the house, increase the cinnamon in this recipe to 3/8 or 1/2 teaspoon (depending on your taste).
- FOR CHUNKIER APPLESAUCE: If you like your applesauce a little chunkier, cut the cooking time down a bit, but check the larger chunks to be sure they’re tender.
- FOR SMOOTHER APPLESAUCE: If you like your applesauce baby food-smooth, run the finished sauce through a food mill.
- HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE: Always allow applesauce to cool to room temperature before storing it in a tightly covered container. Homemade applesauce can be kept for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Defrost frozen applesauce in the refrigerator overnight. It may be slightly watery, but you can pour off a little of the liquid and stir in the rest.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
