Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce

Guys. HOW have I gone my entire life without knowing how simple it is to make a delicious homemade applesauce?

When I saw that a rather large bunch of apples in our kitchen hadn’t been touched and were about to go a soft, I knew I had to act fast so they wouldn’t go to waste. Applesauce is something I’ve wanted to try to make for awhile now, but have always gotten a little intimidated, thinking it *has* to be harder than it sounds.

Uh, wrong. It’s so easy! After a bit of research, here’s how I decided to make my no-sugar-added cinnamon applesauce.

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce

Makes a little over two 16 oz. jars worth

Ingredients

3 lbs. apples (8-10 large apples or about 12-15 medium – enough to fill your crockpot)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

Directions

1. Chop the apples. Don’t worry about cutting them down too much, you’ll be mashing them later.

2. Combine the apples, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a crock pot.

3. Heat on low setting for 4 hours (or high for about 2 hours.) I only stirred once about halfway through and once near the end.

4. When the time is up, turn off the crock pot. Use an immersion blender (or a regular blender, working in batches) to blend the softened apples to desired consistency. I like mine a little chunky, but you can blend as much as you like. You can also mash with a potato masher, or fork, or whatever else you’ve got on hand! Don’t forget to try a little sample when you’re done mashing, while it’s still warm. So good!

5. The finished product can be stored in a container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or stored in the freezer for later.

A few things to note. First, I used a mix of Gala apples and Fuji, but feel free to get creative – use and mix up whatever you have on hand!

Second, I did not peel my apples before placing them in the crock pot, for the added fiber benefits. (Or if we’re telling it like it really is, because I was feeling lazy.) The skins soften and blend in when all is said and done, but you’re more than welcome to peel yours first!

And third – and most importantly – be prepared for your whole house to smell like apples and spice… seriously, the best part!