Homemade unsweetened applesauce tastes nothing like the stuff that comes out of a jar, and once you make it yourself, you will never go back. I grew up making this exact recipe from apples in our backyard, and fresh, in-season apples cooked down with nothing but cinnamon is something store-bought simply cannot replicate. Use it for snacking, baking it into my applesauce spice cake, or stock your freezer for the whole year.
Quick Glance: Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce Recipe
- Recipe Name: Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce Recipe
- Why You'll Love It: This is the simplest recipe on the blog and one of the most rewarding. Fresh in-season apples, one pot, and 30 minutes is all you need for applesauce that tastes as if it came from a farmstand.
- Time and Difficulty: 15 minutes prep + 15 minutes cook | Easy
- Main Ingredients: Apples, apple juice or water, cinnamon
- Method: Stovetop simmer, blend, or mill to desired consistency
- Texture and Flavor: Silky smooth or slightly chunky, depending on your preference. Naturally sweet from ripe apples with warm cinnamon flavor throughout.
- Quick Tip: Use a mix of sweet and tart apple varieties for the best depth of flavor. Fuji and Golden Delicious is a great combination.
Why This Recipe Works
The reason homemade applesauce tastes so much better than store-bought comes down to two things: apple variety and ripeness.
Store-bought applesauce is typically made from a single variety of apple selected for yield and shelf life, not flavor. When you make it at home, you can choose apples that are at peak ripeness and combine varieties to build a more complex flavor. A mix of sweet and tart apples gives you natural depth without needing to add sugar. When apples are truly ripe and in season, their natural sugar content is high enough that no sweetener is necessary at all. Those same ripe apples are also what make my fresh apple cake and apple filling taste so good.
Cooking the apples in just enough liquid to barely cover them is intentional. Too much liquid dilutes the apple flavor. The goal is to steam them tender, not boil them into submission. Once the apples are fork-tender, you drain off the liquid entirely, which concentrates the apple flavor in the final sauce.
Blending method matters too. A food mill gives you the smoothest, most velvety result and removes skins and seeds automatically, which is why you do not need to peel or core the apples if you have one. An immersion blender gives you more control over texture, from slightly chunky to completely smooth, depending on how long you blend.
Homemade Applesauce Ingredients
This recipe uses just a handful of ingredients. The apples do all the work.
Apples are the entire recipe. Use 4 to 5 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced. A mix of sweet and tart varieties gives the best flavor. See the apple guide above for recommendations.
Apple juice or water but not too much. It creates steam to cook the apples tender without diluting the flavor. Apple juice adds a touch more sweetness than water.
Cinnamon is the only spice required for a classic applesauce. It deepens the apple flavor and adds warmth. Start with 1 teaspoon and adjust after tasting.
Optional add-ins: Nutmeg and cloves add a spiced depth similar to what you would find in my perfect apple pie. Lemon juice brightens the flavor and helps preserve color. Brown sugar or honey can be added if you prefer a sweeter sauce, but taste your applesauce first. Ripe in-season apples rarely need it.
The Best Apples For Applesauce
The best applesauce starts with the best apples, and the best apples are the ones that are in season and as fresh as possible. If you have an apple tree in your yard, use those. If not, a local farmers market or orchard will give you far better flavor than grocery store apples at a lower price. The same in-season apples that make the best applesauce are also perfect for my apple turnover recipe and mini apple pies.
For the best flavor, use a combination of sweet and tart varieties. Here are some excellent options and their seasons:
Jonagold (sweet, September to November), McIntosh (sweet and spicy, September to October), Granny Smith (sweet and tart, September to October), Fuji (sweet, October to November), Honeycrisp (sweet and tart, August to October), Gala (sweet, August to September), Golden Delicious (sweet, September to October).
Fuji and Golden Delicious together make an especially good combination for a naturally sweet, balanced applesauce. If you want something with a little more personality, adding a Granny Smith to the mix gives it a pleasant tartness.
Apples are generally in season from late July through early November depending on the variety. In-season apples are sweet enough that you will not need to add any sugar at all.
Homemade Applesauce Step-By-Step
- Wash your apples in hot water to remove any dirt or wax from the outside of the apples.
- Peel and core your apples. Remove the skin with a vegetable peeler and apple corer or use an apple peeler as I do.
- Cut the apples into uniform cubes.
- Cook the apples. Place your apples in a large pot and add in your apple juice or water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Simmer until tender. Reduce your heat to medium and let your apples simmer until they are fork-tender and you can crush them easily with the flat side of a fork, about 15 minutes. The kitchen will smell incredible at this point.
- Strain. Drain your apples and discard the liquid.
- Blend. Add in your spices and anything else you want. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to blend your apples to your desired consistency. For silky smooth applesauce, blend longer. For chunky, pulse a few times and stop.
- Cool before storing. Let your applesauce cool completely before refrigerating, freezing, or canning.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Using out-of-season apples. Grocery store apples are often months old and lack the natural sweetness of fresh, in-season fruit. If your applesauce tastes flat or needs a lot of added sugar, the apples are likely the culprit. The same principle applies any time you are cooking with apples, including my caramel apple recipe.
Adding too much liquid. The liquid is only there to create steam and prevent scorching. Too much water or juice will dilute the apple flavor significantly.
Not tasting before adding sugar. Ripe in-season apples are naturally sweet enough that many batches need no sweetener at all. Always taste before adding sugar or honey.
Blending while hot. If you are using a regular countertop blender, let the apples cool slightly before blending. Hot liquid in a blender can create pressure and cause the lid to blow off. An immersion blender directly in the pot is safer and easier.
Forgetting to strain. The water or apple juice is just for steaming the apples and if you leave it in, it will just make the applesauce too loose and liquid-y.
Homemade Applesauce FAQs
A combination of sweet and tart apples gives the best flavor. Fuji and Golden Delicious together make a wonderfully balanced unsweetened applesauce. For more tartness, add a Granny Smith. For more complexity, McIntosh and Honeycrisp are excellent choices.
Not if your apples are ripe and in season. Ripe apples have enough natural sugar to make a delicious unsweetened applesauce without any added sweetener. If your apples are out of season or underripe, a tablespoon or two of honey or brown sugar can help balance the flavor.
It depends on your equipment. If you have a food mill, you do not need to peel or core the apples at all. The mill separates the skins and seeds automatically. If you are using a blender or immersion blender, peeling is recommended for a smoother texture, though leaving the skins on adds nutrients and creates a slightly chunkier sauce.
In the refrigerator, homemade applesauce lasts up to two weeks in an airtight container. In the freezer, it keeps well for up to two months in freezer bags. Properly canned applesauce can last up to one year stored in a cool, dark place.
Yes. Place your apples in a slow cooker with a small amount of water or apple juice, add your cinnamon, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours until the apples are completely soft. Then blend to your desired consistency.
Absolutely. Unsweetened applesauce is a popular substitute for oil or butter in baked goods and adds natural moisture and sweetness.
Cinnamon is the classic choice. Nutmeg and cloves add a warmer, spicier depth similar to apple pie spice. Cardamom and ginger are less traditional but delicious. Start with small amounts and taste as you go since spices are easy to over-add.
More Apple Recipes
Leave Me A Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you tried this Homemade Sugar Free Applesauce Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Immersion blender or a regular stand blender
Ingredients
Unsweetened Applesauce Recipe
- 32 ounces Apples 4-5 Medium Apples - peeled, cored and sliced
- 4 ounces Apple Juice or water
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Optional (add as many or as little as you like)
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon Cloves
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 ounces Brown Sugar
- 2 ounces Honey
Instructions
Unsweetened Applesauce Instructions
- Wash your apples in hot water to remove any dirt or wax from the outside of the apples.
- Peel the skin off your apples and remove the core with an apple corer or use a knife to remove the core (see blog post for more info) If you are using a food mill you don't need to peel or core your apples.
- Place your apples in a large pot and add in your apple juice or water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce your heat to medium and let your apples simmer until they are fork-tender or you can crush them easily with the flat side of the fork (about 15 minutes)
- Strain your apples and discard the liquid.
- Use an immersion blender or blender to blend your apples to your desired consistency.
- Add in your cinnamon and stir. Taste your applesauce. If you would like it sweeter or spicier you can add in honey, sugar or other spices that you like.
- Once you've added everything in, let your applesauce cool before refrigerating, freezing or canning.
Louisa says
It was very easy to make. it came out so nice, thanks for the recipee
Elizabeth Marek says
So glad you liked it
Kathy Mac says
If you put apples in a crockpot NO water just cinnamon it comes out juicy and delicious! Try it... 😀
Baking and Cooking All Day says
Love this recipe! I add 1/2-1 cup of water when I blend it so it isn't as chunky.
Your Name Here says
Yay it tastes so awesome!!
Kelsie says
I made this today with about 4 apples, water and a bit of cinnamon. It was so easy and tastes delicious! Make me wonder why anyone would ever add sugar to the apples to make applesauce. Thanks for the easy recipe! 👌 I used it in a healthy brownie recipe (and might have eaten a few spoonfuls too!)
Wendy says
My Mother use to make applesauce and can it when I was young, she use to put red hots in it and half the sugar to make cinnamon applesauce! Still to this day I eat cinnamon applesauce n I’m old!!! LOL!
Kelsey says
My house smelled amazing when I made this! It was delicious!