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For a super simple healthy treat your little ones will love, learn how to make applesauce from whole apples! This unsweetened applesauce recipe tastes delicious and has extra fibre and zero added sugar, perfect for growing babies and children!
Homemade Sugar Free Applesauce
Nothing beats the taste of freshly made applesauce from whole apples! When you use the right type of apples, it contains just the right amount of natural sweetness that always hits the spot.
Although sugar is found in pretty much everything these days, it’s really not necessary for babies and toddlers. Since they have no frame of reference for it, they really notice the natural sweetness in this homemade applesauce. Older children will love it too as a healthy snack, topping or dip!
Even without sugar, this homemade applesauce still tastes super delicious and is a great way to use up extra apples!
Unsweetened applesauce
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Why We Love This No Sugar Applesauce Recipe
- Healthy: You really only need two ingredients for this no sugar applesauce recipe – apples and water. The added fibre from the skin is beneficial for your digestive system and can keep everyone feeling full for longer too.
- Kid-Friendly: This delicious applesauce is a surefire way to get your little ones eating some extra nutrients! Applesauce is a classic kid food for a reason.
- Low Prep: Since you use unpeeled apples, this recipe requires minimal effort. Use an apple wedger and you’ll have your apples prepped in just moments! If you’re not peeling the apples, you may consider using organic apples instead.
- Adaptable: Whether you want a small batch or have a bushel of apples to use after taking the family apple picking, you can scale this easy applesauce recipe up or down as needed.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh apples: Feel free to leave the peels on or remove them if you’d prefer. I used a mix of sweet apples like Fuji, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, and Golden Delicious.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a perfect balance of flavour and enhances the natural sweetness for any apple variety.
- Water: You’ll need just enough water to help your apples soften and become mashable.
- Lemon juice: This ingredient is completely optional! It really enhances the flavour of this applesauce, but it’s great without it too.
How to Make Applesauce without Sugar – Step-by-Step
- Peel (if desired), quarter and core the apples. Then dice each quarter into large chunks.
- Place the diced apples into a Dutch oven or other large saucepan. Add water and cinnamon and toss to combine.
- Bring pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and simmer until the apples are tender and cooked through, about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Allow to cool. Transfer just the cooked apples (not the water) to a blender and give it a few quick pulses for more chunky applesauce. For smoother applesauce, blend until pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more cinnamon or lemon juice, if desired. Serve warm or chilled.
Don’t discard the water used to cook the apples. You can save the apple cinnamon infused water to make oatmeal the next day!
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
TIPS FOR THE BEST APPLESAUCE RECIPE:
- Because there is no sugar added, this applesauce works best with a variety of sweeter apples rather than really tart apples. I used a combination of Fuji, HoneyCrisp, McIntosh and Golden Delicious and it was perfectly sweet. Try to avoid Granny smith since they’re very tart, or red delicious since they have more leathery skin.
- It’s totally up to you whether you leave the peel on or remove it. The peel cooks down so you can barely taste it once blended, but there still will be tiny bits of peel here and there throughout the sauce. If you want an ultra smooth applesauce, you may wish to remove the peel.
- The lemon juice is totally optional. It can add a little extra pop of flavour, but oftentimes I’ll leave it out.
- Don’t transfer the apples to the blender when they’re really hot, otherwise you might run the risk of the blender exploding and splattering the hot mixture all over, and causing a potential burn (and mess)! Wait for it to cool before pulsing in the blender. You may wish to do it in batches if you have a smaller blender.
- If you prefer a less strong cinnamon taste, you can reduce the amount to ¼ teaspoon or leave it out altogether. Alternatively, you can increase it to a teaspoon if you want a stronger apple cinnamon flavour.
Recipe FAQs
Choose naturally sweet apple varieties like Fuji, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, and Golden Delicious, as they will offer all the sweetness this recipe needs. Tart varieties like Granny Smith may be too sour for young palates.
This is entirely up to you! Apple skins will cook down in this easy homemade applesauce recipe, so it’s not necessary to peel them. In fact, apple peels are full of pectin, which can help thicken the applesauce for the perfect texture.
After being cooked, the hot applesauce is naturally soft and tender, and it won’t take much effort to mash. I like to use a regular blender for applesauce that has cooled down slightly.
Traditionally, home cooks use a food mill to run the softened apples through a grate manually. A potato masher can work well for this, especially if you prefer a chunkier applesauce. An even easier method is to use an immersion blender. It can be used immediately while the applesauce is still hot, and you can pulse until the apples are just the right texture.
Absolutely! Instant pot applesauce is ideal for busy parents trying to juggle multiple tasks. You’ll want to put the apples under pressure for just 5 minutes. Be sure to add enough water to reach the minimum fill line. Let them release naturally (don’t push the vent button), and then blitz them up like normal. So easy!
You can also cook your apples down in the slow cooker, too, but it will take several hours on high.
Storage Guidelines
- Refrigerator: Store your extra applesauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container like a glass jar. Homemade applesauce typically lasts up to 10 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: Applesauce freezes really well! You can even store it in small glass jars and then place them in the freezer (once fully chilled). Thaw overnight for easy homemade applesauce anytime.
- Alternatively, you can freeze it in silicone ice cube trays (or these handy Souper Cubes), then store them in a freezer-safe bag for the perfect-sized portions for babies and young toddlers. Just let them thaw overnight or gently warm them in the microwave.
Serving Suggestions
This homemade sugar free applesauce is a perfect side dish or snack for your little ones. It can be served with any meal of the day for extra fibre and flavour, but it’s also really tasty on its own!
Plus, applesauce is a great ingredient for so many recipes like pancakes, bread, cakes, cookies and more, making this easy recipe a must-try!
Try serving this applesauce with the following recipes:
RECIPE VARIATIONS
There are so many ways to adapt this unsweetened applesauce recipe to your child’s preferences! Try some of these flavour combinations.
- Apple pie: Add a teaspoon of apple pie spice and a bit of maple syrup for applesauce that tastes just like your favourite pie.
- Berry applesauce: Replace those squeezable snack pouches with your own fruity applesauce! Mix in frozen berries or fruits while cooking and blend like normal.
- Vanilla: A little vanilla extract makes this applesauce smell really enticing and is perfect for luring in more picky eaters.
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How to Make Applesauce from Whole Apples {No Sugar}
Ingredients
- 8 medium-sized apples* peels left on or removed
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or more to taste)
- 1 cup water
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Peel (if desired), quarter and core the apples. Then dice each quarter into large chunks.
- Place the diced apples into a Dutch oven or other large saucepan. Add water and cinnamon and toss to combine.
- Bring pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and simmer until the apples are tender and cooked through, about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Allow to cool. Transfer just the cooked apples (not the water) to a blender and give it a few quick pulses for more chunky applesauce. For smoother applesauce, blend until pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more cinnamon or lemon juice, if desired. Serve warm or chilled.
Notes
- *Because there is no sugar added, this applesauce works best with a variety of sweeter apples rather than really tart apples. I used a combination of Fuji, HoneyCrisp, McIntosh and Golden Delicious and it was perfectly sweet. Try to avoid Granny smith since they’re very tart, or red delicious since they have more leathery skin.
- It’s totally up to you whether you leave the peel on or remove it. The peel cooks down so you can barely taste it once blended, but there still will be tiny bits of peel here and there throughout the sauce. If you want an ultra smooth applesauce, you may wish to remove the peel.
- The lemon juice is totally optional. It can add a little extra pop of flavour, but oftentimes I’ll leave it out.
- Don’t transfer the apples to the blender when they’re really hot, otherwise you might run the risk of the blender exploding and splattering the hot mixture all over, and causing a potential burn (and mess)! Wait for it to cool before pulsing in the blender. You may wish to do it in batches if you have a smaller blender.
- If you prefer a less strong cinnamon taste, you can reduce the amount to ¼ teaspoon or leave it out altogether. Alternatively, you can increase it to a teaspoon if you want a stronger apple cinnamon flavour.
- This recipe makes about 6 cups of applesauce or twelve 1/2 cup servings.
