How To Make Homemade Applesauce in the Slow Cooker

Looking to make more of your own food? Making homemade applesauce could not be easier with the help of your slow cooker!

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I first started making homemade applesauce as a way to feed my baby. She was starting to eat solids. It was right around the time that the applesauce pouches were being recalled and quite frankly, choosing what brand of baby food to feed her was terrifying. (This was right after the baby formula shortage-what a time to have a child).

So, I decided to make my own baby food. And it was really pretty easy. One of the things I ended up making A LOT was applesauce (and I still make it quite a bit). One thing I don’t have a lot of though, it time to stand and stir things on the stove. Bring on the crockpot.

Why bother making your own applesauce?

By making your own applesauce, you can save money by making it when apples are the cheapest. You know EXACTLY what is going into your applesauce. You can make a ton of it for significantly cheaper than you can buy the pouches. It tastes delicious. Seriously, even if you don’t have kids, you should make your own. It tastes incredible.

And by using the crockpot, we save quite a bit of time standing at the stove.

Some delicious variations that I have made:

• Pear applesauce-add in as many pears as you would like with your apples. You could even make this recipe with just pears. Depending on the ripeness of your pears, you may not need to cook as long. It’s a good idea to check in on your sauce every couple hours.
• Carrot applesauce-add in a cup or two of carrots with your apples when you start. Note: carrots are a low acid food so don’t add carrots to your applesauce if you plan to waterbath can it-just freeze it.
• Strawberry applesauce-add in strawberries during the last 2 hours of cooking-strawberries cook faster than apples and don’t need as much time.

What special equipment do I need?

• Slowcooker/Crockpot
• Immersion blender/regular blender

You can 100% make this applesauce without either one of these items. If you don’t have a Crockpot (I didn’t for several months after mine broke) you can cook down the apples on the stove. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender or simply use a fork to mash up the apples (a chunkier applesauce is sometimes pretty nice too-it just doesn’t squeeze through the kid pouches that well).

How do I preserve my applesauce?

• Freezer-easiest option. Especially if you are choosing to make the carrot/applesauce variation-carrots are a low acid food and should not be waterbath canned. For my kids, I freeze it in small silicone popsicle molds and then pop them out of the molds and store them in a ziptop freezer bag. Whenever I need some I pull a couple applesauce cubes out and let them thaw. You can fill a quart size bag with applesauce and freeze (once your applesauce has cooled). (Or Souper cubes if you have them-I don’t).
• Waterbath Can-I like to use this method when preserving larger amounts of applesauce because it’s shelf stable and doesn’t take up room in my freezer. Here is an excellent guide on getting started waterbath canning.

What Type Of Apples Are Best for Applesauce?

Any apples are fine for applesauce, however, I don’t add additional sweetener to mine, so I tend to go for the sweeter varieties like Honeycrisp or Gala.

What Makes Applesauce Taste Better?

However, if you don’t like the taste of straight apples, feel free to add in a couple teaspoons of your favorite sweetener: white sugar, brown sugar, or even some honey (but not if you’re making this for your baby who is under the age of 1-honey is a no-go for babies under 1). I like to just add cinnamon to mine but you could also add in a touch of nutmeg and or ginger for an apple pie taste.

Is It OK to Use Old Apples for Applesauce?

I definitely have used old apples for applesauce but not BAD apples. if they’re a little wrinkly, ok but not rotten. Cut away any bad spots while you’re peeling your apples.

How Do I fix My Runny Homemade Applesauce?

Homemade applesauce is a little bit runnier than storebought applesauce. However, leaving it in the crockpot longer will allow more water to evaporate off and thicken the applesauce.

How Long Does It Last?

In the freezer, about 6 months. If you waterbath can your applesauce, it can last a year. In the fridge, just a couple of days because there are no preservatives in it.

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Happy Baking!