This 3 Ingredient Homemade Applesauce Recipe with no sugar added is super easy to make in just 20 minutes. Learn how to make the best-unsweetened stovetop applesauce that is healthy and full of flavor!
This recipe is vegan, kid-friendly, naturally sweetened whole plant-based food. Not to mention it's tastier than any store-bought version of apple sauce.
You can use it to make this autumn-inspired creamy pumpkin pie smoothie as a nourishing breakfast or a sweet treat.
Jump to:
- Unsweetened Applesauce Recipe Without Sugar
- Is Homemade Applesauce Better Than Store-Bought
- Ingredients
- How To Make
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Top Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
- The Best Apples for Applesauce
- What is Applesauce Used For
- Easy Vegan Apple Recipes
- More Vegan Dessert Ideas
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Unsweetened Applesauce Recipe Without Sugar
It's amazing how these 3 plant-based ingredients come together to form this healthy and satisfying apple puree dish, ready in a flash.
There is nothing more delicious than a serving of fragrant and super smooth unsweetened applesauce made at home. I assure you that once you try this quick DIY recipe you'll never even look at the one sitting on the store's shelf.
If you love apples as I do, you'll surely love these apple breakfast cookies or this fluffy apple cake with walnuts and cinnamon.
Is Homemade Applesauce Better Than Store-Bought
You may ask yourself, is it worth the effort to cook homemade apple sauce from scratch?
Absolutely! This naturally sweetened treat is worth every minute of preparation!
It's incredibly yummy, cheap, and way healthier than its store-bought counterpart.
Moreover, it's highly nutritious, packed with freshness, and good-for-you ingredients. The sweetness of the Golden Delicious apples is seamlessly paired with the slight aromatic note of cinnamon and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Plus this applesauce recipe without sugar is gluten-free, dairy-free, and full of fiber. A fall perfection!
Well, the flavor of this pleasantly sweet cinnamon applesauce revokes childhood memories to me. It reminds me of my favorite fruit puree packed in a small jar I used to buy frequently and greatly adored. But it was full of highly processed sugars and artificial aromas (I didn't give it much thought then 🙂 )
Now, I'm so happy I can make my own wholesome version and enjoy it whenever my sweet tooth is calling without the guilt, of course!
You can use this unsweetened apple sauce recipe as a clean-eating baby food because it is nutritious and easy to digest. You can reduce or skip the cinnamon if you like.
I am sure that everyone from kids to adults will love this refined sugar-free snack.
Ingredients
This unsweetened apple sauce made from juicy apples calls for a few inexpensive ingredients:
- Apples - I used Golden Delicious. Feel free to use any apples you have on hand. Apples are rich in fiber and antioxidants but low in calories. They may improve gut and heart health and promote weight loss.
- Ground cinnamon - it adds a warm and woody aroma.
- Lemon juice (freshly squeezed) - for bright, citrusy flavor.
- Water - helps to create smooth applesauce consistency.
As always, you can find the full recipe with a list of ingredients with measurements in a printable recipe card at the end of this post.
How To Make
Peel, core, and chop the apples.
First, wash thoroughly the apples. Peel, core, and chop the apples into large chunks (approximately ¾ inch or 2 cm each). I used 6 medium-sized apples (5 cups chopped).
Cook. Next, combine chopped apples, water, and cinnamon into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until the apples are very soft and start to fall apart. Turn off the heat and let it sit on the stovetop for 2-3 minutes until the liquid evaporates. In the end, stir up the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Puree and serve. For chunky applesauce, mash with a fork or potato masher until you get the desired consistency. Alternatively, let the mixture cool and blend in a blender or food processor for a smooth and silky texture. I prefer the second method and always blend it until I get a perfect velvety texture as shown in the pictures. Serve warm or chilled.
Hint: Use naturally sweet apple varieties to create delicious applesauce without the need for additional sweeteners. Golden Delicious, Fuji, or Honeycrisp would be a wonderful choice.
Substitutions
Golden Delicious Apples - McIntosh, Fuji, Gala, or Honey Crisp are great alternatives. In fact, you can even use a mix of leftover apples to make this stovetop applesauce recipe.
Lemon juice - instead of lemon juice you can use apple cider vinegar or orange juice.
Ground cinnamon - you can swap ground cinnamon with whole cinnamon stick, ground nutmeg, clove, apple pie spice, or pumpkin pie spice.
Variations
- Skip peeling your apples - leave the skin on if you want to boost the nutritional content of your applesauce.
- Add vanilla - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract adds a subtle sweet and floral taste.
- Spice it up - ground nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cardamom, or star anise will add a delicate warmth and sweetness.
- Extra sweet - pure maple syrup or agave nectar are excellent for an additional touch of sweetness and flavor.
Equipment
You need a good knife, saucepan, and blender (food processor/potato masher) to make this recipe.
Storage
Store your homemade applesauce in an airtight container or jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 6-7 days.
Optionally, you can freeze it in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. Just let it cool completely before freezing and make sure to leave a little space at the top since the applesauce will expand when frozen.
Top Tips
- Choose your apples. Really, you can use any variety you have at home. Note that every apple has a different flavor, color, and texture and reacts differently to heat. Naturally sweet apples are best for preparing lightly sweet applesauce without the need for sugar.
- Use a mix of apples. This is a great way to use up those extra apples you still have around at the end of the week to create a decadent applesauce with complex flavor.
- Chop apple chunks into similar-sized pieces to ensure they cook evenly together.
- For a chunky applesauce texture mash cooked apples with potato masher.
- For a smooth applesauce simply blend the apple mixture with a blender, food processor, or immersion blender.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Sure, peeling the apples is totally optional. You can peel them for an extra smooth texture. Skip this step if you are in a hurry or don't want to miss that additional fiber stored in the apple's skin.
Yes, it is completely safe to can homemade unsweetened applesauce. You can find detailed instructions for canning from the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.
Absolutely! To boost your applesauce's sweetness you can stir in pure maple syrup, agave nectar, or brown sugar.
Applesauce freezes pretty well. Freeze it in freezer-friendly bags or ice cube trays for up to 2 months.
Your applesauce may have a runny consistency if you add too much water or your apples may produce more liquid than expected. Don't worry, you can easily thicken it by letting it simmer for just a few minutes until the excess fluid evaporates.
Yes, it's a diabetic-friendly food. You can enjoy fresh applesauce made from whole apples without added sugars. Its high fiber and antioxidant content make it a good addition to your healthy diet plan.
You may leave out the lemon juice but I highly recommend adding it to your apple puree. Lemon juice will preserve the color, balance the sweetness, and enhance the flavor of the sauce.
Yes, homemade applesauce does not contain gluten.
The Best Apples for Applesauce
When I make applesauce I always choose sugary sweet apples with soft and juicy flesh. My favorite is Golden Delicious but you can also use Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Ambrosia, Kiku, or Envy Apple.
If you prefer tart applesauce use Granny Smith Apples instead. You may want to add additional sweetener if you use tart or semi-sweet apples.
What is Applesauce Used For
If you ask me, I completely enjoy every spoonful on its own. I love to mix it with my homemade granola or put it as a topping on my toast with peanut butter or cashew butter for breakfast.
At the same time, it can be a great substitute for eggs, oil, or melted butter in all egg-free baked goods: cakes, muffins, pancakes, sweet breads, or cookies. It keeps baked food moist without all that saturated fats.
Furthermore, you can add it to your oatmeal, smoothies, and milkshakes or use it as a topping to your non-dairy ice cream. It can be used as a light and wholesome baby food, as well.
Easy Vegan Apple Recipes
More Vegan Dessert Ideas
- 5 ingredient chocolate coconut date balls
- Kid-friendly chocolate avocado mousse
- Gluten-free raw tahini cookies
- Lovely homemade chocolate hearts without baking
- 5-minute vegan DIY dark chocolate
- Delightful chocolate chia pudding
- Mouth-watering almond pulp cake
- Colorful pumpkin puree balls
- Super moist and fluffy apricot cake with raspberries
📖 Recipe
3 Ingredient Homemade Applesauce Recipe (No Sugar Added)
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Knife
- Blender, food processor, fork, or potato musher
Ingredients
- 6 medium-sized apples (Golden Delicious) peeled, cored, chopped into ¾ inch (2 cm) chunks. That's approximatelly 5 cups.
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3-4 tablespoons water fresh
Instructions
- First, wash thoroughly the apples. Peel, core, and chop the apples into chunks (approximately ¾ inch or 2 cm each). I used 6 small-medium-sized apples (5 cups chopped).
- Next, combine chopped apples, water, and cinnamon into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until the apples are very soft and start to fall apart. Turn off the heat and let it sit on the stovetop for 2-3 minutes or the liquid evaporates. In the end, stir up the freshly squeezed lemon juice
- For chunky applesauce, mash with a fork or potato masher until you get the desired consistency. Alternatively, let the mixture cool and blend in a blender or food processor for a smooth and silky texture. I prefer the second method and always blend it until I get a perfect velvety texture as shown in the pictures.Serve warm or chilled.
Notes
- I used Golden Delicious Apples but you can use your favorite sugary sweet apples. Since we won't use any additional sweeteners, it's important to use naturally sweet apples in this recipe.
- You don't need to peel the apples if you don't have time. Their skin will be softened enough to be smoothly blended or mashed.
- The color of your apple puree will depend on the color of the apples you use.
- With these ingredient measurements, you'll get about 1 ½ cups of apple puree, so double or triple the recipe ingredients to make a larger batch if you need it.
- Chop apple chunks into similar-sized pieces to ensure they cook evenly together.
- For a chunky applesauce texture mash cooked apples with potato masher.
- For a smooth applesauce simply blend the apple mixture with a blender, food processor, or immersion blender.
- Store your homemade applesauce in an airtight container or jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 6-7 days.
- Optionally, you can freeze it in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. Just let it cool completely before freezing and make sure to leave a little space at the top since the applesauce will expand when frozen.
- See the post above for more tips, substitutions and variations ideas.
Nutrition
Did you make this easy applesauce recipe?
I would greatly appreciate it if you had a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below.
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Meryl
This applesauce is delicious! I tripled the recipe and froze my extras. So naturally sweet, I love that you don't need sugar
Marinela
Great! It's easy to double or triple the recipe and make a big batch for the whole family. Thank you for your lovely comment, Meryl!
Chantry
Perfect recipe! I never thought to put applesauce on toast with peanut butter but it sounds so good! Also, those glass bowls are adorable! Where did you find them?
Marinela
Ohh peanut butter and applesauce are such a delicious combo! The apple bowls are a gift from my mum 🙂 Thank you, Chantry, for commenting!
Anetw
Perfect for autmn days! It looks so sweet! 🧡
Marinela
Thank you for your lovely comment, Aneta! Yes, it's a super easy dessert/snack for fall-winter days.