My go-to method for homemade applesauce! Just apples, water, and cinnamon. A perfect kid recipe for an afternoon snack!
Easy Instant Pot Applesauce
Why I Love This Applesauce
First of all, why is homemade applesauce so good?! Ugh. It’s so good.
It just hits right every time. There’s just enough texture to be interesting, with a naturally amazing sweetness, and the old-school, comforting feeling you get from sitting down with a warm – or cold – bowl of this is unrivaled.
We’ve made this so many this fall, and exactly no one is sick of it yet! My girls are still asking to make it every single week.
Speaking of which, this is hands-down one of my favorite recipes to make with my kids. The process is – dare I say – actually enjoyable. I cut the apples, and they tumble them into the pot. Someone does the cinnamon sticks, someone does the water, and it’s done in about 10 minutes. A perfect, warm, naturally sweet snack. For this season of life, this is the ideal level of kid recipe.
(But, like, “for the kids”, ya know?)
How To Make Applesauce In The Instant Pot
1
Cut the apples.
Hot take: I don’t peel them! Apple peels are delicious. I just cut the apples into quarters or chunks and toss ’em in the Instant Pot.
2
Add cinnamon and water.
I do two cinnamon sticks (or, in this case, some shards of cinnamon stick left at the bottom of the bag) and 1/2 cup water.
3
Cook and mash.
I cook the applesauce for 5 minutes – then it’s a quick hybrid mash/blend with the immersion blender.
4
You’re done! Yum.
This is just such a delight in our household. Eaten warm, cold, with a meal, or on its own. Simplicity for the win!
Watch How To Make Instant Pot Applesauce
Easy Instant Pot Applesauce
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 5–6 servings (usually gone in 24 hours in our house) 1x
Description
My go-to method for homemade applesauce! Just apples, water, and cinnamon. A perfect kid recipe for an afternoon snack!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 7–8 apples (any kind works! I like Honeycrisp, of course)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Cut your apples into chunks, discarding the cores. Place apples in the Instant Pot.
- Add cinnamon sticks and water; cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes before releasing the steam. Stick an immersion blender into the Instant Pot and give it a few whizzes, alternating with some gentle mashing, to get the texture that you want.
- You’re done! Enjoy your homemade applesauce!
Notes
Too much blending creates more of a puree, which isn’t my favorite. I like some texture with this. So I just blend enough to break apart any larger pieces of the peel, and then mash it the rest of the way. You don’t *have* to blend it – you could just mash it up and leave those chunks of peel intact! (Or peel the apples ahead of time if that bothers you.) Lots of options!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: applesauce, instant pot applesauce, healthy snack, homemade applesauce
Frequently Asked Questions For This Applesauce
Can you make this on the stovetop?
Yes – you can cook this over medium heat for 20-30 minutes until the apples are soft.
Can you make this in a slow cooker?
Yes – you can cook this on high for 4 hours in a slow cooker.
What type of apples are best for applesauce?
Any will do, but I prefer Honeycrisp!
How long does this keep in the fridge?
This will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.
Can I use ground cinnamon instead of cinnamon sticks?
Yes! Sub in 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead.
Three More Healthy Snacks
Filed Under: 5 Ingredients All Recipes Breakfast Dairy-Free Fall Gluten-Free Healthy Instant Pot Quick and Easy Recipes Snacks Sugar-Free Vegan Vegetarian
November 14, 2023
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
Happy Tuesday Lindsay,
I stumbled upon this blog post while multitasking online and bouncing to and fro. I’m glad I checked up on you today to see what you posted. As always, your food blogs are always inviting. To some of your dedicated audience, it feels like they’re sometimes chatting with a friend in the kitchen. (smile)
Who can resist the aroma of cinnamon and apples filling the house, right? That warm and fuzzy feeling it creates.
By the way…your suggestion to add a pinch of salt is genius. It’s those little touches that can really elevate a dish.
Your passion for food really shines through in your writing and it’s positively contagious. Thanks for sharing your kitchen adventures with us. 🙂
I love your recipes!! Can I just chop the apples – and throw every piece in – including the core – and then use the foley food mill?
Thanks!
Emily,
In references to chopping Apples, you can easily use a food processing machine that cuts fruits and vegetables up in virtually no time. They’re available online, or at your local Walmart or Target. This way, you don’t have to worry about cutting large Apple chunks manually. Hope this helps. 🙂
I loved this post. Takes me back to making applesauce with my grandmother! What a wonderful fall tradition!
I make applesauce quite often but we call it Pink applesauce because when you cook it with the skins (I use Cortland), it takes on a gorgeous pink color. I cut in quarters and core them and toss in the pot. I do use a Foley Food Mill to get rid of the peels. No one likes seeing peels in their applesauce.
Delicous and easy!
This food is very delicious and its taste great. When you mesh the apples and leave the peel, it took time and I really like this recipe. We can’t took this recipe in fridge for a week?
Love your healthy good tasting natural recipes
Easy and delicious recipe!
I think I can do it
Good morning! I was wondering if you blended the cinnamon sticks?
I was wondering the same!
I have the same question? Do we take the sticks out or blend them in?
Take them out!
I really like this dish because it is delicious and easy to make.
What a nice post! Thank you so much and I am really looking forward to reading more and more articles from you
I loved this post. It brings back memories of making applesauce with my grandma! What a wonderful fall tradition!
This Instant Pot applesauce recipe is a game-changer! It’s wonderful to see such a quick, easy, and healthy recipe that anyone can make. Thanks for sharing this delicious treat!
This was so easy and yet the best applesauce Ive ever made/had!! I didnt even use the cinnamon because I was making an egg substitute for my sweet potato brownies with part of it. Came out so sweet and so perfectly saucy! Will do my applesauce like this from now on!!
MANY thanks for an easy, awesome pro-apple recipe! Saved and shared, cheers! 🙂
Do you know if you can can this recipe in a steam canner?
I’d just follow a tutorial like this one!
I have made this twice and it came out very thin and watery each time. The first time I did it exactly according to the recipe and the second time I added four additional apples to try and thicken it up. Didn’t work. Any suggestions?
I am a big fan of pinch of Yum and normally love all of your recipes!
Sorry to hear that, Mary Beth! You could try reducing the amount of water next time. Maybe try 1/4 to 1/3 cup.
I didn’t even know I liked applesauce until I made this recipe. It is so delicious and comforting!
Great simple recipe. Much appreciated. And my grandniece loves it too.