Make this delicious two-ingredient homemade applesauce with just apples and water – for a sugar-free, fresh and delicious, easy apple sauce or puree that’s way more delicious than store-bought!

Homemade apple sauce is genuinely one of those things that will have you questioning why you ever used store-bought options before. Using just two base ingredients – apples and water – you can have delicious, fresh apple sauce or apple puree whenever you want. 

You can use the ingredient as a puree for baby food, as a vegan egg substitute, within a variety of baked goods or as a healthy snack and addition to a number of dishes including porridge and smoothie. There are tons of uses for homemade applesauce/apple puree. 

This post includes my favorite way to make homemade applesauce as well as some alternative methods and recipe variations in the notes. Plus, remember that this recipe is sugar-free too. 

The Best Apples For Apple Sauce 

I imagine that the first thing you are wondering is which apple types are actually best for making applesauce/apple puree. I’ve generally tended to just use whatever I have in my fridge at the time and have yet to make applesauce I’ve not enjoyed. 

However, that being said, there are certain apples that are sweeter than others and will provide sweeter results – making it easier to forego adding any sweetener or sugar to the recipe. The varieties you are able to get hold of depend on where you live, of course, but here are some that are generally fairly easy sweet apples to source. 

• Fuji
• Golden Delicious
• Gala Apples
• Honeycrisps

The above are just some of the delicious sweeter apple varieties that you could use. You can also mix and match apples and just have fun experimenting to find your perfect balance. 

For more of a tart result, then you can use varieties including Granny Smith. Other possible apples you can use include:

• McIntosh
• Pink Lady Apples
• Gravenstein

Every apple variety will have a different taste, texture (soft to hard), color, etc. Just note that softer apples may take less time to cook, so if you decide to mix and match varieties, it’s best to stick to apples of similar ‘texture’. 

To Peel Or Not To Peel

The other thing that many people may wonder is whether or not to remove the skins from the apples before making the applesauce. The fact of the matter is that you can do it either way. Leaving the skins on will usually have slightly more tart results, but you also reap the benefits of the additional skin nutrients. 

Top Tip* Make sure that if you are deciding to keep the skins on the apples then you are using organic apples. Apples are one of the most pesticide-covered fruits, so I always prefer to use organic. 

Step By Step Instructions

There are actually multiple methods available for how to make apple puree. The below option is my current favorite – simply using a large pan, on the stovetop. 

Begin by coring and chopping the apples. I always leave the peel on my apples so I skip peeling them. Depending on the size of the apple, I’ll chop between 4-8 pieces per apple.

Transfer your apples to a large pot and pour in the water (I use around 1/2 cup water per 5 apples). The water will help to steam and simmer the apples as they cook, softening them. Heat the apples over medium-low heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, until the apples are very soft and starting to break up, stirring occasionally *

*You can also remove the lid after around 12 minutes, stir and allow any excess liquid to leave the apples if the mixture seems very wet. 

Next, it’s time to mash the applesauce. If you want to make a puree then you can transfer the apples to a blender and blend until smooth. For chunky applesauce, then use either a fork, potato masher or other tools like an immersion blender to lightly mash the apples until the desired consistency. 

Leave it to cool down to room temperature before placing it in the fridge or freezer. 

How To Store

Homemade applesauce will store well in an airtight container in the fridge for between 7-10 days. It is also extremely freezer-friendly. It can be portioned into an ice-cube tray or freezer-safe container for 2 months. 

Just make sure that you keep it tightly sealed, as it has the tendency to absorb odors from surrounding food – not so great if you have a garlic-heavy dish next to it in the fridge/freezer. Also, do not re-freeze applesauce once it has thawed. 

Notes & Variations

• For apple pie vibes then add some cinnamon to the apples. You could also add nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, cloves, and other spices, to further flavor the mixture. 
• If you like, you can add some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the homemade applesauce. This should be added once the apples have been removed from the heat. This will add another layer of ‘freshness’ to the flavor. 
• If using a crockpot/slow cooker then add the ingredients and set on low heat for between 3-4 hours (I’ve heard, as I don’t own one). For an Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker then you’ll need just 10 minutes of high pressure. 
• Adding chia seeds to my apple puree is something I love to do when using it for breakfast dishes like yogurt bowls, overnight oats, porridge, etc. for additional nutrients. 
• Although I’ve never tried it, a friend told me how they make a ‘microwave version’ of easy apple sauce by heating their cored and chopped apples in a large microwave-safe dish with some water and covering with clingfilm (with a few poked holes). Heat for between 7-10 minutes and then mash to the desired consistency.

How To Use

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There are tons of ways that you can use your ready applesauce/apple puree. Here are some of my favorite options. 

With Oats: Either to top oatmeal or spooned into an overnight oats jar like this Healthy Apple Pie Overnight Oats.

Other Breakfast dishes: Swirl it into yogurt and granola bowls – like with this Homemade Dairy-free Coconut Yogurt or Homemade Dairy-Free Almond Yogurt, Use as a toast topping, spoon over smoothies to even add a couple of the apple puree ice-cubes into a blended smoothie. 

Baked Goods: Within muffins, donuts, cookies tarts, and more. There are tons of options that include applesauce. You can also use the smooth pureed version as a vegan egg replacement too!

As a topping: For French Toast, waffles, pancakes – like these Fluffy Japanese Style Pancakes. Or even with savory dishes like to top your favorite protein. 

You can also use this as the base to a super simple crumble/crisp. Top with some granola and serve alongside some delicious Simple Vanilla ‘Instant’ Ice cream In A Bag.

If you try this easy homemade applesauce recipe, then let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments. I’d also really appreciate a recipe rating and would love to see your recreations – just tag @Alphafoodie.