We’re a week into October and fall vibes are going strong in our home! We actually made a fall bucket list this year and one of the activities my girls requested is homemade slow cooker applesauce. I always looked forward to making it with my students and now it’s special because I get to do it with my own kids.
If homemade applesauce is something you’ve ever thought about making, I promise that it isn’t hard! Just dust off your slow cooker and grab four pounds of apples, a cup of water, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. I’m sure that you could make it in a different type of device, but I love that my slow cooker is always reliable.
As far as apples go, I try to pick a variety that’s mostly red with some yellow. We used ambrosia gold this time and we’ve also had success with gala and fuji. These particular types have the right balance of sweet and tart so it isn’t necessary to add sugar.
Start by coring and chopping the apples. The slices don’t have to be perfect and there’s no need to peel them. The skin will get really soft once the apples are cooked and you won’t even notice it’s there.
Add the apples to the slow cooker along with the water and spices. I would say that the cinnamon is non-negotiable in applesauce, however, the cloves and nutmeg are up to you. I feel like they enhance the fall ambiance and make it taste almost like apple pie filling.
Set your slow cooker to high heat and wait patiently as the aroma fills every corner of your home!
We go back every hour to check on our apples, give them a little stir, and observe how the apples change over time. After four hours, the apples should be soft enough that you could easily mash them with a spoon.
You can stop totally stop there if you like bigger pieces in your applesauce. If you prefer something smoother, like my family, either use an immersion blender or transfer them to a food processor and run it for about 30 seconds.
Store your slow cooker applesauce in the fridge. Ours is usually gobbled up in a couple of days, but you should try to eat it within a week.
For more apple-goodness, try our delicious apple nachos and apples with cookie butter and snacking rounds!
Talk to you soon!
- Put all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and use a wooden spoon to stir them together.
- Cook on high heat for 4 hours, stirring every hour.
- After 4 hours, the apples will be soft enough that you can mash them with a wooden spoon. If you want smooth applesauce, use an immersion blender or run the apples through a food processor for 30-60 seconds.
- Taste your applesauce and add more spices as needed.
- Store your delicious applesauce in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.