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The year is just rolling right along, isn’t it? We always look forward to the abundance of apples that fall brings. We love picking our own apples when we have time! Apple pies, apple cider and applesauce are always at the top of my fall food bucket list.
Fall is the perfect time of year to make some applesauce! This recipe is about as simple as they get. It makes a delicious side dish or snack. The only real labor involved is peeling and coring the apples – a chore that I have made incredibly easier by using this apple peeler/corer/slicer.
EasySlow Cooker Applesauce Recipe
For crockpot applesauce, you can use apples that you pick yourself or you can of course use store-bought apples. My apple source varies from year to year, and the applesauce always turns out great. We typically make applesauce in a big batch in September and then freeze it, enjoying it well into the winter months. It is perfect to serve with Thanksgiving dinner and/or other autumnal events and gatherings. When my kids were babies, one of the very first foods I gave them was homemade applesauce (with just a tiny bit of sugar).
What Type of Apple Should You Use?
Again, this is based on preference. I typically steer away from apple varieties that are tart or sour (for example, Granny Smith apples) and instead, use sweeter apples. Gala, McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious and Fuji apples are among my favorite types to use for apple sauce. I have used Red Delicious in the past, however they aren’t as sweet as the others I mentioned. Most years I buy a mix of 2 or 3 different types of apples and use them together for my applesauce batch.
Slow Cooker Applesauce Ingredients
You will need:
- 20-30 apples (peeled, cored)
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Cup brown sugar
- 1 TBSP cinnamon
Note: You can absolutely lessen the sugar if you’d like. This is totally personal taste preference. When it comes to spices, I only add cinnamon. However 1 tsp of cloves would be another flavor profile you can consider.
Combine all of the ingredients in your slow cooker. Turn to low. I literally cook these alllllllll day on low. You will want to stir them every few hours. Let me tell you – they will make your house smell better than any candle ever created! By the time you take them out of the slow cooker, the apples will be caramelized and ready for blending.
At this point, you can definitely just blend your apples and put them in containers for freezing. I find the apples to be a bit too hot for me to work with after coming out of the slow cooker, so I like to transfer them to a large bowl or dish and place them in the refrigerator overnight to cool off.
The next morning, I pull out my trusty blender and blend the apples on puree or liquefy mode. An immersion blender or multi-function blender would also work great. Blend the apples to your desired consistency. Some people like their applesauce to be completely smooth, with no apple chunks. Others like chunky applesauce.
My mom used to make applesauce by simmering UNPEELED apples on a large pot on the stove. Then she would put the cooked apples through a food mill to blend the apples. I always peel the apples prior to cooking, so I skip the food mill and go right to the blender.
Freezing or Canning the Sauce
My applesauce goes into freezer containers that I pull out one-by-one throughout the winter to enjoy with our dinners. You could also use freezer bags, especially if you want to conserve freezer space as they can lay flat and be stacked.
If you prefer to can your food in mason jars with a pressure canner, this recipe is a great one to can.
Of course, I ALWAYS leave out a sizable portion to enjoy THAT VERY SAME NIGHT. There’s nothing quite like FRESH HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE. Every member of my family absolutely loves this crock pot applesauce.
Easy Slow Cooker Applesauce
We always look forward to the abundance of apples that fall brings. We love picking our own apples when we have time and every year we make this easy slow cooker applesauce. It freezes great, allowing us to enjoy it into the winter!
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple, applesauce, thanksgiving
Servings: 20
Ingredients
- 20-30 apples peeled, cored
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 TBSP cinnamon
Instructions
Combine all of the ingredients in your slow cooker. Turn on low.
Let cook all day (seriously all day.... approximately 6-8 hours...apples will be caramelized and ready for blending).
At this point, you can definitely just blend your apples and put them in containers for freezing. I find the apples to be a bit too hot for me to work with after coming out of the slow cooker, so I like to transfer them to a large bowl or dish and place them in the refrigerator overnight to cool off.
The next morning, I pull out my trusty blender and blend the apples on puree or liquefy mode.
Portion the applesauce into meal-sized portions in freezer-safe containers.
Freeze until you are ready to eat! (I recommend pulling a container out of the freezer and placing it in the refrigerator the night before you plan to serve it.)
I hope you enjoy this family recipe! If you end up giving it a try, please let me know what you thought!
Slow Cooker Applesauce Recipe
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