Homemade Chunky Applesauce (with Cinnamon)

Homemade applesauce is so easy you may never go back to store bought applesauce again! Apples provide their own sweetness and create such a delicious side dish that is perfect for the holiday season menu.

And when you make your own, you can have chunky applesauce or thinner (great for babies!).

Why you will love this Applesauce Recipe

Tons of apple varieties mean tons of flavor combinations: Fall is apple season, and there is never a better time of the year to make sure you have all your recipes ready to go apple picking.

Even if you are not lucky enough to have an orchard near you, most farmers’ markets and local groceries have tons of apple varieties that help make simple homemade applesauce easy and a treat.

Texture variations: No matter whether you want a simple old-fashioned chunky and rustic applesauce or a thin sweet version that is perfect for kids, you can mash or use a food processor to the consistency of your liking.

As a side dish, we like slight pieces of fresh apples or even the smooth taste that you get from the jarred variety, but as a topping for ice cream, we leave it nice and thick and FULL of apples.

Ingredients

For the best applesauce, you really only need a few ingredients for a much more natural and healthier alternative to preservatives.

• Gala apples – There really are a ton of great apple types to use in applesauce like this. While we prefer the sweeter Gala apple, the flavor profile is up to you. I have listed an entire list of apples that work great in the information box below.
• ground cinnamon – Cinnamon and apples are as common peanut butter and jelly and work great for the traditional taste you are looking for. That being said, you can use other spices like allspice, nutmeg or even pumpkin pie spice to change the overall taste.

Expert Cooking Tips

Slice apples into thin slices: I use an apple slicer and get eight slices, and then I take a knife and cut those pieces into even thinner slices. This helps to cut down on the cooking time, and I highly recommend it.

Kitchen products that make you a pro: Apple Slicer, Potato Masher, Food Processor (if serving smooth)

How to make Applesauce on the Stove

Make sure to check out the printable recipe card for full step-by-step instructions and ingredients.

1. Peel and slice apples and add apples into a saucepan. If you make your apple slices too chunky, it takes a lot more simmering to make them mashable. You can peel them and slice them down into thin slices for a faster cooking time.
2. Add water to a saucepan.
3. Add ground cinnamon to the saucepan. Mix together.
4. Heat apples over medium-low until mixture begins to boil, which is usually very quickly, 2-3 minutes. If you walk away, you may burn the bottom of your apples because once on heat, that water goes quickly. Cover your apples and reduce heat to simmer. Cook apples for about 20 minutes or until apples are tender and mushy.

1. Mash apples with a potato masher until desired consistency – leaving as chunky applesauce or thinning out with a food processor if preferred.
2. Stir in brown sugar and serve!

Makes 2 cups of applesauce and tastes delicious served over ice cream and with some candied pecans for crunch.

FAQ’s

You can freeze homemade applesauce! Typically your fresh applesauce will last about 7-10 days in the fridge, but usually, there is so much leftover that you do not want to waste!

You can also freeze your homemade applesauce and keep it for about two months in a freezer. Simply store safely and freeze and then let thaw in your fridge when you are ready to eat. Once defrosted, you should eat within a few days.

This recipe works fine for babies, although some parents may want to keep the brown sugar out.
Just be careful of too many chunks, and it’s recommended to add your cooled ingredients to a food processor to ensure no choking pieces before serving your fresh homemade applesauce to a baby or child.

You can really control the sugar content of the applesauce. In this recipe, I specifically used cinnamon and brown sugar because I love the sweetness it brings to the tartness of the apples. However, you could leave out the sugar if you wanted.

When you make your own recipe, the world opens up to spices. This recipe uses the basics – brown sugar and cinnamon; however, you could also add nutmeg, clove, allspice, or apple pie spice.

Put in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

The great thing about fresh-making applesauce is eating it warm off the stove. Pour right over some vanilla ice cream and dabble with some pecans, and perfection! But applesauce will keep 2-3 days in the fridge and can also be reheated OR served cold.

Related Recipes

Need more fall-friendly side dish recipes?

• Air Fryer Cinnamon Apples
• Southern Fried Apples with Pecans
• Peanut Butter Apple Dip
• No Oats Apple Crisp
• Snicker Apple Salad