Cinnamon Spiced Applesauce
Homemade Applesauce is SO easy to make and makes your house smell like autumn. This Cinnamon Spiced Applesauce can be tweaked perfectly for your taste buds!
Why You Must Make
- The ingredient list is simple: apples, sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
- You can adjust the sweetness for your palate.
- Plus, no corn syrup or additives!
Want a healthy version? Buy sweeter apples and limit the sugar you add. Like more than a whisper of cinnamon? Increase the amount. Love it chunky? No problem. This is a highly adaptable recipe. I prefer a mix of two apples for more depth of flavor, but any cooking apple will do.
Ingredient Notes:
- Cooking Apples – I used 4 Granny Smiths and 4 Golden Delicious, a variety works best for a more complex flavor.
- Water – Helps the apples cook by providing steam.
- Sugar – White Granulated Sugar, adjust the amount to taste.
- Salt – Salt is a flavor enhancer in both sweet and savory recipes. Food will taste flat without a little salt.
- Cinnamon – I use ground cinnamon, but you may also add a cinnamon stick or two to the apples as they cook.
- Lemon Juice – If your applesauce is overly sweet, freshly squeezed lemon juice can help balance the flavor.
How to Make
- Add sliced apples, sugar, a pinch of salt, and water to a large pot. Cook until the apples are soft.
- With a potato masher, mash the apples to your desired consistency. Add cinnamon, taste, and add more sugar and/or cinnamon if needed.
Expert Tips
- Using at least 2 types of apples provides a more interesting depth of flavor. My go-tos are sweet, softer Golden Delicious, and firm, tarter Granny Smiths.
- Storebought applesauce often has both high fructose corn syrup AND regular corn syrup listed as ingredients. Granulated white sugar is a better option, plus you can control the sweetness.
- You can make it the perfect texture for your family. My kids didn’t like chunks when they were little so I’d mash it to a more pureed consistency. Now, they’ll eat it when it’s chunky.
How to Use Homemade Applesauce
- Serve as a side dish in the fall. It goes wonderfully with pork.
- Use it as an afterschool snack!
- Use to fill Chaussons aux Pommes, or French apple turnovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
I used a combination of Granny Smiths and Golden Delicious apples. Other good choices include Fuji, Honey Crisp, MacIntoshk Jonagold, Jonathan, and Cortland. Use more than one variety for more depth of flavor.
For this applesauce, just keep simmering to evaporate any excess liquid. Stir occasionally while it simmers.
Some recipes do, but I prefer to thicken by cooking the applesauce to the right consistency. If you do want to use cornstarch, note that you’ll need to use the ratio of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 cup of water.
A half tablespoon mixed in a half cup of water would be plenty for this recipe. After adding the cornstarch slurry, simmer until the mixture thickens and the excess water evaporates.
You May Also Like:
- Applesauce Cinnamon Oat Muffins from Barbara Bakes
- Old Fashioned Apple Cobbler
- Perfect Apple Pie
- Brown Sugar Apple Bread
- Cranberry Apple Bread
- How to Make a Rose Tart
- Plus, More Side Dish Recipes
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Cinnamon Spiced Applesauce
Homemade applesauce is SO easy! And you can make it as sweet or cinnamony as you'd like.
Ingredients
- 8 cooking apples (I used 4 Granny Smiths and 4 Golden Delicious)
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar (may adjust to taste)
- A pinch of salt
- ½-1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- Lemon juice, to taste, optional
Instructions
- Peel, core, and slice or chop apples. Place apples in a large saucepan with water and sugar.
- Mix and simmer, stirring frequently and mashing with a potato masher when apples start to soften.
- When your sauce is the consistency you desire (will take 20-30 minutes), taste for sweetness, and add more sugar if desired.
- Add cinnamon and taste, adding more if desired. Add a touch of lemon juice if the applesauce seems too sweet.
Notes
If your applesauce is too sweet, try a small squeeze of lemon juice to balance the flavors.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 192Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 26mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 6gSugar: 42gProtein: 1g
29 Comments on “Cinnamon Spiced Applesauce”
It’s been years since I’ve made homemade applesauce, Liz. I need to get back on the stick and make it again with your recipe!
xo
Roz
Homemade apple sauce is the best! Love the little pinch of salt to bring out the flavors. I bet your house smells amazing while this is cooking on the stove.
I just realized how long it’s been since I made applesauce! I made so much more, especially from scratch, when my kids were little. Syrups and compotes and all of that. Great recipe. It would be fun to make this with my grand kids!
Such a simple delicious looking recipe for apple season. I can only imagine the aroma while it’s cooking. thanks visiting from gluten free A-Z blog.
Thanks for saying hello, Judee!! Hope you enjoy the rest of your week.
Everyone at my house loved this! We enjoyed it!
I will never buy applesauce agian, this was so so good.
Sounds lovely. Thanks for sharing this. Great recipe. Simon
Over pork chops? Yes please!
Lizzy,
My hubby would love this. This is much healthier than store bought.
Annamaria
I remember when I was younger – my whole family would go apple picking and we would make boat loads of apple sauce! Awwww the good memories 🙂
Homemade apple sauce is so much better than the bought stuff!
Thanks for sharing and Happy Labour Day
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Oh My Gosh! I have so much applesauce from last year sitting in my freezer. This year not one apple on the tree. My mother always made applesauce. She used to stir in cinnamon red hot candies until they melted. It made the prettiest pink applesauce and tasted so good. I still do that, but I serve mine with brisket and potato latkes! LOL!
I made applesauce to go with pork cutlets for dinner last night. I use no sugar and just a pinch of cinnamon – usually. Last night it had more cinnamon than I usually add and it wasn’t brown but close! Yours looks fantastic.
Your timing is impeccable! I was headed to the growers’ market tomorrow to pick up hopefully a half bushel of apples. This applesauce looks like a fabulous recipe for some of those apple. Thanks Liz!
mmm I do adore the smell of homemade applesauce!
When I was growing up in NZ, we had about five apple trees in the backyard. As there was no shortage of apples, my mother did everything with them including making apple sauce. It’s somehow always nicer to have homemade. I do love how you added cinnamon. I used to be able to buy a fantastic gourmet apple sauce that was spiced with cloves and was tart rather than sweet. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it around for a while – will have to start making my own! xx
Dear Liz, homemade applesauce with cinnamon means one thing, that fall is just around the corner – you certainly cannot go wrong with a lovely recipe like this!
Andrea
What a great dip, Liz! I’ve yet to try cinnamon with apple sauce……. xoxo
Wow! I’ve never even thought to make my own applesauce, but this looks just lovely! Just fresh and with cinnamon too? Delish!
That would work just as well with a sugar replacement of choice. Applesauce is actually quite low in carbs too. This sounds good. I need to use it more often in recipes. Thanks for the reminder. Look forward to seeing you use this in your recipe. 🙂 Have a great week, Liz!
yum! wow! Looks amazing! Love the combination of flavors!
Mmm! Autumn’s month smell from here ! you apple sauce looks so nice! x
Cinnamons and apples are a match made in heaven. And nothing can beat a homemade sauce. This is just so flavorful and YUM!
A very tasty recipe. I used applesauce to make roll ups for my son when he was little using a dehydrator.
I love cinnamon! I even put it in savory dishes! This is a great applesauce!
homemade applesauce is so much better! I need to try this! and love the hint of cinnamon!
It looks so GOOD!
Sounds good, I like to cut back on sugar where ever I can:@)