Applesauce doesn’t need an introduction. It’s stuff we’ve all tried as kids and likely still enjoy as adults.
It’s also a million times better and healthier when you make it yourself. The Instant Pot allows us to achieve that so quickly and easily, Peter Brady will be getting his pork chops ready!
This stuff is AWESOME and goes perfectly on its own feeding the baby, kids or adults alike. PLUS, they pair perfectly with my famous Potato Pancake Pillows!
Here’s How I Made It!:
Start off by taking a bunch of apples (but not from these guys)…
…and peel, core and chop them into chunks. (Note: magical finger snaps come in REALLY handy here)
Now go to the Instant Pot and add in some water…
…kosher salt…
…ground cinnamon…
…ground nutmeg…
…and stir well.
Now add in the apples…
…along with some lemon juice…
…and maple syrup. Secure the lid and cook at high pressure.
ABRACADABRA! When done, it’s going to look like this! Magic!
Take a spook and give it a stir. If you want it chunky, you’re done after stirring!
BUT if you want it smooth and puréed, you’ll want to take an immersion blender…
…insert it directly into the pot…
…and blend to the desired consistency!
This will do just fine! Now is the time to add in some optional honey to taste if you wish to sweeten it more, but I think it’s totally perfect as it is (I didn’t use any). Also, since the applesauce will be hot right now post-cooking, it won’t taste nearly as sweet as it will once it’s cooled and set in the fridge – so be aware of how much honey you use (start with less and you can always add more later).
Transfer the applesauce to a container or mason jar…
…and cover and pop in the fridge overnight to fully cool, set and thicken into a true applesauce.
When done, ENJOY!While great on its own, it also goes PERFECTLY with my acclaimed Potato Pancake Pillows!
Instant Pot Applesauce
Making your own applesauce not only tastes so much better than the stuff in the store, but it's also much better for you because YOU control what goes in it. You can leave the skins on if you want too for more nutrients.
Ingredients
- 10 apples (I used 5 Granny Smith and 5 Fuji), peeled, cored and chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp of kosher salt
- 2 tbsp of maple syrup
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 1 tsp – 2 tbsp of honey (optional for additional sweetening, to taste – I didn’t use any because the apples are sweet enough as it is for me)
Instructions
- Add the water, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt to the Instant Pot and mix well
- Add in the apples and pour the lemon juice and maple syrup over it (no stirring required). Secure the lid and hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 5 minutes. When done, natural release for 5 minutes and finish with a quick release
- When you remove the lid, you’ll see how much liquid the apples have released and how it’s already practically an applesauce consistency. In fact, if you like you applesauce on the chunkier side, just give it a good stir together and you’re done! If you want it more puréed (like how I like mine), take an immersion blender and blend it right in the pot to the desired consistency. If you taste it now in it’s hot state, it won’t appear nearly as sweet as it will once it’s cooled in the fridge due to the congealing process – but you can make it even sweeter by stirring in some optional honey now if you wish (I didn’t)
- Transfer the sauce to a container with a good air-tight lid or mason jars and put it in the fridge overnight to cool. THIS is when it will thicken up some and the sweetness will really come out in the applesauce
- Enjoy! This goes GREAT on its own or with my popular Potato Pancake Pillows!
Jeffrey's Tips
“Only 1/2 cup of water?! I thought you needed at least 1 cup for every recipe!” THAT IS AN EVIL URBAN LEGEND! This all depends on what you’re making in the Instant Pot! Apples are already full of water and because we have so many apples in there, as the pot comes to pressure and heats up from the 1/2 cup of water, the apples will release a lot of their own water very quickly!
This pairs beautifully with my popular Potato Pancake Pillows!
If you want a chunkier applesauce, skip the immersion blender step after cooking and just stir it together well!
Marlene
Do you know about how many cups of peeled apples are used?
Sandy Strickland
How much applesauce does this make?
Melanie May
If I want to can the applesauce do I need to refrigerate it overnight first or at all?
At step 4 would I just put it in mason jars and the go ahead with standard water bath canning?
Linda Adams
Perfect timing for this side dish recipe as I’ll make it this week to accompany a Pork Tenderloin entree. Not sure if my inquiry is do-able but…. I’d like to half this recipe as it’s only 2 of us. Does the water content stay at 1/2 C AND does the Pressure cook time stay the same? I use a 6qt Pot. Thx.