This 4 ingredient Instant Pot Applesauce recipe is the easiest, fastest way to make a delicious cinnamon-spiced applesauce at home. With the help of a pressure cooker, you can have a sweet and satisfying sauce, side, or snack in mere minutes–simply prep your apples, and let the Instant Pot do the work for you!
Super Simple Instant Pot Applesauce
Instant Pot Applesauce is so simple to make with only a few key add-ins, because after all, when apples are in season, there is no need for a long list of ingredients.
This applesauce is only slightly sweetened with a smidge of sugar and flavored with my favorite fall spice, cinnamon. I especially love the versatility of this recipe; I can control exactly what’s in it and feel good about feeding my family something sweet that’s made without preservatives or artificial ingredients.
The Instant Pot eliminates the need to stand over a hot stove while cooking and makes it possible to create a delicious applesauce simply by placing your peeled and cored apples, sugar, and cinnamon in the pot, pressing a few buttons, and letting the Instant Pot do the rest; after 6 minutes, the apples are super soft and tender. Make it smooth or leave it chunky, it’s always healthier to mash your own apples in a naturally sweet snack!
Why We Love This Super Simple Instant Pot Applesauce Recipe
- Quick and easy to make because the Instant Pot does the work for you!
- Minimal ingredient applesauce that is better than anything store-bought.
- You can control the ingredients–add as much or as little sugar and cinnamon as you like.
- It can be made chunky or smooth, with skin or without.
- Delicious as a condiment or dessert, served warm or cold, as a filling or topping.
- Irresistibly flavorful with a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and slightly tart.
- Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, non-fat.
- Heavenly smell fills the house when you flip the pressure release knob.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Honeycrisp apples (peeled, cored, and quartered): Some other good apples to use for this recipe include any combination of Granny Smith, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Fuji, or Jonagold.
- Water: For a little more flavor, try this with some apple juice or apple cider instead.
- Light brown sugar: Feel free to switch this out for granulated white sugar or ¼ cup of honey.
- Cinnamon
Substitutions and Additions
- Apples for Applesauce: The types of apples you use have a large impact on the finishing taste and sweetness of your applesauce.
- Honeycrisp – A very sweet apple that breaks down easily when cooking.
- Granny Smith – Slightly tart and will help balance out any sweet varieties.
- Gala – Right in the middle on sweetness, but also has a wonderful texture when cooked.
- McIntosh – These have a similar level of sweetness to gala apples.
- Fuji – Has a mild sweetness.
- Add Some Spice: Feel free to use additional spices in your applesauce, like nutmeg, clove, cardamom, allspice, or apple pie spice. Try them all, leave them out, or combine a few.
- Sweet or Sweeter: This recipe is already naturally sweet, but you can always add more sweetener if you’d like. Pure maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, and coconut sugar are great natural sweeteners. Regular white sugar and brown sugar may also be used. You can also omit sweeteners altogether if your apples are sweet enough.
- Fruit Flavored: You can add other fruits to your sauce. Some ideas include cranberries, blueberries, pears, banana, or cherries. You can even combine a few fruits to create different flavors.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Instant pot (6 quart is recommended)
- Masher
- Measuring tools
- Mixing tool
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How to Make the Recipe
This 4 ingredient Instant Pot Applesauce recipe is the easiest, fastest way to make a delicious cinnamon-spiced applesauce at home. With the help of a pressure cooker, you can have a sweet and satisfying sauce, side, or snack in mere minutes–simply prep your apples, and let the Instant Pot do the work for you!
- Add apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon to the pressure cooker and mix until apples are coated.
Pro-Tip: Cut the apple into uniform pieces so they cook evenly.
- Seal the lid and cook on high for 6 minutes.
- Flip the release knob and let apples continue to soften.
- For a chunky applesauce, mash the apples with a masher or beater.
- For a smooth applesauce, press the apple mixture through a fine wire mesh sieve.
Pro Tip: Some pulp may remain, but you should be able to get the majority of the mixture through the sieve. For smoother applesauce, you can blend it with an Immersion Blender right in the pressure cooker if you don’t have a fine wire mesh sieve. - Serve warm or cold and enjoy!
Tips
- Extend the self life of the applesauce by adding lemon juice.
- Use applesauce in your baking as a replacement for eggs or butter. I particularly love using applesauce in pancakes instead of eggs.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Refrigerate this applesauce in an airtight container for up to ten days.
- To Freeze: You can also freeze this for a few months. When ready to thaw, leave overnight in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you do not have to peel your apples because the high-intensity cooking in the Instant Pot will soften the peels and they will easily blend right up! Plus, the skin of the apple has many nutrients and added fiber, adding an extra dose of health to your applesauce.
Any apple that is great for cooking/baking is perfect for making applesauce. You can use a mix of different varieties for different flavors. For example, try half McIntosh apples for their texture and sweetness and half Granny Smith apples for a tart flavor to balance it out. Feel free to use whatever you have at home or whatever you pick from the orchard–it will turn out great!
You will only need a small amount of liquid (3/4 cup) to get the applesauce started in the pressure cooker.
If you use a very sweet apple juice with very sweet apples, your applesauce may come out too sweet. Generally, I find using water adequate for making applesauce.
I don’t recommend using any less liquid than what the recipe requires. Most models of electric pressure cookers are sensitive and may cause a burn notice if you don’t use enough liquid.
If you’re looking for a lower sugar content, you can absolutely omit the sugar from the recipe, especially if your apples are particularly sweet!
Applesauce is fantastic all by itself, but there are some fun things you can do with it. Combine your applesauce with another food, like yogurt, cottage cheese, or ricotta cheese. Top your applesauce with granola, dried fruit, or nuts. Serve it with a side of pork or turkey. Add it to a sweet sauce. Or, place your applesauce atop some of your favorite desserts, like crumbles, pies, or ice cream.
Yes! To make this in a crockpot, add all the ingredients to the crockpot and let heat on low for four hours. Then mash and combine the softened apples. See our Crockpot Applesauce recipe here!
Add all ingredients to a saucepan or pot. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Mash and mix for some delicious applesauce.
Other Easy Apple Recipes
- Caramel Apple Hand Pies
- Homemade Apple Cider
- Caramel Apple Bars
- Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
- Hasselback Apples
- Apple Pie Ice Cream
Instant Pot Applesauce
Ingredients
- 10 Honeycrisp apples peeled, cored, and quartered (about 10 cups)
- ¾ cup water
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the Honeycrisp apples, water, light brown sugar, and cinnamon into the pressure cooker and stir until the apples are well coated.
- Be sure to seal the pressure cooker completely and then cook on high for 6 minutes.
- Allow the instant pot to release slowly to let the apples soften a little more.
- Use a masher or beater to mash the apples until all large chunks of apple have disappeared. This will leave you with a chunkier applesauce.
- For a smoother consistency, press the apple mixture through a fine wire mesh sieve. Some pulp may remain, but you should be able to get the majority of the mixture through the sieve.
- Serve warm or cold depending on your preference.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Refrigerate this applesauce in an airtight container for up to ten days.
- To Freeze: You can also freeze this for a few months. When ready to thaw, leave overnight in the refrigerator.
- Cut the apple into uniform pieces so they cook evenly.
- For smoother applesauce, you can blend it with an Immersion Blender right in the pressure cooker if you don’t have a fine wire mesh sieve.
- Extend the self life of the applesauce by adding lemon juice.
- Use applesauce in your baking as a replacement for eggs or butter. I particularly love using applesauce in pancakes instead of eggs.
Like the to the point info. Super delicious