• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Easy Healthy-ish Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • The Basics
  • Free Meal Plans

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Recipes by Type Desserts
PC Instant Pot Recipes 30 30 Minutes or Less GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free FF Freezer Friendly VG Vegetarian 5I 5 ingredients or less

Instant Pot Applesauce Recipe

4.50
/5
50 minutes mins
6 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 10/25/2019Updated: 09/05/2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

You're going to love the ease of making applesauce in your Instant Pot! Totally hands off, this Instant Pot applesauce turns out perfectly every time!

You’re going to love the ease of making applesauce in your Instant Pot! Totally hands off, this Instant Pot applesauce turns out perfectly every time!

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Warm fresh applesauce can’t be beat, and all you need are apples, a splash of water, and cinnamon.

How long it takes: 50 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: pressure cooker
Servings: makes 6 cups

Bowl of cinnamon applesauce, shot from above.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 About This Applesauce Recipe
  • 3 FAQs
  • 4 Make It Your Own
  • 5 Storage Tips
  • 6 More Apple Recipes
  • 7 More Instant Pot Recipes
  • 8 Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Applesauce

Don’t you love the smell of apples cooking? It ranks right up there with the smell of chocolate brownies or yeast bread baking in the oven. Delicious smells like that will bring everyone to your kitchen, checking out what delicious treat you’re cooking up.

Science has proven that the sense of smell is closely connected to memory, more than our other senses. Maybe that’s why warm applesauce brings such warm feelings.

My mom always canned applesauce in the fall. After bringing home a couple of bushels of apples from the orchard, we washed and cut the apples into quarters. We’d fill all our biggest pans and start cooking them, peels and all, on the stove. Oh, the smells of all those apples simmering!

After the apples softened, my mom carefully poured the cooked apples into a cone-shaped food mill and we pushed the apples through. The peelings and seeds would stay in the cone and the smooth warm applesauce would ooze out into a big bowl. My sister and I took turns twirling the wooden press to squeeze the applesauce through the tiny holes of the food mill. 

So delicious! Our family ate so much of it fresh but my mom canned the rest so we could enjoy homemade applesauce all year long. We especially loved it on pancakes with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. 

I’m excited for you to try this Instant Pot applesauce recipe. Hopefully the delicious scent of apples cooking into a delicious applesauce will make “smell” memories for your family!

Instant Pot applesauce still in the pressure cooker.

About This Applesauce Recipe

Why cook applesauce in the Instant Pot? For me, convenience is the obvious reason. Peel and cut up a bunch of apples, put them into the pressure cooker with a little water or juice, turn it on, and forget about it for awhile. No watching to make sure the apples aren’t boiling over, trying to adjust the heat so the apples simmer just right, no stirring, no checking for doneness, no messy stove, and only one dishwasher safe pan to wash! It really doesn’t get much easier. 

Do you need to peel the apples first? If you use a food mill, like I described above, use unpeeled apples and process the cooked apple mixture with the food mill. The end result will be a smooth applesauce. You can also puree it with a stick blender (immersion blender), but it will change the texture of the applesauce.

For a chunkier applesauce, peel the apples first with a vegetable peeler or paring knife, cut and core them, and then cook them. This results in an applesauce with more texture and does not require a food mill.  

Applesauce is a healthy and delicious dessert or snack: Whole30 compliant, vegan, non-dairy, gluten-free, non-fat, and low in calories. It’s so delicious, your family will love it!

If the only applesauce you’ve ever had is the kind you buy in the grocery store, you are in for a wonderful surprise. Store bought applesauce pales in comparison to homemade.  

Applesauce in front of an Instant Pot.

FAQs

What is the best apple for homemade applesauce?

Many types of apples will make delicious applesauce. I like a combination, half Honeycrisp and half Granny Smith. My mom prefers to combine Cortland apples with Honeycrisp. A soft cooking apple, like McIntosh, works well, too, and they are extra sweet.

You really can use any type of flavorful apple; each variety will give your applesauce a unique characteristic. Cortlands will make your applesauce pinker, Granny Smith will make it more tart, McIntosh apples will give you a smoother applesauce, etc. Have fun experimenting with different varieties and find the one that you like the best!

Is homemade applesauce healthy?

Since applesauce is 100% apples, it’s a very healthy food. Apples have many health benefits, with antioxidants and polyphenols, (Healthline) and are low in calories. Homemade applesauce doesn’t have added sugar or preservatives.

Do you have to refrigerate homemade applesauce?

Once the applesauce has cooled to room temperature, refrigerate it in a covered container. It will keep for at least a week. If it’s not refrigerated, bacteria can grow and it will spoil more quickly.

Pressure cooker applesauce in white bowl.

Make It Your Own

  • Experiment with different varieties of apples. 
  • Add cinnamon or other spices. After the applesauce cools a bit, stir in a teaspoon or two of cinnamon. Yum! I didn’t add any sugar because it simply isn’t needed. Cinnamon and apples are an obvious pairing, but try adding different spices like nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom. Apple pie spice is a blend which works perfectly with applesauce.
  • Sweeten it. If you like your applesauce sweeter, add sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey. 
  • With peel or without peel? Again, your preference. If you leave the peels on, you might want to blend the applesauce with an immersion blender.
  • Combine the apples with other fruits. For a variation, add other fruits to your sauce such as cranberries, blueberries, pears, or cherries. In the spring, try easy rhubarb sauce.
  • Make a half batch. We tested this (multiple times) and it works best with approximately 3 pounds of apples and ¼ cup liquid (apple juice, apple cider, or water). Add cinnamon to taste.

Storage Tips

Refrigerate/Freeze: Applesauce can be stored in a covered bowl or plastic container for up to a week in the fridge. If you want to keep it longer, applesauce freezes well. Thaw it overnight in the fridge so it’s ready to eat the next day.

We tested this applesauce quite a few times to get the timing right (the first time we did a quick release of the pressure and it resulted in an applesauce geyser coming out the valve of the Instant Pot!), so I have a freezer FULL of applesauce right now.  

Applesauce in a small bowl, pressure cooker in background.

More Apple Recipes

Apples are so delicious cooked or raw! Here are more apple recipes for you to try:

  • Apple crisp with ginger (you’ll love the unique flavors of ginger and lemon zest in this apple crisp)
  • Apple blueberry crisp
  • Apple cinnamon muffins
  • Cinnamon apple cranberry sauce (perfect for the holidays)
  • Salad with apples and cucumber
  • Green salad with broiled apples and pecans
  • Apple crisp breakfast cookies

More Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Broccoli

Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes – Perfect Every Time!

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Browse All

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Applesauce in an Instant Pot with wooden spoon.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Applesauce

4.50 from 8 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
Time to Pressurize: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 50 minutes mins
12 servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
You're going to love the ease of making applesauce in your Instant Pot! Totally hands off, this Instant Pot applesauce turns out perfectly every time!

Ingredients

  • 6 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped into 1-inch chunks (see note)
  • ½ cup water, apple juice, or apple cider
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, or to taste (optional)

Instructions

  • Add apples to 6-quart pressure cooker. Pour juice or water on top, secure lid, and turn valve to “seal.”
  • Depending on your model, set on Manual (high pressure) or Pressure Cook, for 5 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to pressurize.
  • When 5 minute timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for at least 20 minutes (all you have to do is leave it alone!). Release any remaining pressure by turning the valve to “vent” (be careful for steam!) and carefully remove lid.
  • Stir well, and add cinnamon if desired.

Notes

  • Makes 6 cups.
  • I like to use 3 pounds of Honeycrisp and 3 pounds of Granny Smith apples but other types of apples are fine. Choose what you like best.
  • If you like sweeter applesauce, stir in sugar after the apples have cooked.
  • For a half batch, use approximately 3 pounds of apples and ¼ cup of water or apple juice. Cooking time remains the same but it will take less time to pressurize.
  • Refrigerate applesauce in a covered bowl after it has cooled to room temperature. It will keep for at least 7 days. It can also be frozen or canned.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 119kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 0.4g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g, Sodium: 3mg, Potassium: 244mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 123IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 0.3mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
Share A Photo! Tag on Insta Rate It
Free email series

Master Cooking

in your Instant Pot!

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • Image of pot roast piled on top of mashed potatoes. Carrots also pictured.
    Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe
  • Image of chicken and dumplings with a dumpling cut in half to show inside texture.
    Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
  • Bowl of instant pot risotto topped with parmesan cheese and fresh thyme.
    Instant Pot Risotto Recipe
  • Instant Pot beef stew shown on a spoon.
    Instant Pot Beef Stew
Overhead view of bright orange carrot soup with coconut and green onion garnish.
Previous Post
Carrot Ginger Soup Recipe – Vegan & Whole30
Photo of Buffalo Chicken Pasta made in a pressure cooker
Next Post
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

  1. Teigan says

    May 26, 2020 at 9:44 pm

    Does the reicpe change if l use an 8 quart instant pot?

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 28, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      No, should be the same! :)

      Reply
  2. Cathy says

    November 7, 2019 at 4:58 pm

    I tried it and it was a success! I used 3 lbs. of organic Gala apples  and 3 lbs. of locally grown McIntosh apples. I added the cinnamon and some sugar after cooking. The flavor was better after refrigerating it overnight and it had a really delicious texture. My husband and son-in-law thought it was really delicious.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 7, 2019 at 5:26 pm

      So glad to hear it! We’ve had sooooo much of this applesauce because we tested it so many times, ha! My mom likes it cold too, and I prefer it warm. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      Reply
  3. denise says

    October 26, 2019 at 12:34 am

    my mouth is watering over this

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 27, 2019 at 12:18 pm

      Mission accomplished :)

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon Recipe

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

Cilantro lime rice in a bowl garnished with a lime wedge.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Round white bowl filled with guacamole, one chip dipped in.

How to Make Guacamole

Pico de gallo in a white bowl.

The Best Pico de Gallo

Overhead view of jar of taco seasoning with a wooden spoon in it.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled