Instant Pot Applesauce recipe. Applesauce is simple to make with a pressure cooker, ready in under an hour, tastes great, and is a good way to use up a bunch of apples. I make a few batches of applesauce every fall.
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I never realized how easy applesauce was until I saw the recipe in Cook's Illustrated years ago. Cut up some apples, add sugar and a little water, and maybe some cinnamon, then simmer until they are tender and falling apart. Mash it a bit and you have applesauce.
It's even easier to make applesauce in a pressure cooker - dump everything into an Instant Pot, lock the lid, and set it for 3 minutes. Come back in about half an hour and you have applesauce. I try to make this recipe every fall, and it is one of my favorite things to eat with pork.
Ingredient substitutions
- Apple varieties: There are lots of apples that make good applesauce. Golden Delicious is my favorite, with a sweet flavor and just a hint of tart. However, if you have other apples (or prefer them), feel free to use them instead. Some suggestions: McIntosh is another great apple for applesauce, as is Honeycrisp. Granny Smith apples are very tart, so I would use them half-and-half with a sweeter apple, but if you like tart applesauce, they are a good addition. The only apple I avoid is Red Delicious, which I think is one-dimensional in flavor, but if it's all you have, it will still work.
- Pinch of salt: The little bit of salt brightens up the flavor of the applesauce. It doesn't take much - just a pinch, about ⅛ teaspoon. You can skip the salt if you are on a low-sodium diet.
- Sugar: I like a sweet applesauce, but if you like tart flavor, cut it back to 2 tablespoons, or skip the sugar altogether. Also, brown sugar is a great substitute for the regular sugar used in the recipe.
- Lemon juice: If you want a little extra tart flavor in your applesauce, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the pot. (About half a lemon, squeezed).
- Extra Cinnamon: I like a hint of cinnamon in my applesauce, but if you want all-caps Cinnamon Applesauce, increase the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon.
How to Make Instant Pot Applesauce in pictures
Peel and quarter the apples
Peel the apples and cut them in quarters - I slice around the core in four cuts
Apples and cinnamon in the pot
Pour ½ cup of water into the pot, then add the apples, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to coat the apples with the sugar and cinnamon.
Pressure cook for 3 minutes with a Natural Release
Once the pressure comes down, mash with a potato masher until smooth.
Tips and Tricks
- Food Mill Applesauce: If you own a food mill and like a smooth applesauce, this recipe is even easier. Don't bother peeling the apples; simply core and quarter them, then toss them into the pot. Pressure cook the applesauce, then scoop the apples into the food mill and process them. The mill will separate the skins. As a bonus, if you use apples with red skin, your applesauce will be a nice pink color.
- Apple peeler, corer, and slicer: If you own one of the gadgets that peel, slice, and core an apple all at once - I think of it as an "Apple spiralizer" - it makes this recipe easy.
Adapted from: Homemade Applesauce, Cooks Illustrated September/October 2022
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Instant Pot Applesauce Recipe
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups of applesauce 1x
Description
Instant Pot Applesauce is simple to make with a pressure cooker, ready in under an hour, tastes great, and is a good way to use up a bunch of apples.
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- 4 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
- ¼ cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Everything in the pot: Pour the water into an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. Add the apples, sprinkle with sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and stir to coat them with the sugar and spices.
- Pressure cook for 3 minutes with a natural release: Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 3 minutes (Use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode in an Instant Pot). When the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally; this will take about 15 minutes. (You can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes if you are in a hurry.)
- Mash or puree: Unlock the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam. For chunkier applesauce, mash the apples (right in the pot) with a potato masher. For smooth applesauce, puree the apples (right in the pot) with a stick blender. Serve warm, or refrigerate to serve cold. Enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 205
- Sugar: 38.7 g
- Sodium: 55.4 mg
- Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.5 g
- Fiber: 7.3 g
- Protein: 0.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Storage
Homemade applesauce, stored in an airtight container, will last for up to a week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
What to serve with Instant Pot Applesauce
Applesauce is my favorite side dish for pork, like Grilled Ribeye Pork Chops, Sous Vide Thick Cut Pork Chops, Instant Pot Pork Shoulder Chops, or Rotisserie Boneless Pork Loin Roasts. I also make it to go with potato pancakes.
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If you're looking for something else, here is my index of Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes.
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