Description
Homemade crockpot cinnamon applesauce brings pure comfort straight from grandma’s kitchen. Sweet apples slowly simmer with warm spices, creating a nostalgic treat you’ll savor with every spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 apples (medium, mix of Honeycrisp & Granny Smith), peeled, cored, chopped
- 23 tbsps brown sugar (optional, adjust based on sweetness)
- ½ cup water or apple juice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (prevents browning)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional, for extra flavor)
Instructions
- Prepping Apples: Skillfully peel, core, and slice apples into uniform chunks, ensuring consistent cooking and texture.
- Crockpot Assembly: Carefully transfer apple chunks into slow cooker, gently incorporating water (or apple juice), brown sugar, ground cinnamon, pure vanilla extract, and fresh lemon juice, thoroughly mixing ingredients to distribute flavors evenly.
- Slow Cooking Process: Securely cover crockpot and allow apples to simmer and transform, selecting low temperature setting for 6-8 hours or high temperature setting for 3-4 hours, periodically stirring to prevent sticking and promote even breakdown.
- Texture Refinement: Choose desired consistency by either gently mashing with fork or potato masher for rustic, chunky applesauce or utilizing immersion blender for silky, smooth texture, adjusting technique to personal preference.
- Storage and Preservation: Allow applesauce to cool completely, then transfer to sealed containers, refrigerating for optimal freshness up to one week or freezing for extended enjoyment up to three months, maintaining delightful homemade quality.
Notes
- Choose a mix of sweet and tart apples like Honeycrisp, Gala, and Granny Smith for complex, balanced flavor and natural sweetness without excessive added sugar.
- Splash lemon juice immediately after chopping apples to prevent oxidation and maintain appetizing color while adding bright, fresh undertone to the sauce.
- Adjust mashing intensity based on preference – gentle fork mashing creates rustic chunky texture, while immersion blender delivers silky smooth consistency for different serving styles.
- Swap brown sugar with honey, maple syrup, or stevia for lower-glycemic versions; add warming spices like nutmeg or cardamom for enhanced depth without increasing calories.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 80
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg