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Home » Recipes » Recipes » The Easiest Homemade Chunky Applesauce

The Easiest Homemade Chunky Applesauce

Published: Sep 30, 2021 · Modified: Mar 28, 2023 by Lynn Polito · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

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Sweet and full of cinnamon, you won't go back to the store bought stuff after you try this homemade chunky applesauce! It's a family favorite and a must make during apple season!

A spoonful of apple sauce is taken out of the bowl

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn small commission from qualifying purchases.

It's apple season here in New England and if you need me, I'm home making sourdough apple cider donuts, apple streusel muffins, Instant Pot apple butter, apple cinnamon breakfast bars, cinnamon applesauce pancakes, and all in one apple cake full of apples! How could I forget the applesauce coffee cake too!

Is there anything that feels more comforting and more like Fall than the smell of apples cooking away on the stove? It's the ultimate comfort food and makes your house smell amazing!

When the weather starts to turn, having a big pot of chunky applesauce is a must! My grandfather used to make applesauce all the time. He put so much cinnamon in that they applesauce was almost completely brown, but it was so good! You can never replicate that original recipe that came from your grandparents, but we all try!

Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Chunky Applesauce
  • Ingredients You'll Need
  • Which Apples To Use
  • How To Make Homemade Chunky Applesauce
  • Making This Applesauce in the Instant Pot
  • Making This Applesauce in the Slow Cooker
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Other Recipes To Try!
  • 📖 Recipe
A bowl of homemade chunky applesauce with a spoon in it.

Why You'll Love This Chunky Applesauce

  • It's a chop and drop kind of recipe! You'll peel the apples and place them in a large Dutch oven. Come back every once in a while to stir but other than that just let it sit!
  • It's versatile! You can keep this applesauce chunky, or you can puree it with an immersion blender if you want it smoother and resembling the kind you get at the store.
  • It's the ultimate comfort food! The smell of apples and cinnamon cooking away on the stove, so comforting!

Ingredients You'll Need

Ingredients for the homemade chunky applesauce
  • Apples- 8 large apples, Gala, Fuji, or Golden Delicious are best.
  • Brown Sugar- Optional, but adds a little more sweetness to the applesauce, especially if the apples are not very sweet.
  • Cinnamon- you can't have applesauce without cinnamon!
  • Water- To help the apples soften as they cook. To intensify the apple flavor, apple cider or apple juice can be used instead.

Which Apples To Use

The best apples to use are apples you would eat right out of the refrigerator. Gala or Fuji are my favorite, but Honey crisp and Golden Delicious are also perfect for applesauce.

You want an apple that will fall apart easily while cooking. Granny Smith would be too tart on their own, but if you combine them with a sweeter apple, it would make an applesauce that is a little sweet and a little tart.

How To Make Homemade Chunky Applesauce

First, you'll need to peel and chop 8 large apples. There are a lot of apple tools out there to use, but I like to use a vegetable peeler and chop them with a knife. I have used this type of apple corer and peeler before and it makes fast work of this process.

An overhead shot of the homemade chunky applesauce being prepared

Chop the apples into chunks. They don't have to be perfect, but they should be about the same time, about 1 inch chunks.

Add the chunks of apple to a large Dutch oven. You want a heavy bottom pot to distribute the heat evenly under all the apples.

An overhead shot of the apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar added to a pot

Add the apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and water to the pot. Cover the Dutch oven and turn the heat on medium low and cook the apples for 45 minutes.

The ingredients are mixed in a pot

Stir the apples a few times throughout the cooking time to make sure they are not sticking to the bottom of the pot. There's nothing worse than burnt apples!

An overhead shot of the cooked applesauce

After 45 minutes, the apples should be mushy and completely fall apart. At this time, you can use an immersion blender to blend it up if you would like it more pureed. Otherwise, a potato masher does a great job of mashing up the apples into the perfect chunky consistency.

This applesauce is delicious warm, room temperature, or chilled! Whichever your family prefers!

This is perfect to swirl into oatmeal, add to baked goods, or use as a condiment for roasted pork. I prefer to just eat it out of a bowl with a little extra cinnamon on top!

Making This Applesauce in the Instant Pot

To make homemade chunky applesauce in the Instant Pot, peel and chop the apples as you would and add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and water to the Instant Pot. Close the Instant Pot and turn it on high for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, release the pressure and mash the apples with a potato masher.

Making This Applesauce in the Slow Cooker

The slow cooker is a perfect tool to make applesauce! Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and turn it on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. After that time, mash the apples with the potato peeler and allow the applesauce to cool. The slow cooker will cause the apples to give off a lot of juice, if you feel like there is too much juice in the slow cooker, feel free to drain some of the juice off.

A head on shot of the homemade chunky applesauce in a bowl with a bowl of apples in the background

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to peel the apples?

If you want to make this applesauce without peeling the apples, it would be best to puree the applesauce once it is done cooking. The peels can be a little tough, so you would need to blend up the applesauce once cooked.

Can I freeze this homemade chunky applesauce?

Yes! Allow the applesauce to cool completely and place the applesauce in a large air tight container. Freeze the applesauce for up to three months. To defrost, place the applesauce in the refrigerator and allow it to thaw.

How long will this applesauce last?

This will last four to five days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but it likely will be eaten well before that!

Other Recipes To Try!

Did you love this Homemade Chunky Applesauce? I'd so appreciate it if you would give this recipe a 5 star review! That will help other hungry readers find my recipes!

And don't forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!

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  • One Pot Chicken Broccoli Pasta
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  • Light and Crisp Sourdough Waffles
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  • Death By Chocolate Zucchini Bread

📖 Recipe

A spoonful of apple sauce is taken out of the bowl

The Easiest Homemade Chunky Applesauce

Sweet and full of cinnamon, you won't go back to the store bought stuff after you try this homemade chunky applesauce! It's a family favorite and a must make during apple season!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 10 Servings
Calories: 125kcal
Author: Lynn Polito

Ingredients

  • 8 Large Apples Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp
  • ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Cinnamon
  • ½ cup Water

Instructions

  • Peel and chop the apples into large chunks. Add the apples to a large Dutch oven.
  • Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and water to the Dutch oven and mix well to combine all the ingredients.
  • Turn the heat on medium low and cover the Dutch oven. Cook the apples for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
  • After 45 minutes, mash the apples with a potato masher, or if you want a more pureed texture, puree the apples with an immersion blender. Allow the applesauce to cool before serving.

Notes

  • To intensify the flavor, use apple cider or apple juice instead of water.
  • If you don't want a sweet applesauce, leave out the brown sugar.  It will be just as delicious!
  • Make sure to stir the apples frequently to prevent sticking to the bottom of the Dutch oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 208mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 101IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LynnsWayofLife or tag #lynnswayoflife!
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Comments

  1. Sachi

    October 10, 2021 at 5:53 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is just in time for apple season!

    Reply
  2. laura

    October 05, 2021 at 1:07 pm

    5 stars
    Oh well this is an amazing recipe for apple sauce. Simple and perfect.

    Reply
  3. Kim

    October 03, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    This homemade apple sauce was so much better than store bought! We all enjoyed it.

    Reply
  4. Sherry

    October 02, 2021 at 11:52 pm

    5 stars
    There is nothing better than chunky applesauce!! This recipe brings back a lot of memories. My grandma always made chunky applesauce for our holiday dinners. Thanks for the recipe!!

    Reply
  5. Donna

    October 02, 2021 at 1:27 am

    5 stars
    Love how easy this is, the best way to use up apples when in season!

    Reply
  6. Robin Donovan

    October 01, 2021 at 9:34 am

    5 stars
    So easy! I love this recipe!

    Reply
  7. Jennifer

    October 01, 2021 at 8:21 am

    5 stars
    At the rate my kids gobble apple sauce, I need to start making it and I'm going to start with this amazing recipe!

    Reply
  8. Helen Best-Shaw

    October 01, 2021 at 5:55 am

    5 stars
    Lovely flavoured recipe - its so much better when it has some texture. So many are over pureed.

    Reply
  9. Cindy

    September 30, 2021 at 5:05 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! I made this recipe in the slow cooker but am going to try my Instant Pot next.

    Reply
  10. Mandy Applegate

    September 30, 2021 at 12:11 pm

    5 stars
    I've had a lot of apple sauces in the past but this chunky apple sauce is the best by far!

    Reply

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Hey there! I'm Lynn and I'm based just outside of Boston. I'm a wife and mom of two with a passion for cooking and creating homemade food for my family.

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