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Slow Cooker Applesauce

October 10, 2020 by Laureen King 25 Comments

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perfect homemade applesauce recipe for small apples, no peeling apples required!
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Glass jar with apple label on it, filled with applesauce. Jar has straw ribbon tied around it.
Healthy Slow Cooker Applesauce, this easy recipe requires no peeling of apples so it is perfect for small apples.Healthy Slow Cooker Applesauce, this easy recipe requires no peeling of apples so it is perfect for small apples.Healthy Slow Cooker Applesauce, this easy recipe requires no peeling of apples so it is perfect for small apples.

Healthy Slow Cooker Applesauce, this easy recipe requires no peeling of apples so it is perfect for small apples.

Glass jar with apple label on it, filled with applesauce. Jar has straw ribbon tied around it.

I have two beautiful apple trees in my yard. One gets gorgeous large apples similar to McIntosh apples, the other very small sized apples. So what is one to do with all those small apples? I hate seeing anything go to waste, but it is way too  time consuming to peel these small apples. You could can them, but I’m not a big fan of canned apples. So I thought I would try something very simple like making applesauce in a slow cooker. Great technique for making organic homemade Baby food!

Slow cooker filled with mashed cooked apples.

This was so easy!! All I did was wash the apples, chop in chunks to remove seeds and core, place in the slow cooker, add a bit of water and cook for 4-5 hours on low. Once they were cooked soft, I mashed them down a bit with a potato masher.

Then using the handy cone strainer and pestle my Mom gave, I mashed all the cooked apples through and viola, fresh, organic homemade apple sauce! The sieve separated the skins from the apples, leaving terrific smooth applesauce.

Cooked apples getting mashed in chinois strainer with wood pestle.

I prefer not to add any sugar or spices to my applesauce before freezing so I can use the applesauce in any recipe. But if you like, add cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg at the start of cooking the apples. You can also sweeten the applesauce if desired with white or brown sugar, honey or maple syrup.  Once done I like to store my applesauce in small 1 cup freezer bags for easy measuring for recipes.

Small sized freezer bags labeled with apple sticker filled with applesauce.

So instead of raking up all those apples and throwing them out, make some homemade Slow Cooker Apple Sauce. What a simple method to make pure, delicious unsweetened applesauce. No peeling and using the slow cooker makes it so easy! Bonus – the house smells amazing!

Glass jar with apple label on it, filled with applesauce. Jar has straw ribbon tied around it.

Glass jar with apple label on it, filled with applesauce. Jar has straw ribbon tied around it.

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Laureen King
perfect homemade applesauce recipe for small apples, no peeling apples required!
5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 5 hrs
Total Time 5 hrs
Course Healthy Snack, Slow Cooker, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 6 cups
Calories 317 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 20-30 small ripe apples
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tsp cinnamon optional

Instructions
 

  • Wash apples, chop into pieces to remove seeds and core. Place into slow cooker.
  • Add 1/2 cup water.
  • Cook on low for 4-5 hours, stirring after a couple of hours.
  • Mash down with potato masher, then strain through cone and pestle strainer.
  • Place into freezer bags and freeze. Refrigerate in jars if using within 4-5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 84gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 649mgFiber: 15gSugar: 63gVitamin A: 330IUVitamin C: 27.9mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 0.8mg
Keyword applesauce, slowcooker applesauce
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

If you love apple desserts like I do be sure to try my Apple Crisp Pie

Apple pie with crunchy oatmeal crisp topping drizzled with icing.

Glass jar with apple label on it, filled with applesauce. Jar has straw ribbon tied around it.

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Filed Under: Dessert Recipes, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: homemade applesauce, slow cooker applesauce, unsweetened applesauce

Previous Post: « Halloween Cake Pops
Next Post: Pumpkin Spice Halloween Cookies »

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Comments

  1. Allen Irish

    September 22, 2016 at 8:54 pm

    I see that the applesauce is in jars. Can this recipie be hot water bath processed? I would like to make applesauce with my apples as well but would like to give half pint jars or it away for Christmas gifts to people at work.

    Reply
    • Laureen King

      September 22, 2016 at 9:29 pm

      Hi Allen,
      I’m sure it can be canned, but I am not expert at canning so please look up a good source for canning. I froze most of my applesauce and just put some in a jar to use right away.

      Reply
  2. Leslie

    August 12, 2017 at 10:53 am

    5 stars
    Any worries about the cyanide in the seeds or are the apples small enough there are not enough seeds to worry about. Your apples look very similar to mine. Tried my first batch and it came out great. Very easy, but further reading gave me some concern about cooking with the cores. Thoughts?
    A fellow ‘northern’ Albertan 🙂

    Reply
    • Laureen King

      August 12, 2017 at 3:25 pm

      Hi Leslie,
      I found using the pestle didn’t allow most of the seeds to strain through, but as I’m not sure how much pressure people use staining and the chance of crushing the seeds I’ve changed instructions to chop apples to remove seeds.

      Reply
    • Becky

      October 23, 2017 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      I had never heard of this, so I had to google it. “You would need to finely chew and eat about 200 apple seeds, or about 20 apple cores, to receive a fatal dose.” I don’t believe it’s a concern at all.

      Reply
  3. Beth

    August 13, 2019 at 8:37 am

    Just wondering if this is more like apple juice than apple sauce? I have this same strainer for juice, and it seems no saucey pulp is straining through.

    Reply
    • Laureen King

      August 16, 2019 at 8:21 am

      Hi Beth, mine comes out nicely. If you find it too liquidy just strain more juice out.

      Reply
      • Beth

        August 20, 2019 at 9:36 am

        5 stars
        Thank you! It did turn out wonderfully, sorry for doubting! 😉 If you let it strain a lot, and squish the sauce through, it’s great! Less water in crockpot helps as well!

        Reply
  4. Lindsey

    August 31, 2019 at 2:47 pm

    How long does it keep in the freezer vs canned? Do you vacuum seal or just ziploc? Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Laureen King

      September 2, 2019 at 4:49 pm

      Hi Lindsey, canned applesauce should last at least 12 months, whereas frozen applesauce should last 2-3 months. I like freezing it in small batches. It’s so easy.

      Reply
  5. matti

    August 31, 2020 at 6:57 pm

    5 stars
    I LOVE this!!! It’s is so easy. Last year I was up all night peeling apples and this recipe is so simple and delicious. Saves my back & time. Thank you SO MUCH!!
    Much appreciation!!

    Reply
    • Laureen King

      September 3, 2020 at 10:52 am

      Thank you Matti, and I love that you can add whatever you want to sweeten it up.

      Reply
  6. Laura

    September 27, 2020 at 2:42 pm

    5 stars
    Super-easy! Love it with Honeycrisp apples.

    Reply
  7. Laureen King

    September 12, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    So much better than store bought, and no additives!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Monday Moments with Yummy Apple Recipes | My Life Abundant says:
    September 11, 2017 at 4:05 am

    […] make for my son when he was younger. It tastes so good. So much better than store bought for sure. Art and The Kitchen has a slow cooker recipe to […]

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  2. 13 Irresistible Apple Recipes That Will Make You Happy This Fall says:
    October 20, 2017 at 3:56 am

    […] last, two recipes for preserving some apple goodness if you can keep from eating all yourself. Slow Cooker Applesauce by Art and the Kitchen and Homemade Apple Filling by Hugs and Cookies. Put them into perfectly upcycled jars and give away […]

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  5. Homemade Apple Chips | Art and the Kitchen says:
    May 13, 2019 at 2:19 pm

    […] Another super healthy apple snack to make is my recipe for Slow Cooker Applesauce. […]

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  6. The Easiest, Healthiest, and Tastiest Canning Applesauce Recipe - says:
    September 17, 2019 at 2:07 pm

    […] If you want to make crockpot applesauce for canning, you can also check out the recipe by Art and the Kitchen. […]

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    December 8, 2019 at 5:40 pm

    […] From: ArtAndTheKitchen […]

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  11. Herb Crusted Pork Rib Roast | Art and the Kitchen says:
    December 20, 2020 at 11:12 am

    […] and great for serving a large group. Some great side dishes to serve with pork roast are Homemade Applesauce or Garlic Mashed […]

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