What is better than the smell of spiced apples spreading throughout your home? This Delicious and Easy Spiced Applesauce is super easy to make and tastes like dessert fresh from the oven. It contains no added sugar and is full of warm spices, giving it excellent flavor. If you like applesauce with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves then this recipe is for you!
All the Apple Orchards
Every fall I go apple picking at least once. I started this over 10 years ago when I lived in Chicago. I could find orchards there, but I had to drive awhile outside the city. Now that I live in Western North Carolina, I am surrounded by apple orchards. Did you know the state of North Carolina ranks 7th for apple production?! This is my 3rd fall season in WNC and so far I’ve visited 4 different orchards in the area! Some seasons I’ve gone picking twice.
Without fail, I get excited about what to make when I bring the apples home. Applesauce, apple butter, apple pie, apple bread, apple crisp, try something new, or freeze them for later.
You can make this recipe with store bought apples as well. I simply get inspired by fall and apple picking and I hope you do too! Make it a fun family outing. Some orchards even let you bring the dog – but check their policies first!
Before I got an Instant Pot I would make applesauce in my thrift shop slow cooker (I swear those things last forever). It was easy, but not quick. Now with the Instant Pot, it’s so fast, it takes me longer to prep the apples than to make the applesauce.
What kind of apples should I use?
I will be the first to admit that I am not an expert at this! Each year, I asked the orchard which varieties are best for baking (out of the options they have ready for picking) and I pick a lot of those. But I pick other ones too and when I get home, I can’t remember which one is what so I end up using a mix of apples and it always tastes just fine. The only time I notice any poor taste or lack of flavor is when they are not very fresh, but that is true for most produce.
For the most recent batch I made, I waited a while to use the apples we picked, so I threw in a number of storebought ones that had been sitting around for a while. It was delicious. I was praising God for the dessert he made growing on his trees!
For this recipe, you will peel and core the apples, so it is ok if your apples have some spots on them. Lots of times the spots peel right off as you prep them. This is actually a great way to use apples with spots, without them going to waste!
Making the Delicious and Easy Spiced Applesauce
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What supplies do I need?
You could do this with a peeler and knife. Heck, you could do it with just a knife. But I love my “apple peeler, corer slicer“. Yep, that’s what it’s called, or at least what I call it. It is really not that expensive and is super helpful to make the prepping process go faster. I’ve had mine for years and it is totally worth it!
So you’ll need:
- Apple Peeler Corer Slicer
- Instant Pot (I use the 6 qt)
- Apples – I suggest a variety of types and 8-12 depending on size. I used 4 large and 6 small for this recipe
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Allspice
- Cloves
- Salt
- Lemon
- Lemon juicer (not necessary, but very convenient)
- Water
Making the Applesauce
First, you prep the apples. Peel, core, and slice them however you choose.
Next, put everything in the Instant Pot. Put the apples in followed by the water, lemon juice, spices, and salt.
Finally, put the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to the “sealing” position. Cook it on manual mode for 8 minutes.
It will take some time to build up pressure before the 8 minutes kick in. Once those 8 minutes of cooking are up, you will do a quick release and turn the valve to the “venting” position. Remove the lid and stir your applesauce. You will see it has shrunk in size almost by half and will continue to mash and shrink as you mix it.
If you are new to the Instant Pot, there are two types of positions vent on the lid – sealing and venting. Sealing is what you want it on when you are doing anything high pressure, like this recipe. Basically, you are sealing it so that the pressure can build up. When it is set to venting it means steam and air can escape. After every pressure cooking use, you either let it decrease pressure naturally by waiting 10-15 minutes or depressurize it on your own (quick release) by turning the valve to vent. You should always turn the valve to vent before you remove the lid. Make sure you read the safety instructions on your Instant Pot before using it.
It will smell like heaven! Once it has cooled a bit, do a taste test and see if you need to add any more spices or salt.
I like mine slightly chunky or textured so I don’t puree it. But if you like yours smooth or have picky eaters at home who don’t like chunky texture, you can either put an immersion blender right in the pot to blend it up or transfer it to a blender once it cools more.
You should definitely have a bowl right away because it is so deliciously warm and fresh. And it is always a good idea to taste your cooking before you serve it to anyone else. Perhaps just an excuse to enjoy it, but I won’t tell if you don’t!
Don’t forget to compost your scraps! I often have a bowl that I put the peels and cores in because there are so many of them, but then I put them in our backyard composter.
To store, I like to use mason jars and found that this recipe can fit into a quart-size mason jar. There may be some overflow, so it is in your favor to dish yourself a large bowl to you don’t have to use a second container to store it in!
I hope you enjoy this Delicious and Easy Spiced Applesauce Instant Pot recipe. If you do, rate it and share it with others!
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Spiced Apple Sauce - Instant Pot
This applesauce is super easy to make and tastes like a dessert. It has no added sugar and is full of warm spices, giving it an excellent flavor. Forget slaving over a pot, applesauce can be ready from apples to sauce in just 30 minutes! The Instant Pot is amazing!
Ingredients
- 10 apples
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ginger
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp All Spice
- 1/8 tsp Cloves
- Pince of salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup Water
Instructions
- Peel and slice apples (I use a handy all-in-one - peeler, corer, slicer)
- Place in Instant pot with lemon juice, water, spices, and salt (see notes)
- Put the lid on and make sure the valve is "sealed" (not venting)
- Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. (Hit manual and change the time to 8; it will start automatically after a few seconds)
- Once it is done, do a quick release by turning the release valve to "venting". Remove the lid and mix it up. You should notice it will have shrunk down to half its original size.
- Taste it to see if it needs more seasoning or salt.
- Optional: if you like really smooth applesauce you can blend it with an immersion blender or transfer it to a blender once it cools.
- Makes about 4 cups. Store in a glass jar in the fridge.
Notes
I love spices and flavor so this recipe has lots of it! However, I add even more when I make it. If you want to make it a little more spiced, you can add an additional teaspoon of cinnamon and an additional 1/8 tsp each of allspice and cloves.
Taste it at the end and add more spices if needed. You can always add more, but you can't take them out!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 123Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 76mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 6gSugar: 24gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate. It is an estimation and not a guarantee. The info will change based on ingredients used and serving size.
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