Slow Cooker Spiced Applesauce
Homemade applesauce made easy in your slow cooker!
Homemade applesauce is currently my favorite thing about this fall. I’ve made it before, though perhaps it was with a different recipe, because this time around the process is blowing me away. It couldn’t be more simple, and the results are incredible.
It starts with a bunch of apples I picked up from the farmer’s market. I sliced them up, put them in my slow cooker on low, and then forgot about them! That’s one the best things about slow cookers, they do all the work and hours later you get to reap the benefits.
About 8 hours later I pureed the tender apples, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, in a food processor and passed it through a mesh strainer to remove the skins and seeds. (A food mill works great too, I just don’t have one.)
I’ve since made another batch without any spices and both are equally amazing. No sugar, no other ingredients. Just fresh, local, in-season apples!
Slow Cooker Spiced Applesauce
Ingredients
- 6 pounds apples , sliced into quarters (2.7 kg)
- ¾ cup water or apple juice (178 ml)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Place the quartered apples and water/apple juice in a large slow cooker (16 quart or more). Cover and cook on "low" for 6-8 hours, stirring every hour or so. As the apples cook down they will shrink.
- During the last few hours of cooking, stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. When the apples are fully cooked, pass the mixture through a food mill to remove skins and seeds. Alternately, you can puree it in a food processor and pass it through a mesh strainer.
- Ladle the applesauce into sterilized jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Cover with lids and screw on bands. Process in a waterbath for 15 minutes (pints) or 20 minutes (quarts).
- Let cool completely and make sure the jars are sealed before storing in a cool dark place, like a pantry.
Notes
NOTES
- If you'd rather a plain applesauce, feel free to omit the spices.
- If you don't want to process the applesauce, simply store it in the fridge and consume within a few weeks.
- If you have a small slow cooker, you can still make this recipe! Simply halve or quarter this recipe, as desired.
We just slice the apples so that we don’t have the core or seeds to deal with, but don’t bother to take out the peel. We love applesauce a bit chunkier and with the peel in it! Originally, I used to blend and strain, or peel the apples first. I did this because of my kiddo. But then I realized that she will eat baked apple/peel and which isn’t any different than slightly mashed up (or slightly blended) apples with the peel on. So I made a batch without bothering to take out the peel and she loved it.
This recipe is similiar to one I created. I don’t use a slow cooker-but will try it. I do peel and core the apples first. I also freeze it in small containers, since there is only 2 of us. This is a great recipe using no sugar for Diabetics.
the first part of your recipe says to add apples to slow cooker and stir constantly but it doesn’t say anything about the water or apple juice. Does that go in first with the apples?
Hi Alex! I’m sorry for the confusion. The apples and liquid (water or apple juice) should be placed in the slow cooker at the same time. I’ve fixed the wording in the recipe.
In your directions it says to use a 16 quart slow cooker – do you really have one of those? Where would you even get one?
This recipe is specifically for making applesauce in a slow cooker. You can certainly make applesauce without one – on the stovetop – but that would require different instructions. You should be able to buy a slow cooker at any department store or online. I’m partial to the Hamilton Beach brand, but there are lots of other great choices too. Hope this helps!
Thank you for the quick reply! I understand where to get a slow cooker 🙂 but I have a 3.5 qt, a 5 qt and a 6 qt. Where did you get a 16 quart slow cooker?
In Step 1 of your instructions: Place the quartered apples in a large slow cooker (16 quart or more). Cover and cook on “low” for 6-8 hours, stirring every hour or so. As the apples cook down they will shrink.
We don’t have a slow cooker, so we don’t have any favorites, but my grandma always used to make roasts and stews with one that I loved.
All dinners! Especially chicken.