No Peel Instant Pot Applesauce with No Sugar

I also love that this this Instant Pot recipe is adaptable; you can easily double it or reduce the amount if you prefer a smaller or larger portion and it requires zero attention when pressure cooking so what's not to love!If you have a small fridge and freezer like mine then you know what it means to be able to make recipes in small batches which can easily be used up, without having to worry about storage.

🍏best apples to use

The best apples for applesauce are the sweet variety with a flesh that breaks down easily. If you like your apple sauce slightly tart, then, by all means, use a mix of sweet and sour varieties.

Good apple varieties that you can use include:

• Golden Delicious
• McIntosh
• Cortland
• Fuji
• Pink lady
• Jazz
• Royal Gala
• Jonathan
• Cortland

📋ingredient notes

• Apples - select from the variety above, depending on how sweet or tart you like your sauce. I used a combination of Royal Gala and Golden Delicious.
• Cinnamon - probably one of the best spices to use with apples plus it makes your home smell amazing. Other spices you can use include nutmeg, allspice, cardamon and cloves.
• Water - regarding whether to use apple juice instead of water, I would say use water unless you prefer your sauce much sweeter. You also only require half a cup of water to pressure cook the apples.

♨️making applesauce in the Instant Pot

First things first, seeing that this recipe does not require peeling, I would advise you to select organic apples. We all know that apples are one of the most contaminated produce, in terms of pesticides used so we do want to be careful with this.

When it comes to equipment, know that you can use the pressure cooker you have at home. I have had friends ask me if they can use their regular pressure cooker. The answer is yes! The ninja foodi also does a wonderful job. I used a 6 Quart pressure cooker as this is a small batch, otherwise, simply double the portion to make more.

Making the applesauce is very easy and basically involves the following steps:

• Wash, remove the cores and dice the apples. Place the diced apples, cold water, lemon juice, and cinnamon in the Instant Pot and stir to combine.

• Close the lid, turn the valve to SEAL, and set it to pressure cook at high temperature for 7 minutes. Once the pressure cooking time is up, do a quick release or allow to naturally pressure release.
• Open the lid and use a whisk or a potato masher or whisk to process for a chunky applesauce. For a smoother texture, simply use a blender.
• Transfer to sanitized jars and keep cooled in the fridge for 7-10 days.

uses in the kitchen

You can use your homemade Instant Pot applesauce in so many ways!

• Serve it as it is - the easiest and one of the best way to enjoy your applesauce is to eat it as it is. I like to fill mine in reusable pouches and serve it to the kids. While this sauce is unsweetened, it does taste naturally sweet.
• Baking - use it as a substitute for eggs in baked goods or spoon it in to add moisture to your cakes, cupcakes and muffins.
• Sauce - serve it as a sauce alongside savory dishes such as pork chops.
• As a sweetener - use it to sweeten your smoothies.
• Yogurt - spoon on yogurt for a healthy breakfast or snack.
• Porridge - it also tastes amazing served on top of hot porridge.
• Spread on toast - last but not least, spread it on your toast or combine it with nut butters on bread.
• Low carb - you can still enjoy this apple sauce if on a low carb diet. I do not recommend it for those on the keto diet though.

📖recipe variations

As in most cases, nothing is cast in stone here which means you can slightly play around with the ingredients. I have tested the below methods and love each and every one of them!

• Peel - while this is a no peel recipe, do not be afraid to peel your apples if you do not like your sauce with skins.
• Spices - nutmeg, cloves and cardamon are great spice options that match well with applesauce.
• Sweetener - make it sweeter by using a sugar-free sweetener, such as sukrin gold or swerve. Regular sweetener will do, if you like your sauce this way.
• Fruit - stir in cranberries to make instant pot cranberry sauce, or simply replace half of the apples with pears to make apple pear sauce.
• Chunky - for a chunkier applesauce, use a fork or potato masher instead of a blender or food processor.

Useful Tip: To complement the flavors from the cinnamon spice, add a pinch of salt at the end of pressure cooking, just before mashing or processing.

💭frequently asked questions