This delicious homemade no-peel with no sugar added Instant Pot applesauce is the deal! The best part is, this sauce only requires a fraction of the time it would normally take you to make applesauce on the stovetop.
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why make this recipe
- Perfectly seasoned with cinnamon and tastes absolutely amazing.
- Easy and fast - I have made many Instant Pot recipes and I can tell you confidently that this is by far one of the easiest and quickest that you can make.
- No peel - I like to pressure cook my apples with the skins on. The peel has loads of useful vitamins, minerals and it is packed with fibre so it is actually good to use it whenever we can. Also, no peeling means less work and more time which can then be used for other tasks in the home.
- No sugar - this homemade apple sauce is naturally sweetened, meaning you can enjoy it without feeling guilty. This is particularly wonderful as you can serve it to your kids as part of a healthy breakfast, snack or dessert option, without having to worry about added sugars.
- Gluten-free and paleo-friendly - plus it is free of preservatives too.
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
Applesauce and apple puree are essentially the same. The only difference is how both are finished. Apple puree is always smooth, while applesauce can be smooth or chunky.
To thicken applesauce, make a slurry consisting of one tablespoon tapioca (or wheat) flour and 6 tablespoons of water. Stir this into the pot, set to saute for 5 minutes, combine and allow to simmer and thicken, stirring from time to time.
storing
Store your Instant Pot applesauce in the fridge or freezer as follows:
- Refrigerator - it will keep in the fridge for 7-10 days.
- Freezer - keep it in the freezer for 4-6 months.
more Instant Pot recipes to explore
Tried this no-peel homemade applesauce recipe? Let me know in the comments section below how it went. Or simply pin on Pinterest for later. Love your Instant Pot as I do? Then, here are some more recipes for you to try.
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📖 Recipe
No Peel Instant Pot Applesauce with No Sugar
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 apples (cores removed, with peels) - use a mix of Golden Delicious and Royal Gala
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- juice of half a lemon
Instructions
- 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 to process, for chunky applesauce (for a smoother texture, simply use a blender).
- Transfer the applesauce to sanitized jars and keep cooled in the fridge for 7-10 days.
Notes
- To thicken your applesauce, make a slurry consisting of one tablespoon tapioca (or wheat) flour and 6 tablespoons of water. Stir this into the Instant Pot, set to saute for 5 minutes, combine and allow to simmer and thicken, stirring from time to time.
- Complement the flavors from the cinnamon spice by adding a pinch of salt at the end of pressure cooking, just before mashing or processing.
- Store this applesauce in the fridge for 7-10 days and in the freezer for 4-6 months.
- Golden Delicious
- McIntosh
- Cortland
- Fuji
- Pink lady
- Jazz
- Royal Gala
- Jonathan
- Cortland
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