Easy homemade applesauce
Applesauce can be a snack by itself or used in baked goods to reduce fat and cholesterol. This recipe is simple to customize. You can add your favorite spices. This recipe calls for cinnamon, but you could also add a pinch of nutmeg, or replace the cinnamon with 1/2 teaspoon of ginger or cardamom. Or you could add dried cranberries and crystallized ginger for holiday applesauce.
Servings: 4 as a snack or 12 as a condiment
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized sweet apples (Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious or another favorite sweet apple), peeled, cored and chopped into large chunks
- 1/2 to 3/4 cups water (or more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Directions
- Put all ingredients in a large saucepan, with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep covered as it simmers.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, checking periodically to be sure the pan is not dry.
- When the apple is soft, remove from heat and mash with a fork or potato masher to desired consistency. Enjoy warm or let cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Note: This recipe is adaptable! If you’re expecting a big crowd, you can easily double or triple the recipe. You can also reduce the number of apples to make less applesauce.
Nutrition information (per serving)
- Serving size: Full-size snack
- Calories: 70
- Total fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Total carbohydrate: 19 g
- Dietary fiber: 3 g
- Total sugars: 14 g
- Protein: 0 g
Serving size: Condiment
- Calories: 23
- Total fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Total carbohydrate: 6.3 g
- Dietary fiber: 1 g
- Sugars: 3.6 g
- Protein: 0 g