Instant Pot Applesauce

Instant Pot Applesauce is so easy, so flavourful, and texturally perfect! Made with apples, water, lemon juice, and a few optional additional flavors, in under 30 minutes you’ll have tasty and easy homemade applesauce that is WAY better than store-bought. There is no more stirring at the stove, just dump the apples, peeled or not, add the water and the pressure cooker does the work!

Then enjoy it on its own or use it to make healthy apple bread, healthy apple muffins, or almond flour waffles.

Easy Homemade Instant Pot Applesauce

Nothing says fall like warm apples and cinnamon which means there is no better time to make this unsweetened applesauce recipe in Instant Pot. It is too easy not to! No more stirring at the stove for long periods because the Instant Pot does all the work for you in this easy homemade applesauce. It’s pure and simply made, with the option of adding in a little natural sweetener and cinnamon if you’d like.

My kids love it as a healthy and nutritious snack. Sometimes I mix in homemade granola, Instant Pot Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of maple syrup and they’re in heaven!

There’s just something about the aroma of homemade applesauce, especially when the cooler weather comes knocking. Knowing it doesn’t come with tons of added sugar the way store-bought brands sometimes do is a bonus. Homemade apple puree is so much better for you without all of the extra stuff, it tastes better and is a great way to use up any apples that have been sitting around a while.

Buying organic applesauce isn’t cheap! You can make a big batch of your own in your pressure cooker and have it for days and freeze whatever you don’t use making it a cost-effective way to batch cook!

You can also use pressure cooker applesauce in your baking as a replacement for melted butter or oil as well as a natural sweetener. Try and be amazed how moist banana muffins, zucchini bread and blueberry muffins with applesauce come out!

With very little time and effort and a few simple ingredients, you’ll never buy store-bought again! From pulled pork to chocolate muffins, to homemade BBQ sauce, there are so many uses for this Instant Pot applesauce recipe.

Why This Unsweetened Applesauce Recipe for Instant Pot Works?

• It’s so easy. Like, ridiculously easy! The hardest part might be deciding if you want to peel your apples or not.
• The flavour, texture, and consistency are so much better than anything store-bought, even the organic stuff! You just can’t beat homemade.
• Applesauce is a versatile recipe that can be used on its own as a snack, as homemade baby food, and as an ingredient in baking.
• You can make a big batch of this unsweetened applesauce recipe and portion it out as a way to save money and time later on.
• It’s fast! Since there is no standing around at the stove, the pressure cooker does all the work! It’s ready to eat in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Applesauce

• Apples: Cored and quartered. Can be peeled or not. If you peel your apples you will have a consistency closer to store-bought applesauce, which my kids like. However, keep in mind you will also lose a bit of the vitamins and nutrients (ie. fibre) that the peel provides.
• Cold water: If you double the number of apples for pressure cooker applesauce, don’t double the water.
• Lemon juice: Can also use citric acid. Adding either will help keep your applesauce from browning too much.
• Optional seasonings: Adding a tablespoon of maple syrup as an additional sweetener to your unsweetened applesauce recipe can help if your apples are sour. As well, adding a tsp of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice can add another layer of flavor. Season to your liking.

How to Make Applesauce in Instant Pot

There is a full recipe card below.

• Prep: Peel (or not) the apples for Instapot applesauce. As mentioned above, peeling your apples will give you a similar consistency to store-bought. Core and cut the apples into quarters. If not peeling, the easiest way is to use an apple slicer.
• Set Instant Pot: Add the apples to 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot along with water. Close the lid and set pressure release valve to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 8 minutes.
• Release Instant Pot: Once finished, release the pressure right away – Quick Release. Open the lid and if you find you have a few pieces that still need mashing, go ahead and do that now using a potato masher.
• Add: Once your unsweetened applesauce recipe is made, stir in the lemon juice.
• Optional additions: If you’d like your Instapot applesauce sweeter add a bit of maple syrup, and season to your taste, along with a sprinkling of cinnamon if you wish.

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Optional Instapot Applesauce Add-in’s and Variations

Although this unsweetened applesauce recipe on its own has loads of flavour, sometimes it’s nice to add in a little something extra from time to time!

• Spices: Cinnamon or nutmeg, or both! You could try adding pumpkin pie spice (which is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves).
• Sweetener: Maple syrup is always nice with cooked apples, as is honey (raw, unprocessed if possible). You could also use a bit of brown sugar if you’re into that for this Instapot applesauce.
• Other fruit: Substitute strawberries, pears, or peaches to this recipe, or better yet, pick two fruits to make a nice blended fruit sauce.

Tips for Best Applesauce Instant Pot Results

• No waste: If you have an abundance of apples, use them unripened, a little overripe, and even ones that have sat too long in the fridge (even the ones with worms!). Still have more? Make apple oatmeal bars, oatmeal muffins, or healthy gingerbread loaf.
• Best apples: Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Gala, or McIntosh all work well alone for instapot applesauce or as a combination.
• Easiest way to prep apples: Any gone bad spot or worms holes can be removed with a paring knife. Then I quickly core and cut apples with an apple slicer. So quick and easy!
• Don’t double the water: No matter the number of apples you add, do not double the water. Add the same 1/4 cup cold water for any amount of apples that are not exceeding the 2/3 max mark.
• Unpeeled apples+no water: If you have an older model of the Instant Pot that is not as sensitive to Burn, I had success adding unpeeled apples and no water. I found peels contain a lot of water which leads to a runnier sauce. While coming to pressure, that water is being extracted enough to bring the pot to pressure. You can try it, but don’t walk away!

FAQs

Serving Recommendations

As is. A bowl of warm Instapot applesauce all on its own is perfection. The balance of sweet and tart balanced by a smooth consistency is a big reward for doing almost no work!

Stir in some homemade granola, Instant Pot vanilla yogurt, or a drizzle of maple syrup for a heartier snack with added health benefits like protein and fibre.

Serve along with some tangy cheese like a high-quality sharp cheddar, cottage cheese, fresh feta, or goat cheese. If you have some baked brie, serve it with a dollop of applesauce.

Spread it: On top of your waffles, pancakes, toast, and crepes.

Use in baked goods: Pressure cooker applesauce can be used in healthy banana muffins, healthy blueberry muffins, healthy zucchini bread, healthy chocolate muffins, apple oatmeal bars with honey, healthy oatmeal muffins, and this healthy gingerbread loaf.

Making Easy Homemade Applesauce in Advance

Storing: Instant Pot applesauce will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Freezing: You can freeze your pressure cooker applesauce, also in an airtight freezer-friendly container, leaving room for expansion for up to 3 months in a fridge freezer or up to 1 year in a deep freezer.

Thawing: When ready to thaw, leave it on your counter for approximately 6-8 hours. If you would like to serve it warm, reheat it on the stovetop on low until heated through. In any case, stir for even consistency.

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