This Instant Pot Applesauce recipe is the fastest way to make homemade applesauce! It cooks in only 5 minutes and it is the perfect fall snack.
An instant pot is a hands-off way to make applesauce quickly! Although you do have to wait for it to come to full pressure and then allow for the pressure release time, it is still so fast and easy.
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Instant Pot Applesauce Ingredients
To make this recipe, you’ll need apples, of course, but also some liquid, sugar, and extra flavor. You can swap things out or add what you want to make it your own!
- Apples: Choose a couple of varieties of apples to make the best applesauce! Look for apples that turn soft while cooking, such as Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, and Golden Delicious.
- Apple Juice: The apple juice adds additional flavor, but plain water can be used if you prefer.
- Sugar: We sweetened the applesauce with granulated sugar. You can use more sugar for tart apples or skip it if you have sweet apples.
- Cinnamon: The ground cinnamon adds so much flavor! You can also add nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves.
- Vanilla: A little vanilla extract stirred in after cooking adds more flavor.
How To Make Applesauce In An Instant Pot
Making pressure cooker applesauce only takes three easy steps: prepare the apples, cook the apples, and then mash or puree them!
Cut: Peel and cut the apples into pieces discarding the core. We recommend using an apple peeler, slicer, and corer tool to make this step easier.
Cook: Put all of the apple pieces, apple juice, sugar, and cinnamon into the instant pot. Cover and cook using a natural release followed by a quick release for the remaining pressure. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Mash: After allowing the cooked apples to cool for 15-20 minutes, puree them with an immersion blender. You can use a food processor or vented high-speed blender to mash cooled cooked apples.
Quick Tips
- Make Ahead: This is a great recipe to make ahead of time! You can store it in the refrigerator or the freezer. We like to put it into small containers and store some in both places.
- Refrigerator: Allow the applesauce to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to airtight containers and store them in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezer: Once the applesauce has cooled, store it in airtight containers in the freezer for 1-2 months for the best results. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Smaller, individual containers will thaw faster, so keep that in mind when choosing storage containers.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can serve applesauce hot or cold. Hot applesauce can be served for breakfast on pancakes or waffles or as a dessert on vanilla ice cream. Cold applesauce is a popular side dish or snack.
You can add water instead of apple juice and skip adding the granulated sugar.
Yes, you can leave the skins on most apples, but we recommend peeling tough-skinned apples such as Granny Smith. It will change the color of the applesauce, and you may need to puree the cooked apples longer to make the applesauce smooth.
More Pressure Cooker Recipes
- Instant Pot Tomato Basil Spaghetti Squash is an easy dinner recipe that is full of veggies!
- Make Instant Pot Corn On The Cob as a simple side dish for the whole family!
Instant Pot Applesauce
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 lbs apples about 10-12 medium apples
- 1 cup apple juice no added sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar up to ½ cup depending on sweetness of apples
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel, core, and cut apples into small chunks.
- Put the apple chunks into the instant pot (we use an 8-quart size). Add the apple juice, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon. Stir to coat.
- Secure the instant pot lid and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the instant pot liner and place it on a pot holder or heat-proof surface. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cool for 10-15 minutes.
- You can drain the excess liquid, before mashing the apples, for thicker applesauce, if you prefer. Mash with a fork, potato masher, immersion blender, food processor, or in batches in a vented high-speed blender (leave the center cap off the lid and cover with a dish towel) depending on how smooth you want the applesauce to be.
