How to Make Homemade Applesauce
Save RecipeMake my easy Homemade Applesauce recipe for a great treat, to use in your baking, and as an egg substitute.
Hi Bold Bakers!
Applesauce is a common ingredient in baking. It is often used to replace eggs or to moisten cakes. However it may not be available where you live so I’m here to show you how to make Homemade Applesauce quickly and easily.
How do you make homemade applesauce?
Making your own applesauce is incredibly easy. My mum would stew apples like this and have it with yogurt as a snack. The warm apples on the cold yogurt is really comforting. Coming from Ireland, we use Bramley Apples to make purees, apple crumble, etc. but that varietal isn’t readily available in the States. Every country has different apples but the great thing about my Homemade Applesauce is that you can use any apple at all!
To make my Homemade Applesauce recipe, you start by peeling, coring, and chopping your apples. Just chop them up into smaller chunks so they cook more quickly. Then in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add your apples, water and sugar for sweetness and let it all simmer over medium heat. Once it comes to a simmer, turn your heat down to low and let it gently bubble away for around 20 minutes or until your apples are tender and soft. From here, just blend your apples with an immersion blender or even a potato masher works well. You can even add your favorite flavors like cinnamon or even vanilla to jazz it up a bit.
How Long Can you Keep Homemade Applesauce?
Store your Homemade Applesauce in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Also, it freezes really well. You can freeze it in labeled ziplock bags or even in ice cube trays. I find it really helpful to have for baking emergencies or even to serve with pork for dinner. The sweet puree compliments pork really well.
Can you Substitute Applesauce for Eggs?
Applesauce is good for baking to make many recipes moist and it’s a great egg substitute. Baking with applesauce is as easy as using my handy Egg Substitutes Chart, which gives you the best ways to use applesauce in different desserts like cakes, cookies and brownies, along with the substitute measurements you’ll need.
Get more great Apple recipes:
- 4 apples* , peeled, cored and chopped
- ¾ Cup (6oz/170g) water
- ¼ Cup (2oz/57g) sugar
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Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan.
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Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for twenty minutes.
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With an immersion blender, blend applesauce until smooth.
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Serve warm or cold. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze it.
*Use any variety of apple you like
Meet Gemma
Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, and I’m passionate about sharing my years of experience to show you how to make game-changing baking recipes with over-the-top results! Join more than 1 Million other Bold Bakers in the community for new video recipes every week!
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Hi Gemma,
Thanks for sharing this recipe. All your recipes are very helpful.
Need to know few things
1. the ratio of sugar , flour and baking powder. Every one use different ratio but I want to know the basic. Also do we need baking soda and baking powder both when we are adding eggs?
2. Can we use butter milk in all dry cakes recipes if not then how to identify where can we use and where not?
3. I made orange cake using oil n butter milk it came out amazing but when I replaced orange with banana in that same recipe the results were not good. Can you tell where I went wrong?
4. When cake is baked and toothpick comes out clean and after cooling when I cut it , it’s not spoungy and not light and fluffy inspite baking on proper temperature and time. Why this things happen?
Hi there,
I presume you are referring to the Cake Mix recipe (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/dry-cake-mix/).
1. This really depends on the recipe – if you are using the cake mix the added ingredients are for the entire measurement, that is:
1 cup (8oz/240g) flavorless oil
2 Large eggs
2 cups (16oz/500g) Buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, optional
Per the whole pack of the dry ingredients. You can reduce this proportionally too, relatively easily 1/2 it, or reduce it further for your need. The trick when increasing or reducing a recipe is that you write it out, then increase or decrease every ingredient one by one.
the ratio of baking powder and bicarbonate of soda depends on the recipe. Bicarbonate of soda is not a raising agent in the absence of an acid ingredient. It reacts with acids and with sugar, it is not as simple as it seems. The combination of bicarbonate of soda and sugar in the recipe gives a crisp finish to a cookie for instance!
You can always use buttermilk in a cake, the acid in the buttermilk softens the gluten in the flour to give a tender result.
3. the banana can be used as an egg substitute, it may have made the batter a bit over wet, depending on the combination of ingredients.
4. how a cake is mixed really matters. it is important not to over-mix a batter in order to get a light sponge cake. Over-mixing develops gluten, which toughens the sponge.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
Thanks Gemma
Hello Gemma,
I totally LOVE your website! It is most informative!
I make applesauce all the time…here is what I do differently…I use at least three to four different kinds of apples, Macintosh, Gala, empire (my fave) and granny smiths. I leave the skin on, only discard to cores. I wash well. Put all in a large pot, add very little water and NO sugar. Steam for as long as it takes for softness. The next step is to use Foley food mill over glass bowl…I only add fresh squeezed lemon juice, maples syrup, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and let it all come together…refrigerate overnight. Then serve with pork chops! I will try your suggestion (no seasoning) for egg substitute. Thank you for great work..love it! Deb
Hi Deb,
I love that advice! Great idea adding a natural sugar. Thanks for sharing and for being apart of the community.
Best,
Gemma.
Hi Gemma,
I am big fan of your recipes.
Can you share your email id as I have loads of questions regarding baking.
Also wanted to work with you as intern. i am based in India. Want training under you.
Hi,
Really glad you like BBB. You can reach out on email via info@biggerbolderbaking.com.
Best,
Gemma.
Having pork chops for dinner tomorrow night so I thought it was a good time to try your recipe. It was so easy and quick to make and it taste so good. I did add in some cinnamon to mine. Will probably be freezing half of it since there is only two of us.
Hi Gracie,
yummy! love pork chops with apple sauce! That sounds lovely and it will freeze well for you too. Well done, love a little cinnamon in my apple sauce too. It is good to have you here with us,
Gemma 🙂
I searched the internet for quite a while looking for a simple, straightforward homemade applesauce recipe; so glad I found this one!
It reminds me of the applesauce my mom used to make my brother, sister and I when we were little living on a farm in LaValle, Wi.
Thanks so much Gemma! 🍎
Thank you Kelly, and thanks you for your story too. How lovely to have your own apples. There is a return to these simple pleasures now!
Good to have you here with us,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma
Thanks for this recipe, Gemma. Love that I can make this and use as an egg sub as it is not on shelves in stores in South Africa.
Love you baking basics series. 🙂
Yes, i do that too! Thank you so much, i’m delighted to hear that!
Hi Gamma O just love your site and have made quite a few things from it. Could I just ask if baking with the Apple sauce how much do I use, is it the same amount as you would sugar, and if I want to use some sugar substitute what ratio would it be?
Great question, have a look at my egg substitute chart, it will explain how to swap it out. https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/egg-substitutes-for-baking/
Awesome! Thank you for this .
Jas
Where could someone possibly live where they can buy all of the other ingredients to bake something, but their store doesn’t have the all elusive applesauce?
Lost me there. Will not try this recipe now.
hi Zac,
You may notice that I did a little edit on he comment, though I thought it worthy of a response.
You would be amazed at the size and complexity of different cultures and societies around the world. In many places people use what they can grow, where employment is low, and incomes do not allow for purchasing things conveniently packaged in jars. However they may be able to buy or grow apples/coconuts/mango/passion fruit etc. Then they teach us things too, like how to make coconut milk/cream/flat breads etc.
Egg substitution also comes from societies where eggs are not part of their traditional food, and this has taught us to bake without eggs for people who cannot tolerate them. So, you see, we are one people, inhabiting a really big diverse world, really interesting too, worth getting to know.
Thank you for being here with us,
Gemma 🙂
Hi gemma,
Instead of sugar can i use honey instead?
Hi Scarlet,
Yes! Honey is a liquid sugar, very high in fructose, just like the fruit!
Use a little less honey than the sugar amount to avoid a strong flavor, all will be well,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma! I live in Tijuana, Mexico which is just across the border from San Diego CA. I love the mixture of both countries ( mexican and american). What always frustrates me is how diferente the ingredientes from each country are really are. I can’t find in Mexico some applesauce, canned pumpkin , canned coconut milk, buttermilk and so on.
I am really forward to trying your applesauce récipe but my question is what kind of apple do you recommend. In Mexico I can get Gala, Fuji, Golden delicious (yellow apple) and Green apple. Good luck with your récipes.
Hi there Graciela,
How lovely! Yes you are right there are cross cultural references here in California, happy to say.
You can make your own pumpkin puree, actually butternut squash makes a great puree.
The apple I would choose is probably the green one, if it is a bit sharp in taste it will be great.
Golden delicious is a bit mild I think. Jonagold, if you have that one is good, and a Bramley is perfect, but not so easy to find.
Canned coconut milk I am surprised about! Do you have ethnic stores? It is almost everywhere now.
You will have to open a store for exotic ingredients!
Gemma 😉
Hi there! I’m making this applesauce right now and doubled the recipe so I can freeze in pouches for my little one! I did not use sugar, not sure if that’s what caused this, but it seems to be pretty watery! Do I drain the water before I blend?? Help!
Hi Danielle,
This is probably down to the juice in the apples. Some apples are more juicy than others. I would blend it as it is, but if you decide to strain it, then do not waste the juice! you can chill it and add it to smoothies, other drinks etc.
If you use the same apples again then reduce the water, and start the simmering really slowly, in a covered pot, then the apples will cook in their own juice.
hope this is of help to you,
Gemma 🙂
Best applesauce ever. Fresh, smooth and the natural sugars are brought out. Easy to fix and I don’t have an immersion blender. I used a potato masher. Excellent recipe.
Thank you for this lovely review of this recipe, I appreciate it,
Gemma 🙂
Love this recipe. 🙂 Made it today and just amazing!
And apples with pork is one of my favorites!!
delighted you like it Jackie 🙂
Hi Gemma!
This looks super easy – thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I would like to try and make this without sugar (which you’d mentioned would work just as well). But for how long can this be stored in a freezer? And what would be the best way to thaw it before use in baking?
Hi there,
Yes, this is an easy thing to make, and to store.
I suggest an ice tray, wrapped in cling film, or a plastic bag. Then you can defrost little amounts at one time.
There are lots of ways to do this, but what you need is to freeze in the amounts you will need to defrost, at any one time,
Gemma 🙂
hello Gemma; not to change the subject, but I have a ?, was in the store today + I saw (1st time there) rootbeer extract! at $4.00-5.00 price range of course. but how would you whip up a batch? i’ve infused booze with rootbeer, would it be the same way? thanx
Hi Lee,
Haha!Most root beers made today contain neither sarsaprilla root, wintergreen, or cherry tree bark, and are instead made with artificial flavors. Even wintergreen extract, the preferred flavoring for many home brewers, is difficult to attain and typically is made with propylene glycol – a petrochemical! I understand that this was in its time a different thing, containing vanilla but I cannot even imagine how I would replicate it. Sorry, Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
Can you do a bold baking basic on corn syrup without thermometer and if it uses cream of tartar can I replace it with vinegar or lemon juice? And can you make homemade chocolates (milk,dark and white) with cocoa butter for real chocolate and without cocoa butter for compound or fake chocolate for decorations?
Hi there,
The corn syrup one I am working on, I will get it right, but I need time.
The science of baking, leavening (rising) a bake involves Yeast for breads, Bicarbonate of soda (alkaline) combined with an acid ( cream of tartar, lemon juice, vinegar, buttermilk, yogurt). Baking powder is a balanced version of this. What we use depends on the recipe, Irish soda bread for instance always uses bicarbonate of soda with buttermilk.
I will probably not make chocolate, I need to pay attention to what ingredients all of the bold bakers out there can find, raw cocoa beans are hard to come by!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma! I was wondering if I could leave the apples unpeeled. Thanks!
Hi Brandon,
Some people will say yes! It really depends on the apples, some have tender skins. Bramley apples, in the UK and Ireland are a cooking apple with a tough skin, this would be horrible in the sauce. I prefer a smooth sauce!
Gemma 🙂
Do you think unpeeled granny smith apples would be suitable for making applesauce?
Hi Brandon, this is a question of taste, I do not like peel in mt apple sauce, but some people do!
Gemma 🙂
how many grams of apples ? where i live we have small apples and large apples ? so how can i know how much liquid to add for the small ones and large ones ? thanks ive been adding your basic recipes to my to do list in the upcoming days 🙂 thank you so much. love from malta 🙂
Do we have to cool the applesauce before blending it? Or would it be alright to just blend it straight from the stove?
I never blend a really hot liquid if I can avoid it, as it can splatter and burn! cool it if you have time, otherwise be careful! 🙂
Hi, Gemma!
Can I leave the sugar out in this recipe?
By the way, I tried your pie crust recipe the other day and it turned out amazing, much better than others I had tried before!
That is great Beatriz, I am happy to hear that.
you can eliminate the sugar, especially when using dessert apples. They are sweet enough!
Gemma 🙂
is inspired home your website
Hi there,
No, Inspired Home is not my website, though I do like it very much!
No my next recipe does not contain applesauce, it is a useful sauce for lots of things, including egg replacement,
Gemma 🙂
do your next recipe containing apple sauce
sorry for repeating
well do u remember me ?
well I am nida .I have talked before with u
Hi there Nida,
Now I am not sure if you are asking me this question! If so, yes, i do remember you, it is good to have you with us,
Gemma 🙂
To flavor the sauce, you said you can use cinnamon. How much cinnamon would you recommend to add?
Hi there, for me about 1/4 teaspoon, though some people would like much more than that! a little nutmeg is gorgeous in this too.
Gemma 🙂
Thank you! I can’t wait to try this recipe 🙂
Hi Gemma, we always have a surplus of apples from our trees, even after giving lots away. We have always used the same recipe, with double the sugar for canning (in Jars)them. There are 52 weeks in the year and we always process 50 jars. There’s always some left over before the next harvest. You need the extra sugar for preserving, but you can’t beat fresh made with less sugar.
Hi there, that is interesting! Where i grew up in Ireland there was no tradition of canning. The apples would be stored, in a single layer, in a cool place.
We have a cooking apple in Ireland and the UK called a Bramley apple. This is a super sour apple, needs loads of sugar, and it would be used with blackberries to make preserves, to balance the pectin.
Do you know of a similar apple in the US? it is large, very green, bumpy and could not be eaten in the hand as a dessert apple.
Thank you for telling me this,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma! Thanks a lot! Always wondered how to make Apple sauce. I’m really excited for the results of the contest?when can we have them?
Hi Ann,
I am waiting for kevin to pass them over to me, in the next day or so!
Thanks for your patience,
gemma 😉
Hi Gemma!!!! I was wondering what u can do if I don’t have the blender u used to smooth out the applesauce what can I use it instead?
Hi Maxine,
Before there were blenders there was elbow grease, and a whisk! You can do this by hand if you can manage it, or use a hand held whisk either, for this it is easy,
Gemma 🙂
Hi 👋 My daughter loves applesauce.I always have to buy big jars for her.When I came across your recipe i decided to give it a try we’ll my daughter says it’s the best applesauce ever😋so thank you for sharing 😋
Hi Salena,
Yes! and of course it is the best, you made it, with fresh fruit, especially for her! Happy days 😉
Gemma 🙂