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I know – it’s not apple season. But I couldn’t resist sharing this healthy, naturally gluten-free and refined sugar-free, simple applesauce recipe with you. You’ll never buy applesauce again.
Last week I had some apples rolling around in the fruit drawer that were on the verge of going bad. I can’t stand to throw food out so I chopped up the apples and threw them in my CrockPot
Four hours later, I pulled out a big piece of apple, scraped the cooked flesh away from the skin and took a bite.
Baked apples, in any form, have always been a favorite of mine. I spent hours recreating my childhood favorites to include in my book
There wasn’t anything special about these apples. No sweetener or spiced added, just big chunks of fruit thrown into a slow cooker with a little water. The first bite didn’t disappoint. The sweet flesh was still a little firm, reminiscent of biting into an apple pie. I let them cook for another hour, when I deemed them ready for the food mill
I like my applesauce chunky so I use the disk with the largest holes when I run it through the food mill
Spread warm applesauce on your favorite loaf of zucchini bread or pumpkin loaves. Eat it cold with nothing at all or topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Other Gluten-Free Apple Recipes
- Apple & Carrot Breakfast Cake from SS&GF
- Apple Cinnamon Zepploe from Simply Gluten-Free
- Kohlrabi and Apple Slaw from Tasty Eats at Home
- Coconut Flour Apple Cake from Gluten-Free Goddess
- CrockPot Apple Coffee Cake from A Year of Slow Cooking
Make this simple appleauce in your CrockPot – no stovetop or sweeteners required! Perfect for topping zucchini or pumpkin bread.
Ingredients
- 8 – 10 medium organic gala apples
- enough water to cover the bottom of your CrockPot
Instructions
- Add just enough water to the CrockPot to completely cover the bottom.
- Chop and core your apples. Big pieces are perfect. No need to peel them.
- Put the apples into the CrockPot, cover, and cook on low for 5 – 6 hours.
- Run the cooked apples through a food mill using the large disk for chunky applesauce (my favorite) and a small disk for smooth applesauce.
- Serve warm or cover and refrigerate.
Notes
Using a sweet variety of apple, such as Gala, results in a naturally sweet applesauce.
Hallie @ Daily Bites
posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:01 am
So glad you posted this recipe! Applesauce is high up there on my list of favorite foods. I’ll eat it any season of the year.
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Teresa Maguire Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:40 am
@Hallie @ Daily Bites,When I was pregnant with my 1st child EVERY week I made 5lbs of apple sauce an ate it all myself!!… It was wonderful!I did use the Foley food mill Now I use a machacador to get perfect texture chunky sauce, but I do get rid of the skins.
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apaler1
posted on July 22, 2011 at 1:07 pm
That’s so simple! Thanks for the recipe. If I don’t have a food mill, would a food processor do?
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Amy Reply:
July 25th, 2011 at 10:52 am
@apaler1, If I made this in a food processor, I’d know up front that unless I peeled the apples I’d have a lot of skin leftover. The food mill doesn’t let most of the skin go through. I’d also puree in batches and just pulse until I got the consistency I wanted.
Hugs,
Amy
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Debbje
posted on July 22, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Thanks to this post I just spent $100 over at Amazon! haha. I needed/wanted a smaller crockpot now that it’s only two at home (kids all grown). I hated my food mill, aluminum. So purchased the oxo. Oh, and we love and have always made our own applesauce. BTW, it’s never too early to make applesauce. My fave is to use Macs and Cortlands.
Peace and Paint,
Debbie
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Amy Reply:
July 25th, 2011 at 10:50 am
@Debbje, New kitchen toys are a reason to celebrate!! Have fun!
Hugs,
Amy
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Maggie
posted on July 22, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Oh Amy, this is perfect! We love gala apples (Pete’s fave!). I will definitely try this and hopefully get my kids onto applesauce – can you believe neither of them have liked it since they were babies?
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Amy Reply:
July 25th, 2011 at 10:49 am
@Maggie, I have a hard time believing that your kids don’t love every food….you’ve done such a great job at exposing them to such a wide variety of flavors and textures. Maybe they’ll like this….if not, you can eat it.
Much love,
Amy
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claudia
posted on July 22, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Hi Amy! I really like apple sauce too. I have been receiving apple sauce from my CSA and using it for my cupcakes. It gives them a great soft fluffy flavor. I did apple-carob cupcakes with apple sauce and we really liked them.
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Amy Reply:
July 25th, 2011 at 10:48 am
@claudia, I agree, Claudia. Applesauce is a great addition to baked goods. I often use it to replace up to 1/2 of the fat – they’re healthier with a great texture, too.
Hugs,
Amy
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Lori @ Laurel of Leaves
posted on July 22, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Brilliant idea! Anything you can make in the crockpot is fantastic
I like making raw applesauce in my Vitamix, but nothing beats eating it warm in the fall and winter.
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The Cleaner Cook
posted on July 22, 2011 at 8:13 pm
I love my crockpot, I love homemade apple sauce, this is RIGHT up my alley! Thank you for a wonderful post. With the heat wave we’ve had, I wouldn’t feel one bit guilty (or sweltering) for whipping this up. Yum!
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Amy Reply:
July 25th, 2011 at 10:46 am
@The Cleaner Cook, I agree – no heat from the oven and it’s healthy, too.
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Judy@Savoring Today
posted on July 23, 2011 at 7:29 am
I’m with you, apples in the crockpot makes magic
I have used this simple apple butter recipe I was given years ago … makes the house smell wonderful too! Of course, you’ll need a warm GF biscuit when it’s done 
12 medium apples, unpeeled and cored
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Sweetener of choice: original recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar
Puree apples in a processor, add 1 cup sugar/sugar substitute equivalent for every 2 cups of applesauce into a crockpot. Put in spices to taste, let cook over night on low. You will have apple butter in the morning.
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Amy Reply:
July 25th, 2011 at 10:46 am
@Judy@Savoring Today, Yes, love making apple butter, too! In fact, I have recipes for apple butter and pear butter in my cookbook. It’s fun to can and give as gifts at the holidays.
Your spices sound like a winning combo.
Hugs,
Amy
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Clair
posted on July 23, 2011 at 7:47 am
Cannot WAIT to try this…yum.
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Junia @ Mis Pensamientos
posted on July 23, 2011 at 10:31 am
i can’t wait to try this! i love applesauce and have been meaning to try making my own!
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Noelle
posted on July 23, 2011 at 9:10 pm
SO delicious! I made it today and the whole house smelled so delicious especially when I added cinnamon to the mix.
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Amy Reply:
July 25th, 2011 at 10:38 am
@Noelle, Oh, good! I love cinnamon with my applesauce. I have been buying Saigon cinnamon from Costco and it has so much flavor.
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InTolerantChef
posted on July 24, 2011 at 2:06 am
I love the idea of using the crockpot to cook the apples, so simple and no stirring! My little daughter just made your crockpot peanutbutter cake and we put it on our blog too, it was so yummy! Thanks!
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Amy Reply:
July 25th, 2011 at 10:41 am
@InTolerantChef, So glad you liked the cake! I thought that kids would have a great time with this recipe.
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Ruth
posted on July 24, 2011 at 7:51 am
Great idea! I don’t know why I’ve never made applesauce before.
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Erica Kindler
posted on July 25, 2011 at 8:48 pm
I wanted to thank you for this recipe. After my daughters comments “its better then motts mommy” almost made me cry! thanks so much, love the site!
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Amy Reply:
July 26th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
@Erica Kindler, How cute!! Yes, it’s better than Motts!
Sending hugs!
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Jill
posted on July 25, 2011 at 9:10 pm
Hi Amy,
Thanks so much for this! I will try the crock pot next time I make applesauce (every two weeks!) but the best is your picture of the food mill! I MUST get one! Do you recommend the RSVP or the Oxo. I saw some reviews that the Oxo does a better job — what do you think? As it is we have been pushing the apples through strainers and that is hard work! I can also use it for my tomato sauce that is soon to be made!
Thanks!
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Amy Reply:
July 26th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
@Jill, The OXO has a funky bottom and if you’re bowl is wider than the feet it won’t fit on top, which is why I like the design of the RSVP because it’ll fit across a wide bowl or sauce pot.
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Marcia
posted on July 25, 2011 at 9:10 pm
Love, love, love this! Thanks for sharing another fabulous recipe!
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Amy Reply:
July 26th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
@Marcia, Miss you! Hope I can make it home soon. Love you!!
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Jen
posted on July 27, 2011 at 8:37 am
Thanks! I just made apple butter in the crock pot for the first time a couple of weeks ago and we all LOVE it. I will try this too, especially if I can find some local organic apples. Just a reminder that sadly, apples top the Dirty Dozen list of highly sprayed fruits/veggies, so organic (as your recipe states) is important.
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Amy Reply:
July 27th, 2011 at 10:16 am
@Jen, My Costco has organic apples which makes it oh-so-easy. I don’t have time to run around to 8 different places to shop for our food (I already have to go to 4!) so it thrills me that I can pick them up there.
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Courtney
posted on July 28, 2011 at 11:39 am
mmmmm, add a teaspoon of cloves and a half teaspoon of all spice and then cook it overnight with the lid partly open (I set chopsticks across the top and place the lid on those so there is no splatter) and you have apple butter in the morning!
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Natalie
posted on January 31, 2012 at 1:26 am
I made this today and my family loved it. Thank you! I never knew making applesauce could be so easy.
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Amy Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 3:29 pm
@Natalie, Yea! That makes me smile. Yes, it’s so easy and the best part is that you can make it chunky or thin. I love chunky applesauce on top of a warm piece of gingerbread.
Hugs,
Amy
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Skye
posted on April 18, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Thanks Amy for the recipe. I just went 100% sugar-free 2 days ago (all manufactured sweeteners and processed fructose as well) and the first few days have been a challenge. We really get addicted! Yeesh. Anyway, this apple sauce really did the trick. Although I think I put too much water at the bottom of my crock pot, because it came out a little watery. I added a bit of Stevia to cut the watery flavour and that did the trick!
I read your bio, I think it’s great that the GF and sugar-free lifestyle has done you so many wonders. I suffer depression and since I became vegan and reduced my gluten intake to nearly zero, I’ve noticed a huge difference as well. Just 2 days off the sugar-poison has cleared up my sinus congestion too. What we eat is so important! The hot dog and beet diet??? OMG, the things we do to ourselves huh? Congrats on your success!
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Amy Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 10:12 pm
@Skye, Congrats on our success, Skye!! I am thrilled for you! It is amazing the difference food makes.
xoxo!
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