Apples, cinnamon, nutmeg… these are the aromas that are bursting life into my kitchen right now! I am obsessed with fall flavours and am pretty ecstatic about all the fall goodies that will be born in my kitchen this year. In preparation, I am taking out my slow cooker to make a batch of the most essential fall ingredient, applesauce.
I always make homemade applesauce because it is so much more flavourful than the store-bought stuff and it is soo easy to make, especially when you are making it in a slow cooker. It literally only requires:
- some apples (you can throw in whatever kind of apples you have sitting around),
- a couple fall spices (which you probably already have at home),
- 10 minutes of prep, and
- a slow cooker
Plus, store-bought applesauce is infused with tons of sugar and has been sitting on the store shelf for who knows how long. Stay away from that stuff! Homemade slow cooker applesauce is so sweet, yet sugar-free! You don’t have to feel bad giving spoonfuls of this stuff to your kids!
Make a big batch and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months! I use this stuff as a side with my chicken dinner, as a sandwich spread, on top of ice cream or even in other recipes. Use it to make my applesauce pancakes with caramel apple topping!

Slow Cooker Applesauce
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 4 cups
Category: Sauce
Description
Homemade slow cooker applesauce is full of flavour, easy to make, and takes only a few minutes of your time! Make this essential fall ingredient today!
Ingredients
- 5 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cook on high for four hours or on low for 6 hours.
- For a chunky applesauce, leave as is. For a smooth applesauce, transfer into a food processor or blender and puree.
- Allow sauce to cool and divide into containers for easy storage and use.
Notes
- You can store the applesauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- You can freeze applesauce for up to 3 months.
- This applesauce can be canned for longer storage.
Applesauce Pancakes with Caramel Apple Topping
Use leftover slow cooker applesauce and make these delicious and fluffy applesauce pancakes!
Can this be canned?
Hi Angela, yes this applesauce can also be canned.
I have to agree, applesauce is such an essential Fall ingredient and it smells so good when it is cooking. The whole house smells like Fall.
This is such a great idea to do this in the slow cooker, great recipe!
★★★★★
Looks delicious!
I just so happen to have a whole BOX of apples from apple picking the other week and I definitely know what I’m doing with them now! This sounds amazing but honestly I would do it just for the aroma!
★★★★★
No reason to ever buy store bought.
Hello Fall! This is such a great recipe to make and have on hand, either in the fridge or the freezer!
★★★★★