This applesauce recipe is an easy, delicious approach to a comfort kitchen staple. It’s free of added sugars and infused with the flavors of the fall and winter seasons, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of cardamom. Applesauce may be easy to find at the supermarket, but nothing is more satisfying than whipping up this homemade version yourself. Meanwhile, with the crock pot doing most of the work, all you have to do is relish in the aromas and get into the holiday spirit.

The trick to perfect applesauce is cooking it low and slow. All of the flavors marry together seamlessly, offering a richer, more satisfying noshing experience. For this reason, the slow cooker is vital to the process.

As far as what type of apple you should use for the sauce, choose any apple you’d like, but I suggest one or a variety of the following: Cortland, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Braeburn, Winesap, or Newtown Pippin.

For extra sweetness, feel free to add a few tablespoons of maple syrup, coconut palm sugar, or even refined white sugar.

Homemade Applesauce Recipe

Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients

• 8-10 large apples
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup water
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Peel the apples with a vegetable peeler. Chop them into quarters and slice out the cores. Roughly chop the quarters into cubes.

Combine all of the ingredients together into a large bowl and use a spatula to fold the spices into the apples so that they are evenly coated.

Transfer the mixture to the crock pot. Close the lid and turn the temperature to high. Slow cook for 4 hours, stirring every 1 ½ hours.

Once the applesauce has finished cooking, let it cool slightly before pureeing. You can skip this step if you prefer a chunkier applesauce.

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