This crockpot (slow cooker) applesauce recipe is a family favorite. Eat it as a snack, or serve it alongside a holiday ham or roast turkey.
I was nearly ousted from the family last night. I put a comment on the Cookin' Canuck Facebook page to say that my mother-in-law's applesauce recipe was cooking in the crockpot and I would be posting the recipe. About 30 minutes later, my brother-in-law commented, "Noooo...can't post the family recipe..." and later "Just won't feel the same knowing that millions of people across the country will be enjoying it" (a million people - in my dreams).
I had to respect his unwillingness to share his mum's recipe and his loyalty to this applesauce of all applesauces. The only way to resolve this dilemma was to go to the source. I called my mother-in-law to ask for her blessing which, luckily for all of you, she happily gave. So, if you make this recipe, please give a nod of thanks to several generations of women who have made this recipe for the families that always appreciated its wonderful flavor and warmth. To my brother-in-law: I hereby pledge to put a copyright on this recipe if I ever get millions of readers and to take all other family recipes to the grave with me.
The recipe:
Peel, core, quarter and slice 5 medium-sized Gala and 5 medium-sized Yellow Golden Delicious apples. Now, if you have one of these handy-dandy apple peelers, your work will be done in about 5 minutes. My kids fight over who gets to be the first peeler operator of the season.
Place all of the apple pieces in a large bowl and add ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. The original recipe calls for ¾ to 1 cup of sugar. Each year, I have decreased the amount of sugar by a little bit. No one seems to have noticed, so I've decided to stick with the lower sugar version. The waistband on my jeans thanks me.
Stir well.
Pour ¼ cup water or apple juice into the bottom of a large crockpot (slow cooker) and add the apple mixture.
Cover, turn the crockpot setting to Low, and cook for about 8 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking up the apple slices with a wooden spoon as they soften. If you have a faster-paced life, crank the crockpot up to high and cook for 5 hours. It's that easy.
Other family apple recipes:
Smitten Kitchen's Mom's Apple Cake
Simply Recipes' Mom's Baked Apple Slices
A Whisk & a Spoon's Mom's Banana Apple Bread
Printable Recipe
The Family Crockpot Applesauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 medium-sized Gala apples peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced
- 5 medium-sized Golden Yellow Delicious apples peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup water or apple juice
Instructions
- Place all of the apple pieces in a large bowl and stir in sugar and ground cinnamon. Pour water or apple juice into the bottom of a large crockpot (slow cooker) and add the apple mixture. Cover, turn the crockpot setting to Low, and cook for about 8 hours (or on High for 5 hours), stirring occasionally and breaking up the apple slices with a wooden spoon as they soften.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Jennifer
Can I use this recipe for canning?
Dara
To be honest, I have never canned anything. 🙂 I'm guessing it would work, but can't give you a definite answer.
Diane Russo
Make this every year for Thanksgiving and even when its not depending on what I'm making. I will never go back to Mott's applesauce again. So Easy. Bringing it too my friends house for Thanksgiving dinner along with desert. Easy peasy
Dara
That's so wonderful to hear, Diane! Thank you for commenting.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl
Galas and golden delicious are two of my favorite apples!! Love this!
Julia
Thank you Dara's MIL for allowing her to post this. My entire family appreciates it 🙂
Heather Bell
This was so yummy and smelled so good! I shared it on my blog. Hope you don't mind!
http://bellesbazaar-heather.blogspot.com/2011/10/crockpot-applesauce.html
BJ
Just made this today. Delicious! I also cheated and added a little sour salt (citric acid) to give it a little more tartness - I'm not sure what kind of apples I got, but they were not tart. I also used a stick blender at the end to give it a baby food smoothness, just like grandma used to make it.
My slow cooker runs hot, so mine cooked for about 5-6 hours on low and it was plenty done.
Thanks for the recipe!
Linda Wright
Hi Dara! I'm on a roll with your recipes this weekend! I made this while the kids played out in the snow last night. What a wonderful thing to wake up to in the morning! I somehow couldn't find my cinnamon, so I just threw in 3 cinnamon sticks and fished them out in the morning. I used apple cider as a previous poster suggested and whatever apples I had on hand. Delish!
Cookin' Canuck
Penny, apple cider would be fine. Really, you just need some liquid in the bottom of the crockpot. Most often, I use water and this doesn't sacrifice the flavor at all.
pennyK
Thanks for sharing! I'm going to try it right now...for real!
You mention that you can use apple juice instead of water. Have you ever tried apple cider?
Jasmine
Just came across this blog and your recipe the other night. I made the applesauce last night and it was delicious! I blogged about it as well. Just wanted to let ya know, and thank you!!! 🙂
http://zazzleelite.blogspot.com/
Cookin' Canuck
Whitney, you should break it up with a wooden spoon, either as it is cooking or near the end of cooking. The apple slices will break up very easily and you'll end up with a chunky applesauce. If you want less chunks, break it up more. Sorry that I don't have that in the instructions. I"m going to add it in right now.
Whitney
What are you supposed to do once they're cooked?? They're just some soft apple slices...do I mush them up or what?
Anonymous
Thanks. I usually make mine in a pot. Now I can get some sleep tonight, Thanksgiving Eve. The photos are great too. Thanks to your mother-in-law.
Tracey
Anonymous
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I used it in my first grade class this past week, and your applesauce was a hit! Another teacher saw how much fun we had, and how yummy the applesauce was, and made the applesauce with her class two days later!
Jamie
Fabulous looking applesauce! And love the "gadget" as my son calls it to peel the apples.
A Country Homemaker
Looks so yummy! I was wondering if this could be canned after it is cooked this way?
Kevin
That apple sauce looks good! I like to roast the apples when making apple sauce. It seems to intensify the flavour.
Momma Jen
Thanks for the recipe, I will be making this for my family tonight. (And thank your MIL) Can't wait to have some for breakfast in the morning!