An easy applesauce recipe with no apple-peeling required. Even better, the result is a creamier, extra healthy apple sauce. Less work and tastier than ever – Double Win!
Did you know that you don’t have to peel apples to cook them? I put unpeeled apples in all kinds of recipes. The peel softens when the apple cooks and you barely notice that it’s there.
To Peel Or Not To Peel Apples?
But I still peel apples to make apple sauce. Or at least I did until last month. I had this big bushel of apples that I’d received from a client and I knew that they were going to go bad if I didn’t do something quickly. I decided to make apple sauce even though I didn’t have time for all the peeling. I cored the apples, sliced them, and put them in a covered pot in the oven.
If you think that the unpeeled apples in my recipes are due to laziness, you are correct. But they’re also due to health. It turns out that most of an apple’s nutrients are in its peel, including most of the fiber, vitamins and the obesity and cancer-fighting aspects of apples that have been in the news recently. So if given the choice between peeling and not peeling, I always go with the healthier easier route and leave the peels on.
For this recipe, it speeds things up and it yields a very healthy applesauce that my whole family loves.
Making Easy Applesauce
My plan had been to mash the cooked apples as usual and just pretend that the peel wasn’t even there. But after a lot of mashing, I wasn’t happy with the lumpy weird texture.
What to do? I put everything in the blender in batches. I used a high-powered blender (mine’s a Blendtec) so it really whipped it up. The result was an apple sauce with a smooth and creamy texture like pudding. If you don’t have a Blendtec or Vitamix or other crazy-powerful blender, try using a regular one but only fill it halfway full and add extra liquid in dribbles as you blend to really get it whizzing around.
If you were reading carefully you probably noticed that I made this applesauce in the oven rather than on the stove top. Why? I didn’t want to have to stir it often or worry about it sticking or burning on the bottom. By putting it in the oven all those worries go away. I stirred it once when pulling it out to check if the apples were soft enough yet. So simple.
You could also make this recipe in a slow cooker. Cook for 4-6 hours on high or until very tender. Then blend as described.
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Creamy Easy Applesauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 20 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Super-smooth and creamy apple sauce that doesn’t require peeling the apples.
This recipe is baked in the oven and then pureed until very smooth in a high-powered blender. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, use a regular blender or food processor but only fill it half full and add dribbles of liquid to help it really whiz around to get a smoother texture. Yields 10 cups.
Ingredients
- 6 lbs. apples (about 12-15 medium apples), cored
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves (optional)
- lemon juice (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice the apples into about 10-12 slices each. Put them into a Dutch oven or large pot with lid along with the brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves (if using). Stir.
- Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Stir. Cover and continue to bake until very soft, about 20-30 minutes more.
- Transfer some of the apples to a high-powered blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix, only filling it half full. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Puree until very smooth.
- Taste and add more lemon juice if desired. Transfer puree to a bowl and repeat in batches with remaining apples.
Gini says
I just finished making no-peel apple sauce. Been doing it that way for years, but I don’t cook the apples first. I simply core them, quarter them and put them in my food processer. After processing I add sugar to taste (usually about a tablespoon per pound, depending on the tartness of the apples) an equal amount of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp cinnamon per lb of apples, put it all in a microwaveable bowl and zap it for 10 minutes at high power, stirring a couple of times during the cooking. My family loves it!
Christine Pittman says
Thank you for sharing your method with us, Gini!
Stacie Galbavy says
I was just wondering if you really need to cook the apples first? Also, anyone know if you can freeze this regardless if you cook first or just put straight into blender? Also…what would be the best way to can? I’m so ready to do this, just want to know the best a quickest way since i recently had surgery and want to stay off of my feet. Thank you for posting. and thank you for tips in advance :)
Christine Pittman says
Yes, the apples do need to be cooked first, Stacie. It would not end up with an applesauce texture without cooking, the blender would kind of shred the apples up instead of pureeing. You can absolutely freeze it though! It never lasts long enough in my house to do that, but you could. I’m not familiar with canning, so I can’t offer advice on that, unfortunately.
T H Eaton says
Frankly, YUCK. this is more like apple butter than nice, fresh tasting apple sauce and it looks like a jar full of poo. Where ever did you get the idea that mashing was the way to get peels out of the apple mush? There are tools for that, of course they are not operated by computer programs or electricity, they are hand tools. They worked well for my mother, and hers and even hers. I am over 70 and they still work and are way easier to clean than a blender too. Look up Foley Food Mill, they might still even be in business.
Linda says
Hi!
Possible to make it without any spices or sugar? Just apples and lemon juice and water. I have 9 bushels of apples and not peeling would be great!
Christine Pittman says
Yes, absolutely, Linda. If you enjoy unsweetened applesauce, then go for it!
Maegan says
I don’t have a fancy blender but I do have an immersion blender! It worked just as well but it took a bit more elbow grease to get it nice and smooth. Still took much less time than peeling all those apples though! Love this recipe, thanks!Â
Also, if you are going to try it with the immersion blender I would suggest scraping down the sides of the bowl Every now and then. The apples like to stick themselves to the sides :)Â
Christine Pittman says
Thanks, Maegan! Happy to hear you had success with the immersion blender as well.
Carolyn says
I’m about to try this in the slow cooker. Do I need to add water at all?? Looking forward to this yummy applesauce!
Suzanne says
Delicious! My new favorite way to make applesauce. The roasting really brings out the flavor and you can’t beat no-peeling for speed. Thank you!Â
Christine Pittman says
Isn’t it great, Suzanne? So happy you enjoyed!
Patti Ey says
this was fantastic, never will I peel apples for applesauce again!!!
Christine Pittman says
Yay! Glad you liked it!
Natalie says
Amazing recipe, my kids love it! Thanks for sharing.
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome. So glad you guys liked it, and thanks for letting me know!
Leonie says
Thanks for this recipe! The combination of no-peeling and oven cooking was perfect
I added lots of spices- cardorom and nutmeg as well as cinnamon and cloves and it is just delicious.
Christine Pittman says
So glad you liked it, Leonie!
Vivienne A. says
I had an over-abundance of apples from my young apple tree which are smaller than regular apples, so peeling them was going to be very tedious. I found this recipe and was skeptical about unpeeled apples. Well I have never been so happy to be wrong. This is a wonderful recipe and the sauce is so smooth it could be an apple butter too. Especially if you up the cinnamon and cloves. I was going to freeze half, but then my husband tasted it and said no way was it going to not all be eaten within days. Also the house smells amazing as well from roasting them. Thank you so very much!
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
That’s wonderful, Vivienne! The amazing smelling house is definitely a nice bonus. :)
Shanna K Schweitzer says
I’ve got a HUGE harvest of apples so I have three batches going. Going to can this in a water bath for cute gifts for my girls weekend. Any reason this shouldn’t can well?
Christine Pittman says
Shanna, it should can just fine. Do come back and let me know how you like it!
Erin Mittman says
Hey thanks, using a slow- cooker instead of the oven is a great idea… am going to try it tomorrow but won’t be using lemon juice since I’m allergic to it.
Sherry Descheneau says
I just made this, and it’s really delicious! Â Easy way to put my “not great” apples to use, thank you for posting this, I will make this every year, I hope it freezes well.
Christine Pittman says
Sherry, Fantastic! So happy you liked it.
Merry Boggs says
Christine! thank you I have so many apples this year! I will freeze applesauce and hand out containers this Christmas.
Thank you,
Merry
Christine Pittman says
Merry, You’re welcome. And what a nice treat for your loved ones!
katie says
AMAZING! Never thought about making apple sauce with the skin on!
Kristen @ Dinner For Two Blog says
You had me at no peeling necessary! I’ll be making this very soon!