Instant Pot Applesauce

Instant Pot Applesauce - no need to peel the apples, can be easily customized with other spices, and cooks in five minutes!  This basic applesauce recipe can be made without added sugar and left chunky or blended smooth.

I love using my Instant Pot for simple recipes, like cooking sweet potatoes or sticky rice.  This Instant Pot Applesauce is another basic recipe that we make often.  My kids love applesauce, especially with an extra pinch of cinnamon and brown sugar. 

They also like it when I leave this recipe extra thick (like a compote) and spoon it over this French Toast.

Applesauce with Peel

I prefer to make my Instant Pot Applesauce with peel left on because I'm too lazy to peel all.the.apples it's such a waste not to and it softens to the point it is unrecognizable in the final product anyway.  I simply cut them into ⅛ sections and remove the seeds.  Try to aim for uniform pieces for best results.  

We've also trained our kids to eat the peel so it's not an issue for them.  Apparently my father-in-law used to tell my husband and his siblings that the apple peel cleans your teeth (to get them to eat it), so we've passed that down to our kids ha-ha!  

Applesauce Apples

I chose Honeycrisp for this Instant Pot Applesauce recipe because they're my family's favorite.  Some argue that while Honeycrisp are delicious, they're too expensive to use for applesauce.  To each their own.  McIntosh are another good option, as are Gala, Fuji, and Golden Delicious.  I wouldn't use Granny Smith as they are too tart.  You can also mix varieties and use sweeter apples if you prefer to make applesauce without added sugar.

Applesauce Without Added Sugar

For my basic Instant Pot Applesauce recipe, I like to add spices and a little sugar.  If you want to make your applesauce without added sugar, you can certainly do that-- just omit the sugar!  You could also add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten it up.

Instant Pot Applesauce

You will want to make sure that you have an Instant Pot sealing ring for sweet and one for savory.  Trust me!! You do not want your Instant Pot Applesauce to taste like Chicken Noodle Soup! 

This is the one that I bought - it comes in a two pack; we use the blue for sweet and red for savory.

I also grabbed a set of these applesauce pouches to fill and tuck inside of lunch boxes or as a grab-and-go snack for the car.  If you plan to do this, I would use a blender to puree the applesauce completely smooth.

Note in the video above I am making this Chai Spiced Chunky Applesauce with vanilla and a blend of chai spices. 

Find More Recipes

This recipe is part of my Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners series. Check it out!