Instant Pot Applesauce: The Easiest Way to Make Homemade Apple Sauce

Making homemade applesauce is easier than you think! With an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, you can have fresh, delicious applesauce in just minutes. This simple recipe requires minimal ingredients and is a hit with kids and adults alike. Once you experience how easy it is to make applesauce in a pressure cooker, you’ll never look back. You’ll love the taste of fresh, homemade applesauce!

This is a recipe I started making when I introduced solids to my son, and it’s still a go-to in our house. It has no added sugar and fills your kitchen with sweetest smell of baked apple!

Tips for the Best Applesauce

• Apple Variety: I usually use whatever apples are looking the best at the time of purchase but if you have the choice, use a mix of sweet and tart apples for the best flavor. Some good options include Granny Smith, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious.
• Spices: Feel free to add other spices like nutmeg or allspice for a different flavor profile.

Why Instant Pot Applesauce?

Making applesauce in the Instant Pot or a pressure cooker is a game-changer. It’s much faster than the stovetop method, and the flavors meld together beautifully under pressure. Plus, it’s a great way to use up apples that are starting to get soft.

Instant Pot Applesauce

Recipe by: Jessica Diamond, MPH, RDN

Prep Time:5 minutes minutes

Cook Time:15 minutes minutes

Yield: 8

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Ingredients

• 6 medium to large apples Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, McIntosh
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Notes

Kid Tip: Let your kids help dump the ingredients and blend the applesauce as age appropriate.

Perfect for all ages from babies starting solids through adulthood. We love serving this as a snack or a side at mealtime. We keep individual servings in these little containers (or these or these) in the fridge for an easy grab-n-go solution!

Instructions

• Cut up the apples into ~2-inch chunks (they don’t need to be exact). You can leave the skin on or peel it off the apples, whatever you prefer! We keep the skin on because we are all about less prep! Discard the core, stem and seeds.
• Place the apples in the Instant Pot and add the water.
• Close your Instant Pot lid and turn the steam valve to the sealing position.
• Set your Instant Pot to manual/pressure cook, high pressure, and set the cook time to 8 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 8 minutes to reach the high pressure and then cook for 8 minutes.
• Once the timer goes off, let sit for about 2-3 minutes and then turn the steam vent to release the steam and pressure based on manufacturer’s directions.
• Once the steam has released, remove any excess water if there is any.
• Use an immersion blender to blend up the applesauce. You can blend it to whatever consistency you like. We usually prefer it thicker.
• Add in the cinnamon and feel free to add more depending on taste.
• Let it cool and enjoy or place in the refrigerator to enjoy later. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days.