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Learn how to make homemade applesauce with roasted apples! Make it as sweet and spiced as you want, with a mixture of maple syrup and cinnamon. Easy to make, freezes great, and tastes so fresh!
Homemade Apple Sauce, Like You’re Some Sort of Kitchen Wizard
Did I lose my mind and start making applesauce from scratch like some kind of pioneer who lives out in the middle of nowhere with nary a grocery store in sight?
I did, it was glorious, I have no regrets.
Homemade applesauce is honestly just on a completely different level from the jarred stuff they sell at Walmart – especially when you toss the apples in a little maple syrup and cinnamon and then roast them until they’re tender and browned.
Does this have pie filling vibes? Absolutely.
Do you eat it with a spoon and call it a sensible treat? For sure. I mean, it’s apples. <— An apple a day, and all that.
This homemade apple sauce is delicious on a spoon, stirred into your morning bowl of oatmeal, mixed into this applesauce cake, or next to your pork chops or roasted chicken.
What I’m trying to say is, go ahead and double the recipe. You won’t have any issues using the stuff up.
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Homemade Applesauce
- It’s budget-friendly when apples are in season. Make a big batch when apples are cheap and freeze portions for later. We grab the ‘seconds’ from our local orchard (the less pretty apples) for the most bang for our buck.
- You control the ingredients. No weird preservatives or artificial flavors. Just apples, a little sweetener, and warm spices. Perfect if you’re trying to cut back on processed foods.
- The depth of flavor. Most applesauce recipes are cooked on the stove, but we roast ours and it brings in an extra layer of flavor and really brings out the apple goodness.
Ingredient Notes:
Apples – Use a mix for the best flavor. I like McIntosh, Jonathan, and Golden Delicious, but use what’s on sale. Avoid Red Delicious – they don’t break down well.
Lemon Juice – This will help brighten things up and balance out the sweetness.
Sweetener swaps: Maple syrup gives the best flavor, but you can use honey, brown sugar, or even skip it entirely if your apples are super sweet.
Cinnamon – Totally optional, but highly recommended. I always like a pinch of cinnamon with my applesauce.
Sugar – You can use more or less of the sugar to make this homemade roasted applesauce just the way you like it! The more you use, the more like apple pie filling it tastes.
Other – A bit of oil and a sprinkle of salt for roasting.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Food Processor
We use our Breville food processor in all kinds of recipes! It makes short work of chopping veggies and many other other tasks. This is our favorite food processor because it is so heavy duty and it will last!
How to Make Homemade Applesauce:
Peel and chop the ovens. Place them into a glass baking dish and sprinkle with the lemon juice.
Mix the oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl and pour over the apples. Stir well to combine.
Bake the apples for 15 minutes, stir, and then continue baking for another 15 minutes or until the apples are very tender.
Remove from the oven and mash the apples with a potato masher or puree in a food processor, depending on how chunky you like things.
Storage
Refrigerator: Keeps for up to 1-2 weeks in a covered container
Freezer: Freeze in portions for up to 6 months (we use mason jars or plastic bags)
Canning: I don’t have any experience with canning and can’t advise on how to do so
MORE APPLE RECIPES!
- Apple Cobbler
- Apple Dump Cake
- Crockpot Apple Butter
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Air Fried Apples
- Snickers Apple Salad
- Baked Apple Oatmeal
Roasted Applesauce
Ingredients
- 8 McIntosh apples
- 2 Jonathan apples
- 2 Golden Delicious apples
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- sugar as needed depending on your tastes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Peel and chop the apples and place them in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice. (Add less juice if your apples are very tart.)
- Mix the oil, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl and pour over the apples. Stir to cover all the apples.
- Bake for 15 minutes and then stir the apples.
- Bake for 15 minutes more or until apples are very tender.
- Remove from the oven and either mash the apples with a potato masher or puree in a blender or food processor until the sauce is as smooth as you'd like. Taste and add more sugar as needed.
- Store in the refrigerator. You can also freeze this in mason jars or freezer bags.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
adapted from Isa Moskowitz
Rachel - A Cup of Flour says
Mmmm, I love applesauce! I always kind of feel like a kid when I eat it, but who cares, right?
I love making applesauce in the fall/winter, but I’ve never thought of roasting the apples first. I’m definitely going to have to try this.
Applesauce on pancakes, applesauce on toast, applesauce muffins, applesauce on oatmeal…ahhh, I could go on forever! Or at least until spring. 🙂
Amy @ A Little Nosh says
That picture is hilarious!
Jules says
love honey crisp apples. This has become my apple of choice lately. We just did a poker-walk at our campground and afterwards our group had snacks to share. I took the honey crisps, pealed and chopped, put into a crockpot…added vodka 🙂 , little bit sugar and cinnamon and let her cook up! Then took already made pie crusts, brushed with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, cut into squares bake untill litely browned. once cooled use the crisps to dip into the applesauce! Was a huge hit..none left for the midnight snacking!
Will also have to try your roasted apples! yumm Yumm 🙂
Rivki Locker says
this sounds perfect to me. your daughter may have weird taste in foods, but she sure is adorable! 🙂
Joanne says
Here’s the thing. If I put applesauce over ice cream, I’m calling it breakfast food. That sounds rational, right?
Amber says
Looks delicious! Now I am craving some apple butter!
P.S. I accidentally went to bunsintheoven.com instead of your site and am now traumatized for life. ew.
what katie's baking says
hahahah! your daughters ‘burger’ sounds delish. you should let her create your recipes from now on!
this applesauce sounds PERFECT for me… the store-bought kind just isn’t sweet enough for my taste.
Kate says
You’re daughter is beautiful. I love applesauce myself. I just got an apple corer/peeler/slicer thingy and I cant wait to use it (:
Erin says
Ooo I love your ice of eating this with ice cream.
Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos says
This sounds awesome! I love the addition of maple syrup!
StephenC says
I love applesauce and just decided what to do with some of the apples Peter’s mom sent us. Have you ever seen the movie “The Bad Seed”?
Jenna says
We make applesauce every fall. Normally I make it healthy without any sugar at all. But, I’m gonna have to try this recipe, sounds yummy!
On a side note: My 6 yr old daughter came up to me as I was reading this post. She asks “Who’s that little girl? Whoever she is, she’s pretty cute!” =) The funny thing is, I’m sure they are close to the same age. =)
Deborah says
I think it sounds wonderful! My daughter is an applesauce lover, too. I’m totally thinking of canning my own this year.
Sandra :) says
Well that looks YUMMY! (So does your daughter – what a cutie, lol). I ordered a food mill yesterday from Amazon because I wanted to make applesauce @ home without having to peel the apples (hand problems) – I’d be a pretty darn cool mom if I made apple pie applesauce 🙂 Thanks for the recipe – I’ll try it as soon as my order comes in!
Nobody says
that picture is priceless! and the recipe sounds awesome.