Y’all. I wish I had footage that I could attach here of my one year old fiending so hard over this apple sauce. His little body just bounces up and down when I pull it out of the fridge and he just wants spoonful after spoonful after spoonful. I may or may not sneak a few spoonfuls myself, because this apple sauce is BAE – not just for the chillins.
It’s easy to make, it’s healthy, and it’s a great (and delicious) way to get some extra nutrition into your kids’ tiny, adorbs little bellies.
This applesauce comes together in less than half an hour and makes full four cups, which lasts a long time when you’re dealing in kid-sized portions. The texture is smooth and soft and luxurious, the flavor is sweet + tart, there is a hint of cinnamon, and the whole thing is just plain yummy and perfect for fall!
Apple sauce that you buy at the store is going to be loaded up with sugar that your kiddo doesn’t need. If you take a peek at Mott’s brand, which is like the Kleenex of apple sauce (who hasn’t bought Mott’s at one time or another?), the second ingredient in those little yummy apple sauce cups is high fructose corn syrup.
This homemade apple sauce tastes better, has a better texture, and – the best part – the whole 4 cup batch is only sweetened with 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup!
And it’s not even like you have to fuss over making it – it’s SO simple and uncomplicated. The hardest part is peeling the apples…no one likes peeling apples. Or maybe you do…if that’s the case, wanna come over and hang out? You can peel my apples and I can feed you other yummy things? Or babysit your kids? Or just chat about life? If anyone is up for this, LEMME KNOW. Because peeling apples isn’t my fave.
BUT – so worth it.
So here’s all you do for this:
- Peel and dice your apples
- Add them to a pot with 1 cup of water and some cinnamon
- Simmer them for 10-15 minutes, or until the apples are tender when you pierce them with a knife
- Blend them with an immersion blender (or stick blender) until they are super smooth. You can totally use a food processor or regular blender here if you don’t have an immersion blender.
- Stir in your maple syrup, and you’re all done!
SO easy and SO fast! And a bite of this apple sauce straight from the fridge when it’s nice and chilled – oh man, you guys. It tastes so fresh and smooth and just all around perfect.
As for your apples, definitely use a mix of sweet and tart. It brings complexity and depth of flavor to your apple sauce. I use a mix of honey crisp apples and granny smith. Aka the ultimate sweet apple (in my opinion) and the ultimate sour apple. They cook together and form all kinds of goodness in your final apple sauce.
Now let’s talk about the maple syrup a little bit. Why use this unrefined sweetener versus just plain old white sugar? In the same way you want to use whole grains instead of refined grains, you want to use unrefined sugars as much as possible. But talking about maple syrup specifically, it is actually lower on the glycemic index than refined sugar, so it’s adding less sugar to your diet. On top of that, there are even some minerals and antioxidants thrown into the mix.
Maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees, so it’s all around more natural, whereas cane sugar undergoes a pretty intense process to refine it into the sugar you end up buying at the grocery store. And natural is always best! Not to mention we only throw two tablespoons into the whole batch of applesauce, so it’s a small amount to start with.
Overall – no doubt that you can feel good serving this to your kiddos! #momwin << we need all the mom wins we can get, right?! It makes me feel like an accomplished human 😌.
Smooth and sweet and refreshing. I could go for some of this right now! Have a happy hump day everyone!
PrintRefined Sugar Free Apple Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 4 pounds apples, use a mix of sweet and tart (we used half honey crisp and half granny smith)
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Peel and dice your apples
- Add them to a pot with your water and cinnamon. Stir to combine
- Bring to a simmer and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the apples are tender when pierced with a knife
- Puree in the pot with an immersion blender (stick blender) until super smooth. You can use a regular blender or food processor for this step if you don’t have an immersion blender
- Stir in your maple syrup, and you’re done!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 cup
- Calories: 78
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!
In the mood for more yummy apple recipes? Check these out:
Overnight Crock-Pot Pumpkin Apple Butter
Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Sauce
Oh my… This sounds REALLY yummy!!!
gadgetsbiz recently posted…How to Use Apple Watch | Best Tips & Tricks
★★★★★