Slow Cooker Applesauce (No Added Sugar, Freezer Friendly)

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This slow cooker applesauce is the one I make once and freeze in portions, so there’s always some on hand. It’s just four ingredients, there’s no added sugar, and 3½ pounds of apples makes six cups.

I like to start it in the morning, because by dinnertime the whole house smells like fall. The slow cooker does all the cooking, and the freezer takes care of the rest. That means you’ll have applesauce for oatmeal, muffins and lunch boxes long after orchard season is over.

Brown ceramic bowl of slow cooker applesauce topped with cinnamon on a wooden cutting board

Why You’ll Love It

Four ingredients, nothing added. It’s just apples, water, lemon juice and a cinnamon stick, with no sugar, oil or butter. As written, it’s vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and oil-free.
You know exactly what you’ll get. 3½ pounds of apples makes 6 cups, which is six 1-cup servings.
It’s made for the freezer. Cool it quickly, portion it out, and it keeps up to 8 months in the freezer for best quality.
It’s sweet without any help. A mix of sweet and tart apples gets it there. A cup is about 96 calories, and all of the sugar comes from the fruit.

Once you have a batch in the freezer, you’ll find lots of ways to use it. A couple of cubes stirred into Steel Cut Oats is an easy place to start. It’s also great spooned over Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes or used in Vegan Muffins. On a cold morning, you can thaw a portion and blend it into an Apple Pie Smoothie, too.

Brown ceramic bowl of applesauce dusted with cinnamon on a wooden cutting board

Slow Cooker Applesauce Ingredients

Here’s a quick breakdown of why I use certain ingredients in my recipe:

Apples: Use a mix of sweet and tart, like Honeycrisp, Cortland, McIntosh and Granny Smith. The mix gives you deep flavor without any sugar.
Water: Apples give off liquid, but it cooks down over a long time. A little water keeps the sauce from sticking to the side of the crock pot.
Lemon juice: It keeps the color bright and adds a little tartness.
Cinnamon stick: You get the flavor without the grit that ground cinnamon can leave behind.

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Brown bowl of cooked apples on a wooden cutting board surrounded by fresh red and green apples

How to Make Slow Cooker Applesauce

There isn’t much to this one beyond prepping the apples. After that, the slow cooker takes over.

Peel and core the apples, then roughly chop them.
Add the apples, water, lemon juice and cinnamon stick to the slow cooker and stir everything together.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the apples are completely soft.
Remove the cinnamon stick. For a smooth sauce, blend it right in the pot with an immersion blender. If you like it chunky, a potato masher works great.
Cool it quickly by setting a bowl of the hot sauce inside a larger bowl of cold water. Give it a stir every so often and swap in fresh cold water as it warms up.

The real secret to good slow cooker applesauce is time. Turn it on and leave it alone until the apples have completely broken down.

Slow cooker applesauce in a brown ceramic bowl beside a patterned tea towel on a wooden cutting board

How to Freeze Slow Cooker Applesauce

This is the part that makes a big batch worth it. Let the sauce cool completely, then use Souper Cubes to freeze them. Leave a little room at the top, since the sauce expands as it freezes. About ½ inch is plenty for pint containers and 1 inch for quarts.

Here are a few portion sizes I like:

½-cup: Just right for muffin, baked oatmeal or pancake batter.
1-cup: Easy for lunch boxes or a side dish.

Label it and freeze it for up to 8 months. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it in the fridge overnight and give it a good stir.

If you’re not freezing it, the sauce keeps for up to 1 week in the fridge. And if you like having your week planned ahead, start a free 7-Day trial to Rawk the Year, my weekly plant-based meal plan.

Substitutions and Variations

Cinnamon: If you’d rather use ground cinnamon, start with 1 tablespoon and add more to taste after it’s cooked.
Warm spices: A pinch of nutmeg or cloves is lovely here, or you can use apple pie spice.
Sweetener: You really don’t need any. If you want it sweeter, a little drizzle of maple syrup on top when you serve it does the trick.
Texture: Blend it for smooth, mash it for chunky, or leave it rustic.
Apples: Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious and Jonagold all work. Just keep a mix of sweet and tart.

Common Questions

How long does slow cooker applesauce last in the fridge?

Slow cooker applesauce keeps for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want to keep it longer, freeze it in portions.

Can you freeze slow cooker applesauce?

Yes, slow cooker applesauce freezes really well. Let it cool completely, pack it into rigid containers or wide-mouth freezer jars, and leave a little room at the top for it to expand. Thaw it in the fridge and give it a stir before serving.

Can you can slow cooker applesauce?

I haven’t canned this slow cooker applesauce, and it isn’t a tested canning recipe. If you want shelf-stable applesauce, I’d follow a tested recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. For this one, freezing is the way to go.

What are the best apples for slow cooker applesauce?

A mix of sweet and tart apples gives you the best flavor without adding sugar. I like Honeycrisp, Cortland, McIntosh and Granny Smith together. Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious and Jonagold work well too.

How many apples do you need for slow cooker applesauce?

You’ll need 3½ pounds of apples, which is about 8 or 9 medium ones, to make 6 cups of slow cooker applesauce. That’s six 1-cup servings.

Why add lemon juice to slow cooker applesauce?

Lemon juice keeps the sauce bright instead of dull and brown, and it adds a little tartness that balances the sweet apples.

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