Apple sauce can actually take quite a while to make, mainly because the apples have to be peeled and cored, and if you don’t have a handy machine for that, it can easily take half an hour to an hour every time you need to process 2–4 kg of apples.

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On top of that, there’s the cooking time, and if you don’t sweeten your purée (which I never do), it takes longer because you don’t get the rapid osmosis that sugar creates—it draws the liquid out of the apples faster and forms a syrup at the bottom of the pot that distributes the heat more efficiently than dry air.

So, apple sauce without added sugar means we don’t get any outside help, which means it takes longer to prepare—but that’s definitely preferable if you ask me, since added sugar in apple sauce is a no-go.

When the cell walls and pectin in the apples break down, the purée thickens naturally; however, depending on the variety of apples you’re using, this process may take more or less time and occur to a greater or lesser extent. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t make puree from all apples; it just means that the result will vary greatly depending on which apples you use.

I often choose to mix two varieties—preferably a firm, slightly drier but sweeter variety and a medium-juicy, more tart variety—since this creates a purée with a beautiful balance between tartness and sweetness. So choosing this combination usually improves both the flavor and the texture of a purée. Using a single variety that’s well-suited for purée is perfectly fine, too, but it’s not always possible to find it or grow it in your own garden. Plus, using multiple varieties creates a more nuanced flavor profile, making the purée feel more like gourmet food and less like baby food.

Of course, the varieties you use also affect how long you have to stand there and keep an eye on your applesauce, which can be frustrating if you’re juggling several things in the kitchen—which I often am—so that’s why I’ve created this “Lazy Kitchen” version of something that used to take me over an hour to make, depending on the amount of apples.

This way, I don’t have to stand over a pot for a long time, because I use my slow cooker for this, and the result is an apple purée that’s smooth and deeply spiced—as the long cooking time allows the spices to meld with the apples, letting the natural flavors of Ceylon cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger create a deep and warming flavor fusion in the apple puree—a taste of fall.

This delicious apple puree can be eaten as is, with porridge, or simply with yogurt or whipped cream.

But it can also be used in a wide variety of desserts, cakes, and condiments, which I think is absolutely wonderful!

Well, let's get started!

Unsweetened Apple Puree with Cinnamon, Vanilla, and Ginger

My go-to apple sauce, with no added sugar and full of wonderful, warming spices. It’s perfect as a base for trifle, tiramisu, layer cake, on top of pancakes and porridge, in yogurt, or simply as a dessert with whipped cream.

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Prep Time: 30

Slow Cooker: 4

Total Time: 4 30

Course: Preserves Kitchen

Cuisine: Sweet

Keyword: Apples, Ginger, Cinnamon, Unsweetened, Vanilla

Equipment

1 Crockpot(or another slow cooker)

Ingredients

2-3 kg Apples
1 pod Vanilla (I use a vanilla bean from which the seeds have been scraped out)
1 pod Ceylon cinnamon
1 slice Ginger (about 2 cm in diameter and 0.5 cm thick)
250 ml Filtered water

Instructions

Rinse, peel, and core the apples.
Cut them into large cubes and put them in the slow cooker.
Pour the water over the mixture and stir in the whole spices.
Set the slow cooker to high heat for 4 hours.
Stir the apples with a wooden spoon every 30 minutes for the first two hours. Don't expect much to happen in the first hour, but stir anyway—it helps ensure that all the apples come into contact with the spices.
After 2 hours, the puree looks like this, and from now on, it should be stirred about 3 times an hour.
After 4 hours, the puree is ready to be transferred to jars. You can store apple puree in the refrigerator, the freezer, or the pantry; I’ve included a guide in the notes that explains how.
I always test the pH of everything I make for long-term storage in glass jars. Apple puree should ideally have a pH between 2 and 4; anything below 4.6 is safe, but I’ve never measured a pH higher than 3.5 in apple puree, so that’s more than optimal.
I love my jam funnel—it’s invaluable when you’re cooking a lot from scratch, so I highly recommend buying one, and yes, a stainless steel one is definitely preferable to a plastic one.
Once you've poured your apple sauce into jars, all that's left to do is enjoy it!

Notes

The purée can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

If you want to store it for a longer period, you can freeze the apple puree in freezer-safe glass jars (be sure to check that they are actually freezer-safe before choosing this option). Pour the apple puree into the jars, leaving 3–4 cm of space at the top, and make sure the apple puree has cooled completely before placing it in the freezer. The apple puree will keep for 8–12 months in the freezer.

If you want to store the puree in the pantry or at room temperature, you should pasteurize your apple puree using my guide below.

First, you need to prepare your jars; I always sterilize them in the oven, which you can read more about Post!

Place a large soup pot filled with water on the stove and bring it to a boil.

Fill the warm jars with apple puree, leaving 1–1.5 cm of space at the top. Use a jam funnel to avoid spilling the puree down the sides of the jars.

Once you've filled all the jars, wipe the rims of the jars with a little vodka or rubbing alcohol, then put the lids on.

Place the glasses upright in the water bath of the large pot once the water is boiling. Make sure the glasses are covered with at least 2.5 cm of water.

Let the jars boil for 15 minutes if using smaller jars (250–500 ml) and for 20 minutes if using 1-liter jars.

You can easily adjust the cooking time to create different versions of this apple puree.

For example, a compote is ready after just 2–3 hours, with whole pieces of fruit still remaining—which is precisely what characterizes a compote.

If you want to make apple butter, you can let the puree cook for 5–6 hours; this will give the puree additional caramelization, color, and thickness. but it’s important to remember to stir a little more often (4–6 times per hour), since there’s significantly less liquid left, which makes the apple puree more prone to burning.

You can always leave a comment below if you have any questions or if you've tried making this super-easy apple puree recipe—I'd love to hear from you!

Have a blessed day.

Love

P.S. All posts on this blog are written and photographed by Belle Frost; no AI was used to generate content, and all copyright belongs to Maison Frost.

“Lazy Kitchen” Unsweetened Apple Puree with Warming Spices