This slow cooker cinnamon applesauce is delicious as a side dish, breakfast food, or even dessert and can be made a variety of ways.

I used my Crock Pot and added some of my favorite flavors to make it the comfort food I’ve always enjoyed.

Whether you like slow cooker chunky applesauce or ultra smooth applesauce, you can follow this recipe. We like it just a little bit chunky.

I highly recommend reading this entire post before you begin preparing the recipe. However, if all you want is the list of ingredients with full directions, please either click on the jump-to-recipe button above or scroll to the bottom of his post.

Easy Homemade Slow Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce

Applesauce isn’t difficult to make, but it does take some patience. You can make it on the stovetop, but that requires more attention than I had time to give.

So I pulled out one of my small slow cookers and made it in there. That is super easy because you can toss everything into the pot and walk away until it’s time to mash the apples.

I like having it as a side dish when I serve spicy food because it calms down the heat. Since we had chili tonight, we had applesauce.

It’s also good for breakfast with scrambled eggs and these 2-ingredient biscuits.

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce Ingredients

At first, I planned to make a smaller amount of applesauce. But once I got started, I increased the volume because I knew I’d want some tomorrow.

Here’s what you’ll need to make applesauce for 4 people:

• 4 large or 6 medium-size apples of any type, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/3 cup of sugar (or 1/2 cup of sugar if you like it sweeter)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon (more if you want a stronger flavor)

I’ve also included a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for your convenience. It has all of the ingredients, measurements, and detailed directions.

You can do so many other things with your applesauce. I’ve added nutmeg in the past, and I’ve thought about adding cardamom.

You can also make applesauce without sugar by either leaving out any kind of sweetener or using a substitute. I’ve made it with monk fruit, honey, and stevia. It’s all good.

How to Make Slow Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce

As I already mentioned, this is super easy to make in a Crock Pot. I also love the fact that my house smells wonderful as it cooks.

It’s always a good idea to prepare everything and have all of the ingredients ready when you need them.

Peel and slice the apples so they cook evenly. In order to keep them from turning brown, put them in a bowl of water.

When you’re ready to assemble the ingredients, drain the apples. They don’t have to be completely dry when you add them to the Crock Pot.

First, combine all of the ingredients in your slow cooker. 

I often eyeball ingredients instead of measuring them. That’s because I’ve been cooking for more than 50 years, and I’ve developed a sense of how much I’m adding.

If you’re not comfortable with that, please use measuring spoons and cups.

The first time you make this recipe, it’s a good idea to stick with the recipe.

However, next time you make it, add or subtract whatever you want. For example, if you love cinnamon, simply toss more into the pot.

After you have everything in the pot, put the lid on top and cook it on low for 6-8 hours. Or if you do what I do and forget until mid-afternoon, cook it on high for 3-4 hours.

Once the apples are tender enough, you can mash them to the consistency you like.

I like a mixture, so I remove some of the chunks and puree it with an immersion blender.

Then, put the chunks back in and mash them with the manual potato masher. 

You can mash them as much as you want.

Hot or Cold Cinnamon Applesauce?

You can eat this delicious applesauce either hot or cold. Or do like I do and have it warm the first day and cold the next day after it’s been refrigerated.

What Type of Apples Make the Best Applesauce?

You can use whatever type of apples you like. I prefer honey crisp apples for any of my recipes, but I also enjoy red or golden delicious apples.

If you want the consistency to be super smooth, you’ll want one of the softer apples. That’s because the crisper they are the more texture they’ll wind up with.

When apples go on sale, choose the best value because all of them make great applesauce. You can even use a variety of apples in a single batch.

How Long Does Applesauce Last?

There are quite a few variables to consider when determining whether or not your applesauce will go bad. Obviously, a jar of store-bought applesauce will last longer than homemade as long as it’s sealed.

If you refrigerate homemade applesauce, it should last about a week. However, you can freeze it to make it last approximately 6 months.

So if you’re wondering if applesauce goes bad, the answer is yes, unless you eat it right away, refrigerate it for up to a week, or freeze it for up to a few months.

And if you’re anything like us, you don’t have to worry about it lasting because you’ll eat it within a day or two of when it’s made.

More Favorite Recipes

We’ve always enjoyed applesauce with pork—either chops or tenderloin. It’s good with these creamy ranch pork chops. And you’ll love it as a side with this Crock Pot pork tenderloin.

If you choose to serve applesauce to help tone down spiciness, serve it with this amazingly delicious chili con carne. It’s also yummy with this white chicken chili.

Apple lovers with go crazy over these delicious fried apples from Julia’s Simply Southern. I always looked forward to these when I visited my grandmother, so I love the fact that Julia has them on her blog.

I make a variety of different foods with apples. Another one of our favorites is this super easy 2-ingredient apple cake.

See this recipe shared at Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday.

Please feel free to share!