No-Peel Instant Pot Cinnamon Applesauce

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How to make easy, homemade, no-peel, Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce, a delicious recipe for canning or freezing. Make it smooth or chunky, no sugar added!

Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce is really easy to make and made pretty much the same way as regular Instant Pot applesauce. You really just need to add cinnamon to the mixture.

This applesauce recipe only calls for 4 ingredients, and none of them includ added sugar. If you use the right apples, which we'll talk about below, you won't need additional sugar because it'll be sweet enough on its own.

Think about it… Natural ingredients, no need to actually peel apples, all the nutritional benefits of those peelings, and it's all made in the Instant Pot.

The fact that it’s pressure cooked takes the work out of making applesauce because you don’t have to stand in front of a hot stove stirring the day away. Instead, just add the ingredients to your Instant Pot pressure cooker, push a couple buttons, and let it do the majority of the work for you.

Now you can peel your apples if you want to; it's totally up to you. If you use an immersion blender and not a regular blender, you may have some tiny pieces of peeling still left in your sauce.

There's really no reason, though, that you can't fill your pantry with jars of homemade applesauce. And can I just say it tastes so much better and has a much better texture than store canned applesauce. So much better!

Let's get cooking, shall we?

Looking for apple recipes? Here are 50 mouthwatering apple recipes you may enjoy!

I JUST WANT THE RECIPE! TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR CINNAMON APPLESAUCE!

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the delicious recipe for cinnamon applesauce – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce in canning jar with small wooden spoon

WHERE CAN I FIND THE BEST APPLES FOR APPLESAUCE?

Fall is probably the best time to find the best apples for applesauce, although you can use pretty much any apples you can find, whether you’re shopping at the store, an orchard, or the farmer’s market.

In the fall, though, I recommend buying seconds at a local orchard if you have one, and sometimes you can find them at the farmer’s market.

Buying seconds usually ensures that you can buy a HUGE box of apples for a lot less than normal cost, which is going to save you a ton of money.

One thing you need to know, though… It does take a LOT of apples to get a little bit of applesauce, fresh homemade apple juiceapple jelly, or apple butter. But in my opinion, that homemade flavor and texture of home canned applesauce is totally worth it.

washing apples in sink for cinnamon applesauce recipe

WHAT KIND OF APPLES SHOULD I USE TO MAKE APPLESAUCE?

Some apples are sweet and some have a more tart, sour taste. Also, some apples are crisp, while others are softer.

When making a batch of homemade applesauce, I like to use a sweeter apple that has a little bit of tartness to it.  I prefer not to add any sugar, so I want the unsweetened applesauce to taste really good all on its own.

Most people recommend using a softer apple for applesauce; it doesn’t even matter if your apples are mushy since they’re going to be made into mush anyway.

We've found that Jonagold apples make the BEST applesauce. They're sweet with just a little bit of tartness. And they mash up really well.

easy Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce in Ball canning jar with wooden spoon

Other best apples for applesauce may include:

  • Jonathan
  • Braeburn
  • Honeycrisp
  • McIntosh
  • Winesap
  • Rome
  • Golden Delicious
  • Cortland
  • Fuji
  • Gala
  • Ambrosia

You can also try mixing and matching different kinds of apples to get the flavor you want for your applesauce.

WHY ADD LEMON JUICE TO AN APPLESAUCE RECIPE?

You'll find different opinions about this topic when you research, but there are two main reasons home canners give for adding lemon juice to home canned applesauce.

  1. It helps preserve or protect the color of your apples over time.
  2. It can help make the applesauce more acidic for home canning. Wind fallen apples (including seconds) can have a lower acidity and a higher mold/bacteria count than unblemished apples.

Even though their explanation is focused more around homemade jam, The Kitchn provides a great explanation for why it’s important to add lemon juice.

slicing apples while making cinnamon applesauce

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON APPLESAUCE IN THE INSTANT POT

For this Instant Pot applesauce, you’ll need about 6 pounds of apples, just a little bit of lemon juice, water, and cinnamon.

You can make this recipe on the stovetop, or you can even make it as Crock Pot applesauce; keep in mind that cooking times will vary.

You can also make applesauce from the leftover apple mush you have when you make apple juice.

sliced apples for making applesauce, cinnamon applesauce recipe, in instant pot pressure cooker

Here's how to make a stand alone cinnamon applesauce recipe:

  • Wash, core, and slice the apples. Be sure to cut out any bad spots, as well.
  • Put the sliced apples in your Instant Pot.
  • Add the lemon juice, water, and cinnamon to the Instant Pot, as well. If you want to mix everything together, you can; but there’s really no need to until after it all cooks.
  • Put the lid in place on the Instant Pot, and press Manual or Pressure Cook for 10 minutes.
add cinnamon to cinnamon applesauce mixture in Instant Pot
  • When it’s finished cooking, allow the pressure cooker to do a natural release.
  • Purée the mixture with an immersion blender, or mash the apples with a potato masher.

Note: If you want to eliminate any tiny pieces of peeling in the sauce, you may want to blend with a regular blender. It’s up to you how you prefer the texture and consistency.

immersion blender mixing cinnamon applesauce in Instant Pot

CAN YOU FREEZE HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE?

Yes, you can freeze applesauce. In fact, you can freeze or can applesauce, whichever you prefer.

My mom used to freeze a LOT of the applesauce she made when we were kids growing up. She’d keep freezer safe plastic containers just for storing things like homemade applesauce.

pouring cinnamon applesauce through funnel into canning jars

HOW DO I CAN APPLESAUCE?

Applesauce canning is actually pretty simple. We use a water bath canning method.

Should you choose to can your cinnamon applesauce, Ball has wonderful Canning Guides to guide you through the process. You can also consult the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving.

cinnamon applesauce water bath for canning applesauce

This applesauce recipe for canning makes probably around 4-6 pints total. It’s so delicious served on homemade biscuits, toast, and cornbread. Yum!

MORE APPLE RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:

Learn how to use your Instant Pot with our Instant Pot Quick Start Guide, filled with practical tips, Instant Pot recipes, accessory ideas, and more!

cinnamon applesauce in Ball canning jar with small wooden spoon and fresh apples

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE INSTANT POT CINNAMON APPLESAUCE

Jars and Lids – I prefer jelly jars or pint jars. In fact, we usually try to keep our pantry stocked with jars. But don’t forget the lids and rings. They can be easy to forget, and before you know it, you have all the jars you need but no lids.

Canning Funnel – for pouring the applesauce into the jars without making a mess.

Jar Lifter

Apple Corer/Peeler/Slicer – I’m telling you, this tool is so worth every penny we spent at the thrift store, but I’d order one brand new too. It saves so much time.

coring apples for cinnamon applesauce with johnny apple peeler

Paring Knife – for trimming off any bad spots or slicing the apples.

Immersion Blender or Potato Masher – This will allow you to get the texture or consistency that you want.

Instant Pot – We used our 6-quart Instant Pot.

CINNAMON APPLESAUCE RECIPE

If you love this cinnamon applesauce recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

easy no-peel Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce recipe

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white bowl filled with homemade cinnamon applesauce with apples

No-Peel Instant Pot Cinnamon Applesauce

How to make easy, homemade, no-peel, Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce, a delicious recipe for canning or freezing. Make it smooth or chunky, no sugar added!
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Course: Sauces & Dressings
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 60kcal
Author: Mel Lockcuff

Ingredients

  • 6 pounds apples unpeeled
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions

  • Wash, core, and slice the apples. Cut out any bad spots, as well.
  • Put the sliced apples in your Instant Pot.
  • Add the lemon juice, water, and cinnamon to the Instant Pot, as well. If you want to mix everything together, you can; but there’s no need to until after it all cooks.
  • Put the lid in place on the Instant Pot. Press Manual or Pressure Cook for 10 minutes.
  • When it’s finished cooking, allow the pressure cooker to do a natural release.
  • If it seems like the applesauce will be a bit watery, drain a bit of the water before mashing the apples.*
  • Purée the mixture with an immersion blender, or mash the apples with a potato masher.** It’s up to you how you prefer the texture or consistency.
  • Preserve using your preferred method, whether you choose to freeze or can the applesauce.***

Notes

*You can drink the apple juice if you choose to drain the apples before mashing.
**If you want to eliminate any tiny pieces of peeling in the sauce, you may want to blend with a regular blender. It’s up to you how you prefer the texture and consistency.
***If you choose to can it, Ball has wonderful Canning Guides to guide you through the process. You can also consult the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving.

Nutrition

Serving: 24servings | Calories: 60kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g
Tried this Recipe? Tag us Today!Mention @mellockcuff or tag #aomrecipes!
easy no-peel instant pot or pressure cooker cinnamon applesauce recipe

8 thoughts on “No-Peel Instant Pot Cinnamon Applesauce”

  1. Can you use granny smith apples to make this cinnamon applesauce? That’s the only apples i love to use. I wanted to find a sugar free applesauce for me, because I’m Diabetic. If i need to sweetener it i can use either a sugar alternative or brown sugar alternative. Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Mel comes through for me again, and this is only the 2nd recipe of hers I’ve tried! The first one was her Peaches and Cream Oatmeal, which has ‘saved my life’. I make it every week for a client/patient of mine who is a paraplegic and it is easy for her to eat, and she loves it. I switch the fruit to whatever is in season and the recipe still works perfectly. Thank you, thank you for that.
    I’m not a fan, myself, of applesauce, but I ordered a 40 pound box of apples, fresh from the farm, and I am making a recipe that has applesauce in it. I was delighted at how easy, and how fast this recipe was, and how lovely it came out! Again, thank you! I cook for other people, and they really love and appreciate it. Keep ’em coming!

    Reply

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