Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Applesauce

This easy homemade pressure cooker applesauce recipe is a great healthy snack for kids and adults. Sprinkled with cinnamon and some oats, it’s a great way to use fresh apples into a healthy dessert everyone will love. Make it in your Instant Pot, Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodi tonight.

Instant Pot Applesauce

I first attempted to make my Instant Pot apple crisp but I left it in too long and it turned out as a new recipe, this!! It was not my intention to make a healthy snack really but I got a two for one essentially so that was a win win. Then I went on, with less time, and kept the apples more firm and OH MY was it the most amazing thing ever too!!

Super versatile you might say, so I decided to share them both. I mean this isn’t just for babies, though they do sure love it when they are starting to eat solids huh? Of course if you’re making this for Instant Pot baby food you’d want to omit the oats I included to make it nice and smooth but turns out great for that purpose. 😉

Ninja Foodi Applesauce

Now you can use whatever brand of pot you have at home to use, it doesn’t matter. As long as yours is electric with high pressure it will work. Enjoyed as one of our top Ninja Foodi recipes for kids, or in a Crockpot Express it will come out the same I promise.

You can also choose whichever type of apples you like and each variety definitely brings a different taste to this Instant Pot applesauce. Green apples are going to be a bit tart, fuji are great if you want it as naturally sweet as possible.

If you want just the natural sweetness you can omit the brown sugar entirely and it will still have a sweetness to it. Just the little bit I added was great for our tastebuds. If you’re looking for a homemade treat/snack that is ready in no time at all this is a great choice.

Homemade Pressure Cooker Applesauce

After you enjoy this, try our Instant Pot cranberry apple sauce too! It was a tweak on the original I made after Thanksgiving was over and I had leftover sauce I didn’t want to throw away. Added a bit of chunkiness to the dish, tartness and great for the holidays.

1. 7 apples – any variety, peeled, cored, and sliced (the thicker you slice them the chunkier it will be)
2. Apple corer and apple peeler are handy
3. Brown sugar
4. Rolled oats – I didn’t use instant oats
5. Maple syrup – I used real syrup
6. Apple cider – you could use apple juice but this brings more flavor
7. Cinnamon
8. Butter
9. Immersion blender if you want it really smooth
   1. or use traditional blender once apples are room temperature to reach desired consistency

If you want to make slow cooker homemade applesauce we’ve done that too. It just takes longer. Pressure cooking takes a fraction of the time.

How to Make Homemade Applesauce

This is how simple it is to make. It’s a great cooking activity to do with your kids in the kitchen too! Remove skins from apples, or leave just a bit on if you want a little texture, slice about 1/4 of an inch thick. Put sliced apples in pressure cooker. Pour apple cider and maple syrup on top.

1. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of that, sprinkle cinnamon on top.
2. Pour melted butter on top of everything.
3. Put lid on and close steam valve.
4. Set to pressure high for 8 minutes (times vary a bit depending on type of apple, and thickness you have cut your apple slices). Picture shows 8 minutes.

Do a quick release. Apples should be so soft that they don’t even have to be blended, just stir and you have perfect homemade applesauce. Or use an immersion blender to make very smooth.

Pressure Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce

Start with going to the store to find a bunch of apples. We like green because they are a bit more firm. Golden delicious will be softer which is great if you prefer it to be very smooth. Some like a bit of lemon juice as well to prevent browning. We don’t really care about that so we skip it.

• Once you’ve followed the directions below to make Instant Pot applesauce and do a quick release you’re going to blend the apples. That is IF you don’t just want it super chunky like we do.
  • add cinnamon if you like
  • you can make this sugar free as well if you want
  • buy a few more to make Air fryer apple crisp later on too 😉
• Really it comes out so soft that many times I just give it a firm stir and it’s broken up enough for us. Keep in mind my kids are much older though.

If you want to blend it smooth then use your immersion blender right in your pot. Or allow it to cool down and pour it into your “regular” blender like this. Your Crockpot Express or Ninja Foodi will work too.

Then make applesauce spice cake, zucchini applesauce muffins and some homemade apple butter too!