It's apple season, and if you've got apples, I've got a great recipe for slow cooker applesauce! Crockpot Chunky Gingered Applesauce is so easy and delicious, I guarantee you'll be making this homemade applesauce over and over again! Flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and the secret ingredient...fresh ginger, it's going to be your new favorite way to eat apples!
This slow cooker applesauce with ginger recipe was first published on Renee's Kitchen Adventures way back in 2010. When I made that delicious Applesauce Spice Cake last week, it reminded me that I had published a fantastic recipe on this blog for homemade applesauce several years ago. I have nothing against store bought applesauce, but homemade applesauce is just so much better! It's got so much more flavor. And, aside from peeling and coring out the apples, is barely any work at all when you use your slow cooker.
That's when I remembered how much I love this slow cooker applesauce with ginger recipe. So I dug it out of the archives, decided to give it a face lift and share it again! Crockpot applesauce is so incredibly easy, you'll never want to make applesauce any other way. And, if you've never made homemade applesauce before, it's a great recipe to get you started!
In this recipe for slow cooker applesauce, I add fresh ginger. It really adds something special. A nice bite of spicy warmth. Cinnamon also plays a role in the flavor as well as vanilla extract. Apple cider also is a great addition to this homemade applesauce recipe! (Don't worry, if you can't find or don't have apple cider, you can substitute apple juice or water with great results.)
What kind of apples are best for making applesauce?
For applesauce, you can use just about any apple variety. Some are more suited to sauce and baking then others. I love to use Cortland apples in my slow cooker applesauce. Cortland apples are mildly sweet and have a soft texture for sauce. The softer the texture, the quicker the apple will break down into sauce. Because they are sweet, Cortland apples are one of the best apples for making applesauce without sugar. While I'm not a fan of eating Cortland apples out of hand, I do like to bake with Cortland apples as well as use them in this slow cooker applesauce recipe. I like them in my Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake and in this Easy Apple Cranberry Crisp recipe. (When I can find them, that is!)
Not all apple varieties are available at all times, so experiment with different ones until you find a few you like best! I've even used a combination of apple varieties when I make this sauce. Each apple variety will lend a slightly different flavor profile and degree of sweetness or tartness and texture to your homemade applesauce. Here's a handy apple chart from one of my favorite local orchards to help you choose what apples to use in your slow cooker applesauce or baked goods!
This slow cooker applesauce is the best applesauce recipe!
Not a fan of ginger? Leave it out.
Looking for an unsweetened applesauce recipe to make? Don't add the brown sugar and use water instead of apple cider.
Want a completely smooth homemade applesauce? Blend the cooked applesauce with an immersion blender right in the slow cooker.
This slow cooker applesauce with ginger is so good, I've even eaten it as a dessert!
But it also goes great alongside a great pork recipe!
So what are you waiting for? Go out and get some apples and get busy in the kitchen!
Yield: 8 servings
Crockpot Chunky Gingered Applesauce
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 6 HourTotal time: 6 H & 15 M
Warm spices of fresh ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla flavor this easy to make slow cooker applesauce.
Ingredients
- 5 - 6 pounds of Cortland Apples ( or any other variety or combination)
- 1 - 2 TBSP light brown sugar
- 2 tsp. fresh grated ginger root
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon (or more if you like)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup apple cider (or apple juice or water)*
Instructions
- Peel, core, and cut apples into chunks.
- Put all ingredients into a 6 quart slow cooker, stir, and cover.
- Cook on LOW for 4 - 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 - 4 hours, or until the apples are soft enough to form sauce.
- Stir with wooden spoon to break up apple into sauce. Serve warm or cold. Cool and store in refrigerator.
Notes
*For a firmer sauce, omit the cider or water. The apples will give off liquid as they cook. I prefer to use the cider for flavor and don't find the sauce to thin.
Serving size = approximately 1/2 cup
Nutritional information is only provided as a courtesy and is an estimate.
Copyright © 2010 Renee's Kitchen Adventures
Don't forget to pin Slow Cooker Applesauce!
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Is this 1 point+ or zero points+? This sounds fantastic! And with the pancakes! Yum!
ReplyDelete@ Melissa...this was one of the original recipe published with the old WW points...with the new points plus, it should work out to zero, and to be sure you could sub the brown sugar for splenda, or if your apples are sweet enough, leave the sugar out all together. It is an easy and delicious applesauce that can be used in recipes or eaten alone! The ginger adds such depth to it! hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteFun! I've never made homemade applesauce, can't wait to try!
ReplyDeleteI hope you love it as much as I do! Thanks for stopping by!
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