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This Instant Pot Applesauce recipe is hands-down the easiest way to turn fresh apples into a naturally sweet, silky homemade applesauce. No peeling. No stirring. Just 12 minutes of pressure-cooking and you will have the best homemade applesauce you've ever tasted.
Believe it or not, my kids get more excited when I make applesauce than they do when I make chocolate chip cookies--and they LOVE cookies! But there is something so undeniably delicious about applesauce made with fresh, seasonal apples. And while my original recipe for applesauce is incredibly easy, nothing is as easy as making homemade applesauce using the Instant Pot.
Reasons to Love Instant Pot Applesauce
If there's one apple recipe you have to try, it's this one. While we love Dutch apple pie and homemade apple crisp, nothing, and I mean nothing, beats Instant Pot applesauce. Let's break this favorite down:
- Unbeatable Flavor. No added sugar, no added preservatives. Just fresh apples at their prime. And after one bite, you will wonder why you ever settled for store-bought!
- No Peeling Required. Pressure cooking softens the skins so they blend right into the applesauce, adding fiber and nutrients without any extra work!
- Money-Saver. Scan for manager specials at local grocery stores or ask orchards for discounted apples. Those bruised or ugly apples are begging to made into homemade applesauce.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
5-⭐ Reader REview
I made this recipe time and time again & it's always came out delicious. 😋 I have used all types of different apples successfully. Such a easy wonderful recipe I make this apple sauce frequently put it in containers freeze it and give it out to my friends, neighbors and even our priest at church. I have used both water and apple cider delicious both ways. Thank you for a recipe that makes applesauce a breeze🥰 --Angeline ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
What You Need
You only need an Instant Pot and two ingredients to make perfect Instant Pot applesauce:
- Apples: It is best to select soft flesh, sweet apples, like Gala, Golden Delicious, Fuji or McIntosh, that will break down easily and naturally sweeten the applesauce. For a balanced sweet-tart flavor, add a tart Granny smith apple or two--just don't go overboard or your applesauce will be overly tart.
- Liquid: Because the apples release a lot of liquid as they cook, you won't need much liquid, but you still need some! I recommend using 100% apple juice or apple cider as either will help to naturally sweeten the applesauce and compliment the flavor of the apples.
How to Make Instant Pot Applesauce
Let's break down the step-by-step process of making applesauce in the Instant Pot. Your mind is about to be blown--it is SO easy!
- Prepare apples. Wash the apples well (we are enjoying the peels after all) and then dice into large chunks, discarding the core.
- Add apples and juice to inner pot. Add the apples and juice to the inner pot. I typically just add the apples to the inner pot as I chop, giving me more space to work on my cutting board.
Note on Amount of Liquid
In my Instant Pot Guide, I stress the importance of always using at least 1 to 1½ cups (depending on size) of thin liquid to prevent a burn notice. This recipe is an exception, as the apples will release quite a bit of liquid as soon as they begin to heat.
- Pressure Cook. Pop the lid on the inner pot, seal the vent knob and cook for 12 minutes on high pressure. Once the cook time has elapsed, let pressure release naturally (just leave the Instant Pot be) for at least 10 minutes.
- Blend. Transfer the cooked apples to a blender, using a slotted spoon or spider strainer, leaving the liquid inside the inner pot. Leave the lid cracked slightly for steam to escape and then blend until smooth, adding a splash of cooking liquid to thin if needed.
Don't discard the Cooking Liquid
That liquid is delicious used to make mulled cider, Christmas tea, to make more applesauce, or in place of milk to sweeten oatmeal--think baked apple oatmeal!
- Serve. My kids would tell you that nothing beats warm applesauce--and I would agree. But it is delicious chilled and incredible in recipes calling for applesauce (think applesauce muffins, banana applesauce cookies, apple bread, etc.)
Notes on Yield
One more reason to love Instant Pot Applesauce? You can scale it up or down without changing the liquid or cook time. Use just a few apples or pack in as many as your pot allows--your results will still be perfect.
- Yield: 3 pounds of apples yields about 1-quart of applesauce. You will make more or less depending on how many apples you use.
- Max Fill: Don't fill the Instant Pot more than ⅔ full so it can reach and maintain pressure safely.
- 3-Quart Models: Plan on fitting roughly 2 pounds of apples in the smaller pot.
Make it Your Own
- Cinnamon Applesauce: Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon before cooking.
- Tart & Bright: Use half Granny Smith apples and stir in 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
- Extra Sweet: Add 1-2 tablespoons sugar, maple syrup, or honey before or after cooking.
- Chunky Style: Peel apples, then mash gently with a potato masher instead of blending.
More Instant Pot Staple Recipes
Just like this Instant Pot Applesauce recipe, the following recipes are simple recipes made even easier using the Instant Pot.
With minimal prep and big, fresh flavor, this Instant Pot Applesauce is proof that homemade can be both easier and better than store-bought. Give it a try and leave a comment. I would love to hear how your batch turns out!
Instant Pot Applesauce
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds apples, about 12 small apples or 9 medium apples
- ½-¾ cup apple juice, see note
Instructions
- Wash the apples well. Remove the core from the apples and dice the apples into 2-inch chunks. There is no need to peel unless desired.
- Add the apples to the inner pot along with apple juice. For a 3 or 6-quart model, use ½ cup, For an 8-quart Instant Pot, use ¾ cup.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and be sure your vent knob is closed or your lid is sealed and locked.
- Hit manual or pressure cook and adjust the cooking time to 12 minutes on high pressure.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes, 15 minutes is best, before releasing the remaining pressure.
- Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, remove the pressure cooked apples from the inner pot, leaving the cooking liquid in the pot, and place them into a high-powered blender or food processor fitted with an s-blade.
- Place the lid on the blender, crack open the top to release steam, and blend until smooth, adding cooking liquid as needed to thin and smooth.
- Serve warm or allow to cool, then store the applesauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally shared in 2019 and updated in 2025.
I love this recipe. As another suggested, I poured off excess liquid (2cups) before blending to avoid a thin sauce. The nice thing is, it's apple season so I saved the extra juice for the next batch I made a week later and it was just as yummy. I made the sauce in an 8 qt with 6 lbs of apples and 1.25 cups apple juice with no burn issues. Finally, we like a chunky sauce so I tried the potato masher at first, but did not like the large peels. I ended up using the immersion blender and the peels were not an issue. I'd much rather have a smooth apple sauce and NOT peel 6lbs of apples =). Thx for the recipe!
Such a great idea to use the excess liquid to make more applesauce. I bet it would be delicious in baked goods as well. And gotta love that immersion blender 😉 Thanks for letting us all know how much you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
I made applesauce tonight. I used 8 apples: 6 Fuji, 2 Golden Delicious. I didn't peel them. I added the juice of 1 lemon, 1.5 tsp cinnamon and I cup water. 8 min in the Instant Pot and then instant release. The apples were perfectly cooked. I used a potato masher to break it up because I like it a little chunky. It turned out so sweet and delicious! My husband couldn't stop eating it.
I love Instant Pot Applesauce so much, as does my family! I am so glad that your family enjoyed as well Marcia 🙂
This recipe did not work. The bottom burned and the top apples did not cook. Next time I will stick to my Mom’s recipe of just putting on inch of water at the bottom of a pot.
Hi Melanie! This actually sounds like your instant pot may have not been sealed properly. This recipe if anything has too much liquid so should never burn, unless the seal was missing, the vent knob was open, etc--then it would leak out that moisture and burn as it came to pressure.
This is a great recipe. The second time I made it, before blending the cooked apples, I poured off most of the liquid (reserving for drinking later!). The resulting applesauce was thicker and more the texture I like. I love how easy and healthy this recipe is!
I am so glad you enjoy this recipe and what a great idea to drink the juices for thicker applesauce.
Is the cup measurement a regular cup or the IP cup that comes with IP?
My measurements are all based off standard cup measurements.
I am wondering how you could cook this longer to turn it into apple butter?
Hi Brook! Apple butter does not only need to cook longer, liquid must evaporate to allow it to thicken. So to turn this applesauce into apple butter, once you have prepared the apple sauce and blended, turn your pressure cooker to saute. With the lid off, cook the applesauce for 30-90 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. This can be a bit messy as the applesauce may splatter. Another option is to turn your Instant Pot to Slow cooker function with lid off and cook for an additional 4-6 hours on normal slow cooker function. I hope that helps 🙂 Enjoy!
Can you can this applesauce (using a hot water bath method)?
Hi Karen! I am not familiar with the ins and outs of canning myself to give you instructions on how to can. I also know that lemon juice needs to be added for applesauce to be safely canned.