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This easy Instant Pot Applesauce turns fresh apples into silky, naturally sweet applesauce with just two ingredients and minimal prep. There's no added sugar, no peeling the apples, and no standing over the stove stirring. Just an incredibly simple way to make smooth, flavorful homemade applesauce.
Instant Pot Applesauce at a Glance
- Easy Prep: Simply wash and chop the apples. No peeling needed.
- Cook Time: 12 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes of natural pressure release
- Yield: About 1 quart
- Texture: Silky smooth, or thick and chunky if desired.
Kristen's Keys for Perfect Instant Pot Applesauce
After years of making stovetop applesauce, I switched to using my Instant Pot to keep the cooking process hands-off, and I haven't looked back! After a few tweaks, I landed on a process that delivers naturally sweet, silky-smooth applesauce with minimal effort.
- Don't peel the apples. The 12-minute pressure cook softens the skins enough that they blend smoothly into the applesauce. This saves a lot of prep work, especially when you are working with 3 pounds of apples. The same is true when making Instant Pot Apple Butter.
- Don't be tempted to add more liquid. Normally, I recommend at least 1 to 1½ cups of thin liquid when pressure cooking, depending on the size of the Instant Pot. Apples are the exception. They release plenty of juice as they heat, so ½ cup is enough for a 3- or 6-quart Instant Pot, while ¾ cup is plenty for an 8-quart Instant Pot.
- Remove the apples before blending. Don't blend everything in the pot at once. Lift the cooked apples out with a slotted spoon, blend, and then add the cooking liquid back only as needed. This gives you control over the consistency instead of ending up with watery applesauce.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
5-⭐ Reader Review
I made this recipe time and time again & it's always come 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
Ingredients You'll Need
You only need two ingredients for homemade Instant Pot Applesauce.
- Apples: For naturally sweet, smooth applesauce, use mostly sweet apples that break down well, such as Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious, or McIntosh. I like adding one or two Granny Smith apples for a bit of tartness, but using too many can make the applesauce quite tart.
- Apple Juice or Apple Cider: Water works, but I prefer 100% apple juice or apple cider. You only need a small amount, and it intensifies the apple flavor while helping naturally sweeten the applesauce.
Money-Saving Tip
Applesauce is the perfect place to use bruised or less-than-perfect apples. Check manager specials or ask your local orchard about discounted apples. And don't toss apples that were sliced up for cream cheese apple dip but didn't get eaten. As long as they are still fresh, they can go right into the pot, too.
How to Make Applesauce in the Instant Pot
Making homemade applesauce in the Instant Pot requires very little hands-on work.
- Prepare the apples. Wash and dry the apples well. Remove the cores and cut each apple into 2-inch chunks. You don't have to be exact, but keep the chunks similar in size for even cooking.
- Add to the Instant Pot. Place the apples in the inner pot and pour in the apple juice or cider. If desired, add a pinch of cinnamon.
- Pressure cook. Secure the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on HIGH pressure for 12 minutes. Many Instant Pot applesauce recipes call for a shorter cook time, but I have found the longer cook is necessary to fully soften the skin.
- Let the pressure release. Once the cook time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure. This gives the apples additional time to soften and prevents the hot fruit mixture from sputtering through the pressure-release valve.
- Separate the apples from the liquid. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened apples to a large bowl or blender, leaving the cooking liquid behind.
- Blend until smooth. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the apples until silky smooth. Add the reserved cooking liquid a little at a time if you prefer a thinner consistency.
How Much Applesauce Does This Make?
As a general rule, 3 pounds of apples will make about 1 quart of applesauce.
You can adjust the amount of apples based on the size of your pressure cooker, but never fill an Instant Pot more than two-thirds full.
- 3-quart Instant Pot: Use about 2 pounds of apples and ½ cup liquid.
- 6-quart Instant Pot: Use 3 pounds of apples and ½ cup liquid.
- 8-quart Instant Pot: Use 3 pounds or more of apples and ¾ cup liquid.
Whether you increase or decrease the amount of apples, the amount of liquid and 12-minute pressure-cooking time stays the same.
Flavor Variations
One of the best things about homemade applesauce is that you can adjust it to suit your family's tastes.
- Cinnamon Applesauce: Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the apples before pressure cooking.
- Tarter Applesauce: Use a higher proportion of Granny Smith apples and add a splash of fresh lemon juice.
- Sweeter Applesauce: I recommend tasting the finished applesauce first since the sweetness of apples varies considerably. If needed, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, or granulated sugar while the applesauce is still warm, so the sugar easily dissolves.
- Chunky Applesauce: If you prefer chunky applesauce, peel the apples before pressure cooking, then mash the cooked apples with a potato masher instead of blending.
Storage Instructions
Let the applesauce cool before transferring it to an airtight container.
- Refrigerate: Store in airtight jars or containers up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Transfer to freezer-safe containers, leaving room for expansion, and freeze up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Extra Apple Liquid: If you have cooking liquid left after reaching your desired applesauce consistency, don't pour it down the drain. Use it to make mulled cider, Christmas tea, more applesauce, or for oatmeal (especially delicious in my baked apple oatmeal).
More Instant Pot Staple Recipes
Like this Instant Pot Applesauce recipe, the following recipes are simple and even easier to make in the Instant Pot.
- Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
- Instant Pot Yogurt
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
- Instant Pot Beans
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Summarize and Save This Recipe Content On:
Instant Pot Applesauce
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds apples, about 12 small apples or 9 medium apples
- ½-¾ cup apple juice or cider, based on size of Instant Pot
Instructions
- Wash the apples well. Remove the cores, then dice the apples into 2-inch chunks. There is no need to peel the apples.
- Add the apples to the inner pot. For a 6-quart model, pour in ½ cup of juice; for an 8-quart Instant Pot, add ¾ cup. There is no need to stir.
- Secure the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on HIGH pressure for 12 minutes using the manual or pressure cook function.
- Once the cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully release any 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, then transfer to 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.
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.