Name: One Ingredient Slow Cooker Applesauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 200 min
Ingredients: Fresh Apples – two pounds or more – washed (cored, and chopped)

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This lovely Slow Cooker Applesauce just might be the easiest no-recipe recipe ever… Just the way it should be!

Applesauce is the perfect thing to make when you buy too many apples during those autumn apple orchard tours. (Don’t we all?! It’s hard to pass up those bright red beauties when they’ve just been picked!)

And, it’s also the perfect thing to make with apples that are just a bit beyond their prime. (Hey, it happens!) Whatever the case, it’s always good to have some applesauce in the freezer so you can bake with it whenever the mood strikes.

Any variety of apple works. I used McIntosh, Cortland, and Wolf River apples from Hauser’s Superior View Farm in Bayfield, WI. We get our autumn apples there every year during Bayfield Apple Fest {Shameless plug: If you EVER have a chance to go to Bayfield, or Hauser’s – especially during Apple Fest – DO IT!!! It’s a lovely and amazing little place!}

We chose our apple varieties this year based on the recommendations of the folks at Hauser’s. We told them we wanted varieties with good baking characteristics and they suggested the aforementioned fabulous varieties. They’re all slightly softer, sweeter apples with just a touch of tartness. Their skins are all really pretty, ranging from deep red to almost variegated patterns. And they’re all deliciously fragrant, too, so having a big bowl of these fresh apples on our kitchen counter is a pleasure on many levels.

I use organic apples when I make applesauce, so I don’t usually peel them. The peels add color and body to the sauce as well as everything you make with it. It might just be my imagination, but I also think the peels add more flavor. More flavor without adding sugar? Sign me up!

Just wash the apples and core them, then chop them up into pieces. I run the pieces through my food processor and grind them up with the chopping blade before they go into the slow cooker. Whether or not you use a food processor is totally up to you. You can also just chop the apples into smaller pieces if you want.

You can certainly add things like sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon or other spices at this point, but “plain” applesauce can go into anything without skewing other flavors or seasonings. And, you can always add spices add flavorings when you’re cooking or baking, so better to keep the sauce simple (IMHO).

If you think about eating a fresh apple, it’s all apple. And when you make a batch of one ingredient applesauce, it’s plain and simply apple, too. You’ll love the fresh, homemade taste and knowing that it’s totally clean. Keep some fresh applesauce in the refrigerator for a quick snack, and I promise that the cookie jar won’t be as appealing.

Enjoy!

One Ingredient Slow Cooker Applesauce

This One Ingredient Slow Cooker Applesauce recipe is going to become your go-to for fresh, healthy everyday snacks as well as baking and cooking alternatives. It’s so easy, and so good!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes

Author Michele Phillips, BaconFatte.com

Ingredients

Fresh Apples – two pounds or more – washed cored, and chopped

Instructions

Thoroughly wash apples. Peel them if preferred*, then core and chop them into ½ - 1” pieces*.
If using a food processor, insert the chopping blade and grind until apples pieces are finely chopped.
Place chopped apples into a slow cooker. Set to medium-high heat and cook for about three hours. Stir often - every 20 minutes or so - breaking up pieces as they cook. When applesauce is done, the textures and colors will be uniform.
Allow applesauce to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate in an air-tight, non-reactive container for up to three days. To freeze: measure 1 – 2 cups of sauce into freezer safe zipper bags, remove any air from the bags, seal completely, label and date, and freeze the bags flat so they take up less space. Use frozen apple sauce within six months.

Recipe Notes

*TO PEEL OR NOT: I use organic apples when I make applesauce, so I don’t usually peel them because I feel the peels add color, body and flavor.

*CHUNK SIZE: If using a food processor to grind up the apples, larger 1” chunks are fine. If not using a food processor, chop apples into ½ size chunks and then mash them up as they cook.

Got applesauce?

Now that you have a fresh batch of applesauce, try some of the delicious apple bread recipes below!

Apple Pie Bread with Oatmeal Crumb – with applesauce

Double Apple Streusel Bread – with applesauce

Apple Cinnamon Ribbon Bread

Mini Apple Bread Loaves – Edible Gift Ideas from BaconFatte.com

I would LOVE to know what you think of this easy, no-recipe recipe!

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