When I think of fall and produce, my mind fills with varieties of apples and squash. I made a crock pot applesauce last year that made me swear store-bought would just never fly again. And today, I still feel that way.
The much-loved crock pot is the perfect means by which to slow cook apples to a sticky, sweet perfection, and fill your home with aromatic apple…and cinnamon.
Before the season’s best apples are gone, and while they’re still readily available for under $1 a pound (and tasting great), be sure to try a homemade applesauce recipe. I all but insist. And really, I insist just a little…
What I loved about this particular recipe was the fact that it was good enough to double as dessert. I would even go as far as to suggest this as a healthy dessert option at the quickly approaching Thanksgiving Day meal.
I liked this applesauce best when served warm (with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream would be great!) or cold, straight from the fridge. The long cooking time and brown sugar make for a rich, almost syrupy and sweet applesauce. So…flipping…good.
You can make this applesauce as chunky or smooth as you’d like. I prefer a fairly well-mashed applesauce with just a few small chunks, personally. It has that homemade-texture with the smooth-ish texture of applesauce that is sure to be loved by kids, guests, and everyone in between!
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Sweet Cinnamon Crock Pot Applesauce
12 medium apples, peeled, cored, and quartered (I used Fuji)
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider
Directions:
Put apples in the crock pot and top with remaning ingredients. Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 8-9 hours. Note: it would be hard to ruin this recipe in the crock pot, so it can go longer, if needed. Yield: 12 servings (1/2 cup each).
Nutrition Information (per serving): 103 calories; 0 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 1 mg. sodium; 27 g. carbohydrate; 5 g. fiber; 0.5 g. protein
Result: Who needs dessert when you can have fresh, sweet applesauce? While this isn’t sugar-free or have no added sugar, it’s steps above other fall delights like apple crisps and crumbles…and I promise, you’re not missing a thing! This applesauce is that good! Enjoy!
[/print_this]Weekly Menu: November 13th – 17th
- Sunday: Chopped Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts, Blue Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette (lunch); Pork and Butternut Squash Stew {Crock Pot} (dinner)
- Monday: leftovers
- Tuesday: Roasted Tomato Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches
- Wednesday: leftovers
- Thursday: Sauteed Citrus Herb Salmon with sweet potato oven fries
I worked 6 days this past week and only have today to recover. I am going to be very productive with a good balance of fun (read: baked doughnuts!) and work (grading & lesson planning)…plus hockey tonight 😀
Happy weekend!
I have been meaning to make apple sauce in the crock pot for a while now! Your recipe sounds perfect!
Have a great Sunday, and don’t forget to mix in enough fun with the work! 🙂
I love love love homemade applesauce! I didn’t make it this year – we made it the year we went apple picking. It is great when you mix the varieties of apples.
Sounds like a great recipe!
This looks amazing! I am loving that you can put it right in the crock pot! So simple!
I hope you enjoy the soup. It was soo good!! 🙂
Everything looks so delicious, especially when we get to use a slow cooker. I plan on making my stuffing in the slow cooker for Thanksgiving Dinner. BTW, I noticed your apple walnut salad. Very similar to one I just made a couple of days ago. Check it out if you get a chance. I hope Ohio is not too cold these days. 🙂
I love making homemade applesauce. With apples actually being the cheapest fruit in the grocery store right now this might be a great homemade treat for everyone (including baby). I will let you know how it goes.