Instant Pot Applesauce With Cinnamon
If I ever have extra apples at home, I make this Instant Pot applesauce with cinnamon. I use apples, cinnamon, and honey for a version that only takes 20 minutes to make. The apples soften quickly under pressure and turn into a naturally sweet, smooth sauce ideal for baby foods, toppings, or a warm homemade snack.
Servings: 6
Calories: 89.7kcal
Ingredients
- 5 medium-large apples fuji apples, red apples, gala all work well
- 1 cup water
- ½-1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp honey leave out if you want zero added sugar, increase if you want a more dessert-like flavor
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
- Cut the apples into even-sized chunks. You don't have to peel the apples to get a smooth applesauce, especially after pressure-cooking, so I'd recommend leaving the peels on for added nutrition. Place the apple pieces into the pressure cooker / instant pot, then sprinkle in the cinnamon and salt.
- Pour in the honey (if using) and then the water. Give the ingredients a good stir until well combined.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and set the pressure cooker valve to Sealing then press Pressure Cook, High and for 5 minutes.
- Once the cooking time has completed allow to sit for 5 minutes then turn valve to Venting to do a quick release and allow all of the pressure to release.
- Carefully open the lid away from your face. Use a potato masher to mash the applesauce to your desired consistency. For a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to blend until completely smooth.
- Serve warm or allow to cool in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this Instant Pot applesauce with cinnamon recipe is to use a mixture of apple varieties. I use a variety of apples that each play their own part when it comes to the flavor and cooking process. McIntosh apples break down fast, while Granny Smith adds a bit of tartness, and Fuji apples provide a natural sweetness.
- Keep the skin: I recommend leaving the skins on the apples as the nutritional value is too good to waste. It will not affect the texture, as it cooks down and can be blended.
- Control the thickness: If my applesauce seems too thin, I turn on the saute function and cook it for a few more minutes to reduce the liquid.
- Use a cinnamon quill: When I want a subtle spice flavor, I add a cinnamon quill into the mix, instead of ground cinnamon, and remove it before mashing.
- Adjust sweetness: I taste my applesauce after cooking and add more honey if it is still quite tart. Or you could leave out the honey altogether and enjoy the natural sweetness instead.
- Keep chunks uniform: I make sure to cut my apples into similar-sized pieces so they soften at the same rate during the pressure cooking.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.66cup | Calories: 89.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.9g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 164.8mg | Fiber: 3.7g | Sugar: 18.7g