Healthy Homemade Maple Applesauce is one of my family’s favorite recipes. This applesauce is special enough to serve to guests, but also easy enough to make on a weeknight. Nothing beats the smell of a simmering cozy pot of the sweet apple spice aroma this recipe produces, and oh, it tastes SO good.

Not to mention, making it from scratch allows you to control the sugars and eliminate extra fillers going into your family’s applesauce. This apple sauce was created with “imperfect apples.” I got 6 lbs of farm-fresh locally grown apples for $1.99 (yes, even in 2023!). “Ugly or imperfect” apples are perfect for saucing and helping to eliminate food waste, scroll down for some tips to get you a great deal on imperfect apples.

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How Can I Help Eliminate Food Waste and Save Money on Apples?

Are you looking for a great deal on “imperfect” apples? Making this Healthy Homemade Maple Applesauce is a great way to help reduce food waste. Ask around our local grocery store or farmers market to see if they have any slightly bruised apples they would be willing to sell. Pro-tip: during college, I worked at a grocery store, and the store managers were always willing to make a deal on items that would reduce food waste. Did you know you can even ask the Meat department at many stores for bones to make stock (just call ahead of time)? If you live near discount grocery outlets you can check for great deals on apples. *Not sponsored* but checking online “imperfect” marketplaces like MisFits Market is also a wonderful place to find deals.

If you live in Central Pennsylvania, here are a few of my favorite grocery stores that typically offer “ugly” or overstocked fruit discounts:

Grocery Outlet
Sharp Shopper
Shady Maple Farm Market
BBs

How This Recipe Came About

I started making my applesauce by chance. One year, 2 days before Christmas, I was shopping at one of my absolute favorite grocery stores, Shady Maple Farm Market. I saw this big bushel of lovely local “imperfect” apples marked down to $1.99, I didn’t know what to do with it—BUT I absolutely couldn’t pass up the deal. As I was looking at the apples, an Amish woman next to me knelt and picked up a similar bushel of slightly bruised apples next to the ones I was admiring. She told me how excited she was to make applesauce. So, I decided to make applesauce from my apples, too. Fast forward a few years, and making applesauce has become a little Christmas Eve tradition of our family.

Do I Need Pure Maple Syrup for this Applesauce?

What I love most about making my applesauce, besides the delicious smell, is that I can control the sugar. Sometimes the apples I get are already so sweet by themselves, that I forgo adding in any sugar. I often add a healthier form of sweeteners like pure maple syrup or honey. When we are making a more dessert-like applesauce I will add in 3/4 cup of brown sugar instead.

Do I Need to Peel the Apples for Applesauce?

I typically do not peel my apples for Healthy Homemade Maple Applesauce. I like to add in the extra bit of fiber that the peel already has in it, so I typically leave it in. Leaving the peel on requires the use of my immersion blender to make the applesauce texture correct. When deciding whether or not to peel your apples consider what type of tools you will be using to blend the applesauce. If you do decide not to peel, make sure to rinse the apples thoroughly before making this recipe.

Here are my suggestions on whether or not to peel:

Using a hand mixer: peel the apples, the skin will just separate in large chucks from the apple and will not mix into the sauce
If using a hand mixer and then a blender: you can forgo peeling
Using an immersion blender: no need to peel

Healthy Homemade Maple Applesauce Ingredients

5 lbs of apples

You can use any apple you desire here. I enjoy applesauce with a mixture of my favorite apples like honey crisp, pink lady, fuji, and gala. But any type of apple or using all of one kind will also work. Your apples will adjust the color of your applesauce. Depending on the type of apple you use, and whether or not you choose to peel the apples your apple sauce might appear pinker, browner, or lighter.

Pure Maple Syrup

If you don’t have pure maple syrup, you can use honey or agave nectar instead. You must use pure maple syrup for this recipe, not pancake syrup. Granulated sugar or brown sugar will also work (brown sugar will make applesauce slightly darker, but has the better taste).

Cinnamon

I love the little bit of coziness that the cinnamon adds to this recipe. This applesauce is also good without cinnamon (or you can add it to individual servings). I have a family member who is allergic to cinnamon, so I have adjusted this recipe in the past to exclude cinnamon, and it is still delicious.

Water

I typically just use water to avoid adding in additional sugars, but you can also add in apple cider or apple juice for an extra boost of apple.

Lemon

Lemon adds a bit of acid and brightens the taste of the apples. I prefer to zest and juice one lemon— but you can also use 1 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice.

How Do You Make Healthy Homemade Maple Applesauce?

If you will be using a hand mixer only to blend the apples or if desired, peel the apples. Cut the apples into quarters or 6ths (if the apple is as large as a softball). Remove the core.
Add apples to a large stock pot with water, juice zest of a lemon, and cinnamon.
Turn the stovetop burner to medium-high heat. After the water begins to boil, turn the heat to medium. Cover the pot and simmer for 25 minutes (checking and stirring the pot 1 to 2 times).
When apples can be mashed with a fork or spatula, stir in the pure maple syrup. Turn the heat off and set the pot aside to cool.
When the apples have cooled use an immersion blender, hand mixer, or hand mixer + blender to blend the applesauce into your desired texture. I like smooth applesauce, so I will keep blending until there are no remaining lumps.
When applesauce is completely cooled, if not already, cover the apple sauce and keep refrigerated. ( I recommend refrigerating for 2-4 hours before serving).

How to Store Healthy Homemade Maple Applesauce

Keep the applesauce covered and refrigerated. Healthy Homemade Maple Applesauce will last for 7-10 days in the fridge. You can also freeze homemade applesauce for 6 months and up to a year. Thaw out the applesauce a day or two in advance in your fridge before you enjoy a bowl.

More Side Dish Recipes

If you like this recipe, take a look at more sides that you might enjoy! Check out more of our side dish recipes!