Delicious homemade sugar-free applesauce ready in just 15 minutes with simple ingredients and no preservatives. Serve it with some yogurt as a dessert or add it to cakes, muffins or rice pudding as a natural sweetener. Suitable for babies from 6 months old, toddlers and beyond. Enjoy!
Are you looking for a healthy and delicious alternative to store-bought applesauce? Look no further! In this recipe, I'll guide you through the process of making your very own sugar-free applesauce right in the comfort of your kitchen.
Packed with natural sweetness from fresh apples and enhanced with aromatic spices, this homemade delight is not only incredibly easy to make but also a guilt-free treat that the whole family can enjoy. So, let's grab our aprons and get ready to whip up some delectable sugar-free applesauce that will leave your taste buds craving for more!
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👩🏻🍳 Why you should try my recipe
- Easy to make with simple ingredients.
- Ready in less than 15 minutes.
- Healthier than store-bought applesauce.
- Suitable for babies from 6 months old, toddlers and older kids.
- Freezable if you want to make a big batch.
- Can be added to yogurt, to muffins and cakes as a sweetener, or served as a healthy dessert.
🥘 Ingredients
To make this sugar-free applesauce for babies and toddlers, all you are going to need is a couple of apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, water and some maple syrup.
I'm adding a tablespoon of maple syrup to my homemade applesauce to bring up the sweetness of the apples and caramelize them. You could leave it out or replace it with a tablespoon of honey for babies older than 12 months.
For full quantities and to print the recipe, see the recipe card down below.
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
So get your ingredients ready and let's get started!
01. To start, I peel the apples and grate them. There is no need to remove the core, I find that it's easier to grate them as a whole until I reach the middle bit with the seeds. If you like, you could leave the skin on for more fiber and flavor, but the applesauce will be thicker and with more texture.
02. Next, I'm adding the grated apple to a pot with the water, lemon juice, cinnamon and maple syrup. You could leave the maple syrup out or replace it with honey for babies over 12 months.
03. I'm cooking the apples in medium heat until the water has evaporated, for about 10 minutes. You will notice that gradually the color of the apples becomes more brown, and they get softer and mashy.
04. When the apples are ready, I leave them for 3-4 minutes to cool down. Then I transfer them to a blender. You can blend them until you get the consistency that you like, purée or a bit thicker and with more texture.
The homemade sugar-free applesauce is now ready and can be served or you could add it in the fridge or freeze it.
📖 Substitutions & Variations
- You could substitute the maple syrup with honey (Not suitable for babies under 12 months).
- Instead of cinnamon, you could use ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg.
- For more texture, you could leave the skin on the apples or cut them into cubes.
🍽 Serving suggestions
Babies (6-12 months): For babies under 12 months, you could leave out the maple syrup for a more naturally sweetened applesauce. I like to add a tablespoon to my little one's yogurt for more flavor, or you could serve some as a dessert with your baby's main meal.
All other ages: For all other ages, children and adults, you could serve it with some yogurt, add it as a sweetener to rice pudding, cakes and muffins or serve it with some pulled pork.
🧰 Storage
The recipe yields around 1 cup of homemade sugar-free applesauce. If you are making a cake or muffins, usually the recipe asks for about a cup so you will use it straight away.
In all other cases, you could store it in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. This sugar-free applesauce is also freezable for up to 3 months. I like to add a couple of tablespoons in small containers or an ice cube rack, so it's easier to defrost as needed.
💭 Tips
- Grating the apples instead of cutting them into cubes, speeds up the process and it's easier to mash with a fork or blender till puréed.
- Use a sweet variety of apples like Honeycrisp and Fuji for a naturally sweeter applesauce.
❓ FAQ
Applesauce is a great substitute for sugar and eggs in baking. It acts as a natural sweetener and it makes cakes and muffins extra moist.
Homemade sugar-free applesauce is suitable for babies from 6 months old. It can be added to yogurt or baking goods as a natural sweetener.
📋 Recipe
Homemade Sugar-free Applesauce For Babies & Beyond
Ingredients
- 2 apples
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Peel the apples and grate them.
- Add the grated apples to a pot.
- Add the water, cinnamon and maple syrup.
- Cook for 10 minutes in medium heat until the water has evaporated and the apples are cooked and caramelized.
- Add the applesauce to a blender and blend till purée.
Notes
- For more texture in the applesauce, you could skip the blender.
- You could leave the apple skin on if you prefer.
- Instead of maple syrup, you could also use honey for babies over 12 months.
🥣 Related
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