Unsweetened Applesauce

Here is my recipe for unsweetened applesauce. With no added sugar, it’s a really simple recipe that you can make in your kitchen in no time.

Delicious unsweetened applesauce made with fresh apples and lemon juice.
Chunky unsweetened applesauce freshly made.

Why homemade applesauce

You can buy applesauce at the nearest grocery store at a relatively low price. However, pre-made applesauce often lacks freshness and tartness from its delicious homemade counterpart.

Plus, you can add spices while cooking to create a truly tasty and unique applesauce that you won’t find anywhere else.

Kidney nutrition

This homemade applesauce is naturally low in phosphorus and potassium. With 2g of fiber per serving, it is also a source of fiber.

As the name suggests, unsweetened applesauce does not require any additional source of sugar. Apples are already sweet and I think that applesauce taste better unsweetened!

How to make unsweetened applesauce

To make unsweetened applesauce, simply dice your apples and cook them in water and lemon juice.

Peel or no peel?

You don’t necessarily need to peel your apples. Personally, if I pick them myself in an orchard, I usually keep the peel. But if I bought them at the grocery store and they’re waxed, I peel them.

If you keep the peel, you will need to puree the applesauce with an immersion blender or counter mixer. Otherwise, you will have an applesauce full of pieces of peel.

Once mixed, applesauce will be pink if you have used red apples. The advantage of preserving the peel is that it contains a lot of soluble fiber, excellent for health.

If you want to make a chunky or old style applesauce instead of pureeing it, you have to remove the peel. This way, you will be able to use a fork, a potato masher or a wooden spoon to give to it the desired consistency once cooked.

Unsweetened pink applesauce variation made with freshly picked apples.
Unsweetened pink applesauce variation.

Unsweetened applesauce variations

If you want to use this unsweetened applesauce as an ingredient in other recipes, you may prefer to use a plain version without spices.

However, if it’s for direct consumption, leave your inner gourmet free!

Pink applesauce

As mentioned earlier, you can make pink applesauce. You just need to use unpeeled apples and puree the compote once cooked.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice is used in this applesauce to help with preservation and prevent apples from turning brown.

It also enhances the taste, which is very handy if your apples are not tart enough.

But if you prefer, you can simply omit this ingredient or replace it with orange or apple juice!

Spices

In this recipe I suggest adding cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. As mentioned earlier, if you want to use this compote as an ingredient in other recipes, it may be better to make a plain version.

Otherwise, a very interesting alternative is to try my apple pie spice blend!

You can also make your own spice blend. Here are the best spices to use to customize your unsweetened applesauce:

  • Ground cinnamon
  • Ground ginger
  • Ground nutmeg
  • Ground allspice
  • Ground cardamom
  • Ground clove
The maple syrup and apple pie spices variation of the unsweetened applesauce recipe.
Maple syrup and apple pie spices variation.

Sweetness

Apples are already sweet and adding a sweetener is not necessary or healthy. But if you really want to add some, I suggest using 1 or 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.

This will add a good taste that goes really well with apples. If you don’t have maple syrup, honey or brown sugar are also good choices.

Various fruits

Apples are not the only fruits that can be used to make compote. With the same proportions of ingredients, you can use pears for example.

You can also use several fruits at the same time like apple and berries!

Unsweetened applesauce conservation

This homemade unsweetened applesauce should last about 1 week in the refrigerator and can be frozen for up to 3 months.

More recipes!

If you like this recipe, you will also like these:

Chewy Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Apple and Cranberry Crumble

Chewy Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Old style unsweetened applesauce presentation.

Unsweetened applesauce

A fresh and delicious unsweetened applesauce to serve as is or used as ingredients in another delicious recipe that requires it.
5 from 2 votes
PREP TIME10 minutes
COOK TIME20 minutes
TOTAL TIME30 minutes
SERVINGS8 servings
KIDNEY NUTRITIONLow phosphorus | Low potassium | Low protein | Low sodium | Source of fiber | Vegan
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INGREDIENTS

Applesauce

  • 9 cups apples peeled (or not) and diced
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Spice blend (Note 1)

  • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • tsp ground nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Combine water, lemon juice, diced apple and spices in a saucepan. Spices are optional, see note 1.
  • Bring to a simmer over high heat and simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the apple dice fall apart.
  • For a chunky applesauce, mash with a fork, a potato masher or a wooden spoon. For a smooth applesauce, blend it.
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NOTES

Note 1 – Spices
If you use this applesauce as an ingredient in other recipes, do not use spices. Recipes that require compote do not take this into account.
 
Note 2 – Quantity of apples
For 1 kg of peeled and diced apples (about 9 cups), you will need about 1.5 kg of apples.

NUTRITION FACTS

Nutrition Facts
Unsweetened applesauce
Serving Size
 
125 ml – 1/2 cup (Peeled apples)
Amount per Serving
Calories
61
% Daily Value*
Sodium
 
1
mg
0
%
Potassium
 
116
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
16
g
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
13
g
14
%
Protein
 
0
g
Vitamin C
 
6
mg
7
%
Calcium
 
9
mg
1
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
Phosphorus
 
14
mg
1
%
*5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot

For informational purposes only. Nutrition data is primarily calculated from the USDA National Database. Values may vary from accuracy of measurements, brands, nutritional data and more. All measurements are metric (1 cup = 250ml). Readers are encouraged to make their own calculations.

Tried this recipe?Mention @KidneyHealthyRecipes or tag #KidneyHealthyRecipes!

2 thoughts on “Unsweetened Applesauce”

  1. 5 stars
    I made this with unpeeled apples and didn’t puree them, but mashed them with a fork to make chunky old fashioned apple sauce. If you chop them small enough, the peels aren’t a problem.

    I also did this in the microwave in a glass bowl. Less time and easy cleanup.

    Reply
    • I haven’t tried this recipe this way, but it seems like a quick and effective way to make a small batch. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply

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