Name: Instant Pot Applesauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 small gala apples; 2 medium granny smith apples; 1/2 cup water; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instant Pot Applesauce is so easy to make and tastes great! Just throw together some apples and spices and come back to a perfectly sweet fall treat! Make sure you check out our full list of instant pot apple dessert recipes!

We love baking with apples in the fall. Don’t get me wrong, I do my fair share of pumpkin spice baking, too, but there is something about a tasty apple recipe that just feels like fall. (And if you really want a pumpkin recipe, try Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake)

I have shared recipes for Apple Cinnamon Muffins, bread machine apple cinnamon rolls, instant pot apple dumplings, instant pot apple crisp, and make-ahead baked oatmeal with apples.

About this instant pot applesauce recipe

This is a chunky applesauce recipe. I love using my pressure cooker to make applesauce because it takes just 5 minutes of cook time for perfectly soft apples that mash quickly and easily into chunky applesauce.

If you want to make smooth instant pot applesauce, just blend it up with an immersion blender, countertop blender, or food processor. If you don’t have an instant pot, try our recipes for Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce.

Is there sugar in instant pot applesauce?

Yes, this recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. If you are looking to make this applesauce without added sugar, you may omit the sugar. It does not affect the overall texture or cook time. Although, it will be less sweet.

If you are hoping to make sweet applesauce without added sugar, I recommend substituting the granny smith apples for another sweet apple-like honey crisp or more gala apples.

How to make applesauce in the instant pot

1. Start by peeling, coring, and slicing your apples.

2. Next, add the apples, cinnamon, water, and lemon juice to the instant pot.

3. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.

4. Natural pressure release.

5. Mash up the apples with a potato masher to make applesauce.

6. Chill and enjoy within 7 days.

Can I add other fruits to this pressure cooker applesauce recipe?

Yes. We have successfully made strawberry applesauce in the instant pot. You can also mix in a couple of pears to make pear applesauce. Yum. Yum. The cook time stays at just 5 minutes.

What apples do you use for instant pot applesauce?

I used a combination of Gala and Granny Smith apples for this applesauce recipe in the instant pot. You can use any apple varieties you like.

Keep in mind that the overall sweetness of the apples affects the sweetness of the applesauce. Additional sugar can be added to the applesauce after cooking and taste testing.

What do I do if my instant pot applesauce is too runny?

This recipe only uses 1/2 cup water, so it should not come out runny. Although it does depend on the apples used. If your applesauce comes out too runny or thin, you can set your instant pot to saute and bring it back to a boil. Let it cook down 5-10 minutes until thickened.

Alternately, you can mix up a corn starch slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water. Whisk it into hot applesauce to thicken.

Can you overcook applesauce?

Yes. If you cook your applesauce for too long it will begin to thicken and turn into rich apple butter. Apple butter is great, too, but it is not a tasty side dish. It’s more of a topping for toast or biscuits.

Serves 6