I’ve had my Instant Pot for a bit over a year now, and while I love it as a rice maker and an air fryer, I don’t actually use the pressure cooker part of it too often. So, when I was looking for something to do with the apples I had left over from our fall orchard visits, I thought why not give that a try? So, I made applesauce!
As it turns out, applesauce is super easy and quick to make in a pressure cooker. You spend more time prepping the apples than you do cooking! Aren’t pressure cookers neat? I’m always a little wary of using mine, since I don’t want stuff to burn to the inside of the cooker, but that’s not really that common when you use it right.
This recipe has three (well, technically four) ingredients, and no added sugar. It gets all of its sweetness from the apples! That does mean, though, that if you want sweeter applesauce, you need to use a sweeter variety of apple; a tarter apple will leave you with a tangy applesauce.
What are the ingredients?
- Apples. Duh! I used Crimson Crisp for this recipe, but obviously you can use whatever kind you like. This is also a great way to use apples that are past their prime and starting to get wrinkly.
- Lemon Juice. A little bit of lemon juice helps bring out the flavor of the apples, adds a bit of acidic tartness to the applesauce, and adds some complexity to the flavor.
- Cinnamon. Cinnamon and apples go together as one of the perfect flavor combos, and cinnamon applesauce has been my favorite my whole life. You can add complexity by using more of a pie spice mix if you want; I used plain cinnamon for mine.
- Water. I know I only listed three ingredients and this is technically four, but it’s hard to consider added water an ingredient. All it does is ensure you end up with an apple sauce and not some kind of apple paste or concentrate. You don’t even need much, and can cut down on it if you use really juicy apples.
Making the recipe is super easy too. All you need to do is peel, core, and slice the apples. Dice them up, slice them into rings, use a mandoline; whatever you prefer! It doesn’t really matter, since once they’ve cooked, it all turns to mush anyway.
Once the apples are prepared, mix the ingredients in your Instant Pot and cook it on high for just 6-8 minutes. Let it vent naturally, and when you open it up, it’ll be warm and ready to go. Give it a stir (or a mash with a potato masher) and mix it into the consistency you like.
That’s it! Serve it hot, serve it cold, eat it with something or on its own, it’s all up to you. Enjoy!
Simple Three Ingredient Instant Pot Applesauce
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Potato Masher
- Vegetable Peeler
Ingredients
- 8 Apples More if using small apples.
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice Fresh squeezed tastes best.
- ½ Cup Water Less for juicy apples.
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon More if you like a spicy sauce.
Instructions
- Peel, core, and slice your apples into discs or small chunks. Place them in the Instant Pot.
- Add the lemon juice, water, and cinnamon. Stir the apples to coat.
- Cook on high for 7 or so minutes. Allow to vent naturally.
- Once vented, remove the lid and stir with an implement of your choice. Use a potato masher to stir and mash to your desired consistency. For extra smooth applesauce, you can try an immersion blender too. Just be careful if it's still hot.
- Enjoy! Serve hot or cold or however you like.