Slow Cooker Applesauce

This recipe combines two things I love: using up sad looking produce and cobbling together recipes. I had a big bag of apples that sat in the back of the fridge for a ridiculous amount of time that I kept promising Aaron I would use up. Finally I managed to get my act together and search for some recipes, forgetting that I had already done this when I had initially intended to do something with my sad sack of apples. I think I really enjoy the phrase sad sack of apples. Anyway, I ended up with two recipes that both had things I like about them and decided to stick them together and call it slow cooker applesauce. The originals are here and here.

Slow Cooker Applesauce:

Makes about 3 large mason jars worth

12 apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
Juice from 1 lemon plus a little more
¾ c. water
1 c. brown sugar
¾ tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. vanilla






Combine the apples and the water in the slow cooker. Add the lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir well to combine. With this many apples, it might be difficult, but it will work out in the end. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Mine were perfectly tender and ready at just about 5 hours. Mash up with a potato masher.



I froze two of the jars and kept one in the fridge. There would’ve been enough for three full mason jars, but I kept eating it. It’s so good! The tang of the lemon plays well off of the sweetness of the sugar. The vanilla adds a nice layer of flavor as well. I would use more lemon juice and less sugar on sweeter apples. It’s just like apple pie; you’ve got to adjust based on what you have. I highly recommend making this, if for no other reason that you have a sad sack of apples and they need some love. This stuff is great on everything, but I like it best by itself.