Homemade Applesauce with Honey {Unpeeled / Skin On}

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You don’t need any extra-fancy equipment to make easy homemade applesauce with honey (unpeeled / skin on). Today, I’m sharing my simple process for making this autumn harvest favorite–no peeling (or sugar) required.

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Making Easy Homemade Applesauce with Honey

Cool autumn days.

Sticky apple puree.

And the smell of stewing apples on the stove.

What better to signal the start of the fall season?

When I was a child, I marked autumn by fresh apple cider, piles of leaves, and days spent helping my mom peel apples, stew them on the stove, and then press them through our old Victoria strainer. 

And months later, we were enjoying the best product of these apples: frozen applesauce. Almost better than ice cream (though not quite), homemade applesauce was like having dessert with the main dish.

When I became a mom myself, I rediscovered this joy of fall days spent making homemade applesauce. And I also learned that I didn’t need any fancy equipment to do it–at least not in the quantities necessary for my family size.

Today, I’m sharing my simple process for making easy homemade applesauce with honey instead of sugar–and no peeling required.

Can You Leave the Skins on When Making Applesauce?

Yes, you bet you can make applesauce with unpeeled apples! The secret to making a delicious applesauce with unpeeled apples is using a good, powerful blender. Depending on how well you want to puree the sauce, it might be chunkier than normal–or just as smooth as any sauce you’ve ever tasted. You get to choose the texture.

Do You Have to Peel Apples for Applesauce?

The truth is: No, you do not have to peel apples to make applesauce. While you should peel apples for desserts like apple pie, where the apples are consumed as entire slices, pureeing apples when making applesauce allows the skin to disintegrate and liquify with the rest of the apple, leaving no yucky peels behind.

How to Make Applesauce with Unpeeled Apples

Making homemade applesauce with apples with the skin on is not only possible but extremely easy! All you need is a stock pot, a stove, a quality blender or food processor, and your choice of sweetener (we love to use honey for the added depth of flavor and also the health benefits).

What Types of Apples to Use for Applesauce?

The type of apple that you choose makes all the difference when it comes to applesauce flavor.

Here are the top picks for apples to use when making applesauce from scratch:

• Honeycrisp
• Fuji
• Pink Lady
• McIntosh
• Gala

Use all of them, some of them, or one of them.

Our family’s preference is to use a mix of Gala and Fuji apples. These apples are naturally (mildly) sweet and have a fresh, crisp flavor.

Can You Puree Apples with the Skin on?

Pureeing apples with the skin on is completely possible and simple. It makes buying applesauce in the store (to skip all the work) even less necessary.

The important first step to getting a smooth puree is to slice the apples and then to steam or boil them until they mash easily with a fork.

The other key is to use a powerful blender with a sharp blade. (And to be patient enough to blend the puree for a few minutes.)

See below for step-by-step instructions for pureeing unpeeled apples.

How to Puree Apples with the Skin On

1. Slice and core the apples.
2. Place the apples in a vegetable steamer or directly in a saucepan with filtered water.
3. Steam (or boil) the apple slices for 10-15 minutes, or until they are tender enough to mash with a fork.
4. Remove the apple slices from the heat and allow them to cool slightly.
5. Before the apples have cooled completely (while they are still warm and soft), add them to a blender. 
6. Add a little water (the exact amount will depend on how thin you want the consistency of the apple puree to be). 
7. Blend on high speed until the apple puree is smooth.
8. Allow to cool and/or refrigerate until your desired temperature.

Note that pureeing apples is slightly different than making applesauce itself. Keep reading for homemade applesauce instructions. 😉

Ingredients for Homemade Applesauce with Honey

To make from-scratch applesauce sweetened with honey, follow these measurements:

• 8 cups cored and thinly sliced apples (we like Gala or Honeycrisp)
• 2 cups filtered water for boiling
• 1/4 cup honey (plus more, if desired)

How to Make Easy Homemade Applesauce With Skin On

1. Slice and core the apples.
2. Place the apples in a vegetable steamer or directly in a saucepan with filtered water.
3. Steam (or boil) the apple slices for 10-15 minutes, or until they are tender enough to mash with a fork.
4. Remove the apple slices from the heat and allow them to cool slightly.
5. Before the apples have cooled completely (while they are still warm and soft), add them to a blender. 
6. Add a little water or lemon juice (the exact amount will depend on how thin you want the consistency of the apple puree to be).
7. Blend on high speed until the apple puree is smooth.
8. Optional: Add honey (or other sweetener) until you achieve your desired sweetness. Blend the applesauce well to evenly incorporate the sweetener.
9. Refrigerate to cool the applesauce.
10. Add cinnamon, as desired.

How to Make Homemade Applesauce with Honey

Making homemade applesauce opens up the possibility of leaving out additional sugars. Or simply adding natural sweetener. 

You can easily substitute natural sweeteners for the sugar in an applesauce recipe. My favorite method to sweeten homemade applesauce is to add honey. Honey adds a depth of flavor that sugar itself cannot achieve.

Tools You Need to Make Applesauce with Honey

You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to make homemade applesauce. Here are the only tools you will need:

• a paring knife
• a stainless steel stock pot
• a good blender

Does Homemade Applesauce Need to Be Refrigerated?

After you make homemade applesauce, you need to refrigerate it. Any leftovers should be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Typically, homemade applesauce can last from 10 days to two weeks. To store leftover applesauce for a longer time period, put it in a freezer-safe container in the freezer. (Just make sure to leave plenty of extra space in the container [about 1/4 of the container] for expansion as the applesauce freezes.)

Can You Freeze Homemade Applesauce?

Homemade applesauce is not only freeze-able, it is also delicious in frozen form. To freeze applesauce, place it in a freezer-safe container. (Just make sure to leave plenty of extra space in the container [about 1/4 of the container] for expansion as the applesauce freezes.) Freeze in a level, upright position.

Frozen applesauce can last for months. (I believe my family actually kept some for years.) Just watch the applesauce carefully for signs of freezer burn.

How Long Does Homemade Applesauce Last?

Homemade applesauce can last for a good length of time, if stored properly. Here are some shelf life times for homemade applesauce according to the method of storage:

• refrigerated–approximately 3 to 5 days. Applesauce tends to ferment a bit–even in the fridge–which alters the taste. It will also eventually grow mold. While it is possible to skim the mold off the top of a large jar of applesauce, it is not exactly advisable. Keep a careful eye on your applesauce and freeze it if you want to keep it longer.
• frozen–frozen applesauce can last for about 6 months to a year (though I have kept frozen applesauce for much longer). Make sure to store it in a level, upright container, and watch for signs of freezer burn.
• canned–the recommended shelf life is one year. Store in a cool, dry place. Make sure to rotate your stock of canned applesauce so that you don’t miss a soon-expiring jar.

Why Do You Put Lemon Juice in Applesauce?

You can use lemon juice in applesauce. However, it is totally optional. While apples are cooking, they lose some of their acidity. Adding a bit of lemon or lime juice brings the acid levels back up. If you are not a fan of acidic applesauce, then adding lemon juice is not necessary for you. But if you like a bit of a tartness with each bite of apple puree, then try adding a bit of citrus (maybe a teaspoon or two) or even cinnamon.

Closing Thoughts on Applesauce with Honey

Happy fall, my friends! 

As I post this, it is autumn in my husband’s hometown in Southern Brazil, and I’m enjoying the perfect weather for making pots of fragrant applesauce.

I love using this delicious applesauce in recipes like Secretly Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (which you should try, by the way!). 

My toddler boys also gobble down bowls of homemade applesauce with pureed strawberries (a great way to add extra color and flavor to this recipe!). 

If you need some convincing to make your own homemade applesauce, check out this article about how applesauce is healthy for you.

How will you try your applesauce? Cinnamon? Strawberries? Lemon? Honey? Share photos of your creation in the comments or with the hashtag #thesantoscookbook.

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