What Is Applesauce and How Can I Use It?

If applesauce has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 608 recipes to try it in.

What is applesauce?

Applesauce is cooked, pureed apple, nothing more required than fruit and heat. It runs from silky and pale to chunky and brown depending on the apples you use and how hard you cook them.

It plays a few roles at once. It is a spoonable side and a snack toddlers will actually eat, but in a working kitchen its real job is baking.

The unsweetened version is the workhorse. It carries clean apple flavor without added sugar, which is exactly what you want when you cook with it rather than eat it straight. Sweetened, cinnamon-spiced jars are for the bowl, not the mixing bowl.

Tart apples like Granny Smith cook down into a brighter, more apple-forward sauce, while Fuji or Honeycrisp give you something milder and sweeter. Most homemade batches mix both.

Baking With Applesauce

This is where applesauce earns its keep. It replaces fat in cakes, muffins, and other quick breads, swapping butter or oil for fruit puree to cut calories while holding the crumb moist.

Use ½ cup applesauce for every ½ cup of oil or butter the recipe calls for, a straight one-to-one by volume.

Start by replacing half the fat, not all of it. Fat carries flavor and tenderizes; pull all of it and your bake turns gummy and bready instead of rich. Half-and-half gives you most of the calorie savings with almost none of the texture penalty.

Because applesauce adds liquid and pectin, it also works as a partial egg replacement, roughly ¼ cup per egg in dense bakes like brownies or spice cake. You can taste this in an Iowa Applesauce Cake or an Amazing Applesauce Spice Cake, where the sauce does real structural work.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

On the plate, applesauce is the classic foil for pork. The cool, tart sauce cuts the richness of chops and roast loin, and it is the standard partner for fried potato pancakes. It also softens roasted root vegetables, as in Sweet Potatoes in Applesauce.

The mistake that ruins baked goods is reaching for sweetened applesauce in a recipe written for unsweetened. The added sugar throws off the formula, and the bake browns too fast and turns cloying.

Read the jar before you measure.

The other slip is forgetting that applesauce darkens a mix. Spice cakes and gingerbread hide it, but a pale vanilla cake can look muddy. Save the swap for batters that already run dark.

Substitutes

For the fat-replacement job, mashed ripe banana works one-to-one but pushes banana flavor forward, so use it where that fits. Pumpkin puree and pear sauce are closer to neutral and swap in evenly.

Plain yogurt or buttermilk replaces some of the moisture but not the binding, so it suits muffins more than dense cakes. Prune puree is the strongest stand-in for dark, spiced bakes and brings its own deep sweetness.

If you only need the side-dish version, there is no real substitute. Just simmer apples until soft and mash them. Twenty minutes, no recipe needed.

Buying and Storage

Choose jars with bright, even color and no bulging lid or seepage. For cooking, buy unsweetened with apples as the only major ingredient, and skip anything listing high-fructose corn syrup if you want clean flavor.

An unopened jar keeps in the pantry for a year or more. Once opened, refrigerate it and use within about a week to ten days. Watch for off smells or surface mold, which means it goes in the bin.

Homemade applesauce holds five to seven days in the fridge in a sealed container. It also freezes well: pack it in portions with headspace for expansion, and it keeps two to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, stir to recombine any separated liquid, and use it.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Food group: Applesauce is a member of the Fruits and Fruit Juices US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

苹果酱

British (UK) term

Applesauce

en français

compote de pommes

en español

puré de manzana

How much does applesauce weigh?

Related

Fruits and Fruit Juices

Recipes using applesauce

There are 608 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Applesauce Chipotle Cornbread

Chipotle cornbread bakes in a hot cast iron skillet with puréed chipotles, applesauce, and buttermilk for smoky heat and a crisp crust. Low-fat Southwestern twist on classic cornbread.

Mom's Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Mom's whole wheat blueberry pancakes use applesauce and soy milk for a dairy-free vegan-friendly breakfast. Hearty whole-grain pancakes with juicy berries and no eggs.

Berrie Good Waffles (Whole Wheat Waffles)

Whole wheat blender waffles made from whole wheat berries (the grain), soy milk, applesauce and egg substitute. Vegan, dairy-free, fiber-rich, and ground fresh in a blender for the freshest possible flour.

Low-Fat Nilla-Nana Chocolate Chip Muffins

These scrumptious muffins are perfect to enjoy while tanning outside on a hot summer day.

Low-Fat Brownies

Satisfy your sweet tooth with this scrumptious low-fat snack which is perfect for dessert.

Favorite Chewy Spice Cookies

Chewy spice cookies are low-fat molasses cookies sweetened with applesauce, scented with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, then drizzled with lemon icing. Holiday spice cookies without butter or eggs.

Fudgey Peanut Butter Chip Muffins

Fudgy peanut butter chip muffins blend cocoa, oats, and applesauce for a tender chocolate crumb loaded with peanut butter chips. A bake-sale favorite that doubles as breakfast.

Mocha Chip Muffins

Low-fat mocha chip muffins with cocoa, instant coffee, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Applesauce replaces most of the oil for a tender, fudgy crumb under 100 calories per muffin.

Berry Almond Bundt Cake

Cranberry almond bundt cake with cornmeal and applesauce. A dairy-free leaning bundt with tart cranberries, ground almonds, and a soft golden crumb. Drizzle with glaze or dust with powdered sugar.

Cocoa Cookies

Egg-free, dairy-free cocoa cookies made with silken tofu, soy milk, and applesauce. Soft, fudgy, and dusted with powdered sugar. A vegan chocolate cookie that nobody will guess is plant-based. Makes 3 dozen.

Spiced Breakfast Apple Muffins

Spiced applesauce breakfast muffins with cinnamon and nutmeg, baked into tender rounds with a cinnamon-sugar crackly top. Pantry-staple muffins for grab-and-go mornings.

Moist Pillowy Applesauce Muffins

Tender applesauce muffins with cinnamon spice, soft pillowy texture, and golden tops. Simple breakfast or snack muffins ready in 30 minutes.

Whole Grain Apple Pancakes (Smith)

Whole grain apple pancakes leavened with yeast and packed with bran, grated fresh apple, and apple juice. Thicker than regular pancakes, naturally egg-free, high-fiber, and sweet without a drop of added sugar.

Best Applesauce Pancakes

Love these applesauce pancakes. Moist and delicious. Serve them with maple syrup and fresh berries. Yum!

Lemon/Orange Cake Dessert

Lighter poke cake built on a yellow cake mix doctored with lemon gelatin, applesauce, and egg substitute, then drenched in a citrus glaze that soaks into every fork-pricked hole. Tangy, moist, easy.

Low-Cal Brownies

Low-cal brownies: a quick blender batter that swaps applesauce for butter and a sugar substitute for sugar, baked into a light chocolate fix. A guilt-free brownie ready in about 30 minutes.

Low-fat Double Chocolate Brownies

Low-fat double chocolate brownies that don't taste like a compromise: unsweetened chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate chips with applesauce standing in for most of the butter. Rich, fudgy, and made with whole wheat flour.

Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Cookie Crust

Pumpkin pie with ginger cookie crust trades pastry for crushed gingersnaps and lightens the filling with applesauce, maple syrup, and egg whites. A holiday pie with serious spice and a leaner profile.

Applesauce Cake (Ob'L Dunkes Kucka)

Pennsylvania Dutch applesauce cake (Ob'l Dunkes Kucka) is a one-bowl spice cake with raisins, brown sugar, and three warm spices. A heritage recipe with no eggs and no milk.

Cornbread

This is plain cornbread, not a corn flavored cake, so don't expect it to be fluffy or sweet. It's great with black-eyed peas, new potatoes, green onions, sliced tomatoes, and buttermilk, i.e., your basic Southern farm fare. It's also very nice cold, broken into bite-sized pieces in a glass of cold milk and eaten with a spoon.

Reduced Fat Brownies

Reduced fat brownies made with applesauce, cocoa powder, and melted unsweetened chocolate. Fudgy and rich with less oil, topped with toasted walnuts.

Basic Breakfast Muffins

Basic breakfast muffins made with flour, honey, and applesauce. No butter, no eggs, no oil. Six pantry ingredients turn into soft, lightly sweet muffins in 45 minutes.

Date Squares (Healthier Version)

Make the traditional date squares healthier by using some whole wheat flour, canola oil and applesauce. Super moist and tasty, great to enjoy at any time.

Orange-Flavored Pancakes

Orange-flavored pancakes made with fresh orange juice in the batter and topped with warm spiced applesauce instead of plain syrup. A bright, fast brunch stack with a citrus lift and a cozy spiced finish.

Kahlua Cheesecake Bars (Healthier Version)

Super moist, chocolaty and rich. These delicious kaulua cheesecake bars will for sure satisfy your sweet tooth but without letting you feel too guilty.

Moist Breakfast Apple Muffins

Moist breakfast apple muffins lightened with applesauce, buttermilk, and egg whites. Just two tablespoons of oil and chunks of fresh apple in every cinnamon-spiced bite.

Blueberry Crunch Coffee Cake (Healthier Version)

Using whole wheat flour, applesauce and grapeseeds oil makes this coffee cake super moist and delicious.

Moist Gingerbread Cake

Moist gingerbread cake sweetened with molasses and applesauce, no butter or oil added. Whole wheat and white flour blend with buttermilk for tender low-fat texture and warm spice.

Super Mosit Brownies

Lighter cocoa brownies sweetened with liquid sweetener and applesauce instead of excess sugar, delivering chocolate satisfaction with a tender cake-like crumb.

Chewy Oatmeal Spice Cookies

Lower-fat chewy oatmeal raisin cookies use applesauce and egg whites in place of butter and yolks. Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, ready in 40 minutes. Drop cookie or 9x13 bar pan option.

Favorite Applesauce Banana Bread

Tender banana bread made in the bread machine with applesauce and egg substitute for a lighter, no-fuss loaf perfect for breakfast.

Chunky Apple Spice Muffins

Whole wheat bran muffins loaded with diced Granny Smith apples, warming spices, and unsweetened applesauce. A high-fiber breakfast or snack muffin with no eggs or dairy.

High-Fibre Apple Pancakes

This whole-wheat apple pancake is high in fibre, uses yeast and is completely dairy-free.

Delicious Apple-Carrot Muffins

Apple-carrot muffins with grated Granny Smith apple, fresh carrot, oats, raisins, and Grape-Nuts for crunch. Healthy egg-white muffins that taste like dessert.

Easy & Tasty Potato Latkes

Traditional Jewish potato latkes with grated potato, onion, and egg, pan-fried until crisp. The classic Hanukkah pancake served with applesauce and sour cream.

Banana Cinnamon Waffles

Banana cinnamon waffles with mashed banana and applesauce in place of fat. Low-fat, egg-white only batter for a fluffy, lightly sweet weekend breakfast.

Amazing Chocolate Chip or Raisin Cookies (Low-Fat)

Soft oatmeal cookies studded with chocolate chips, made lighter with applesauce instead of excess butter. Crisp edges, chewy centers, under 150 calories each.

Lite Apple Oat Muffins

Lighter apple oat muffins with applesauce in place of much of the fat and rolled oats for chewy texture. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves give classic fall-bakery flavor in a 30-minute breakfast muffin.

Homemade Sweet Muffins

A simple, delicious snack. Mouthwatering muffins which are perfect for breakfast, coffee or tea later in the day. Try it!

Applesauce Spice Muffins

Applesauce spice muffins use a basic muffin mix as the shortcut, blended with applesauce for moisture, plus chopped nuts and raisins. A six-ingredient breakfast bake that comes together in one bowl.

Sugar Free Peach Oat Bran Muffins

Sugar free peach oat bran muffins packed with chopped peaches, toasted pecans, and dates. Made with brown rice flour and oat bran for a hearty, gluten-free breakfast muffin sweetened only with fruit.

Cinnamon Raisin Apple Muffins

Cinnamon raisin apple muffins are wholesome whole-wheat muffins with no added sugar, sweetened naturally by apple juice and applesauce. Egg-free and dairy-free, they double as a make-ahead jar mix gift.

Union Pacific Applesauce Pancakes

Union Pacific Railroad's signature applesauce pancakes from the dining car era, with a tender, apple-rich crumb that needs no extra sweetener. A vintage American breakfast classic.

Breakfast Apple Raisin Muffins

Apple raisin breakfast muffins kept moist and tender with unsweetened applesauce and just a little oil, lightly sweetened and studded with plumped raisins and cinnamon. A make-ahead, freezer-friendly breakfast.

Applesauce Banana Muffins

Banana muffins meet applesauce for double fruit moisture and subtle sweetness. Ready in 40 minutes using a muffin mix shortcut that still tastes homemade.

Apple Bran Spice Muffins

Apple bran spice muffins sweetened only with honey and applesauce, no oil or butter. High-fiber breakfast bake with five warm spices, buttermilk tang, and grated apple folded through the batter.

Almost Non-Fat Banana Bread Muffins

Brighten up your mornings with these delicious muffins that are perfect to take with you to work.

Chocolate Kiss Cookies (Healthier Version)

By using mostly whole wheat flour, apple sauce and vegetable oil make these cookies much healthier but still taste delicious.

Granola With Raisins, Apples & Cinnamon

Homemade granola with rolled oats, bran flakes, slivered almonds, dried apples, and golden raisins bound with honey and applesauce. A low-fat, cinnamon-spiced breakfast cereal ready in under an hour.

12-Grain Crepes with Warm Applesauce

Warm applesauce is a delicious filling for these nutty 12-grain crepes and also packed with goodness.

All 608 recipes