Cinnamon Applesauce in the Slow Cooker

Welcome to the Festival of Food Carnival. In celebration of autumn and Halloween, we’re sharing recipe ideas for healthy treats, or anything you would enjoy this time of year. Hosted by Diary of a First Child and Hybrid Rasta Mama, you’re welcome to join us next time, or if you have a previously published recipe you’d like to share, add it to the linky below.

Fresh, warm applesauce is a special treat in our house during the fall months. I usually make it in a big pot on the stove and keep it chunky, but I decided to try it out in the slow cooker. Joshua and I went apple picking the other morning and then made this that afternoon. Check out our apple picking adventure here!

I specifically chose Ida Red apples for this recipe, since they are so big that it doesn’t take many to fill up the slower cooker. I left the skins on because I sent it through the food mill after it was cooked, and the red-pink-orangey shade of the Ida Red apples gave it a beautiful pink color. I used apple cider as a liquid to keep it from scorching, but you could also use water. There’s no need to sweeten this applesauce, but I always add a lot of cinnamon. My husband remarked how sweet it tasted and couldn’t believe that I didn’t add any sugar to it.

Not only is fresh applesauce a treat for your taste buds, it also fills the house with an amazing cinnamoney aroma. Forget scented candles with fake scents made from petrochemicals, next time I want a warm, homey smell in my house I’m making slow cooker applesauce! We happened to get our weekly grocery delivery while this was cooking and the delivery man told me it smelled like Grandma’s house.

My slow cooker is a very large one (I don’t recall the measurement, but it’s oval). You could easily halve the recipe if you have a smaller slow cooker.

Cinnamon Applesauce in the Slow Cooker

• 8-15 large cooking apples, cored and chopped
• 2 cups apple cider or water
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon, or more to taste
• dashes of other spices to taste- I use cardamom and nutmeg, but you could also use mace, ginger or allspice

This also makes a great gift this season! Little jars of applesauce are nice treats to give friends who stop by on Halloween instead of candy!

Please take a moment to visit the blogs of our other Festival of Food participants. The links in this list will be live by the end of the day, as participants are all in different time zones.

• Jessica from Delicious Obsessions shares her recipe for Lemon Coconut Blueberry Macadamia Nut Muffins, a low-carb, low-sugar treat that won’t leave you feeling guilty. You can also find Jessica on Facebook;.
• Abbie at Farmer’s Daughter shares a recipe for Unsweetened Cinnamon Applesauce in the slow cooker, a yummy treat that also makes the house smell amazing. You can also find Abbie on Facebook;.
• Lulastic of Lulastic and the Hippy Shake shares a story of urban foraging, and the delicious recipe for the Fruit Leathers she made with the harvest! You can also find Lulastic on Facebook.

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• Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares a super easy, fix it and forget about it Crock Pot Pumpkin Custard that tastes like warm pumpkin pie filling without the sugar and grains! You can also find Jennifer on Facebook.

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• Bianca at the Pierogie Mama justifies why she guards her homemade applesauce from ‘unauthorized’ uses.  You can also find Bianca on Facebook.

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• Jennifer from True Confessions of a Real Mommy helps you take your love of all things pumpkin to the dinner table! A gluten free, dairy free, and vegan if you like Thai Pumpkin Soup to warm you up! You can also find Jennifer on Facebook.

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• Crackerdog Sam guest posts at Hobo Mama with a slightly sweet, stove-popped Cracker Jack alternative. You can also find Hobo Mama talking about Crackerdog Sam on Facebook.

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• Luschka at Diary of a First Child shares her foundation recipe for ‘milkshakes’ – coloured green smoothies – that her toddler loves to have with ‘chocolate’ date balls and banana ‘ice cream’. You can also fine Luschka on Facebook.

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• Amy at Anktangle; shares a wholesome version of a decadent treat: Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars. They have a classic, no-bake cookie flavor while being gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan. Nut-free substitutions included! You can also find Amy on Facebook.

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