Homemade Apple Sauce
A simple, warmly spiced apple sauce cooked down from fresh apples — can be made silky smooth or kept slightly chunky.
4 · Pureed
Completely smooth and thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon, but soft enough to need no chewing. Should never be sticky, lumpy, or stringy.
Suitable for anyone who finds food hard to chew or swallow. Graded IDDSI Level 4 (Pureed) — smooth purée, no chewing — the texture standard used in dysphagia care and soft diets.
See all texture levelsIngredients
- 1 medium Apple 5 1/2 to 6 ounces
- 3 tbsp Water
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1/8 tsp Ground cinnamon
Instructions
Peel, core, and chop the apple into chunks.
In a 1-quart saucepan, combine the chopped apple, water, sugar, and ground cinnamon.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking. The apples are ready when they're soft and completely fork-tender.
Remove from the heat. For a chunky apple sauce, mash with a fork or potato masher. For a smooth apple sauce, use an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender.
If the sauce is too watery, cook uncovered over low heat until it thickens.
Serving Tips
Important Guidance
- Always make the smooth version — blended with an immersion blender until no pieces remain — for anyone on a pureed or texture-modified diet. The chunky version is not appropriate below Level 6.
- Peel the apple thoroughly; any bits of skin left behind are tough and won't break down during the short cooking time.
- This sauce is naturally soft once cooked and blends easily, making it one of the simplest Level 4 desserts or sides on this site.
- Apple sauce is often used to help other foods and medications go down more easily — check with a pharmacist or care team before mixing it with any medication.
Nutrition Facts
Estimated from the listed ingredients across 2 servings (one medium apple total). This is an estimate, not a lab-tested nutrition label.
Dietary Notes
Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. The nutrition figures above are estimated from the ingredients, since the source recipe didn't provide them.