If you like my brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodles, the best cookies on the planet, you will LOVE these blondies! I decided it was time to make a bar version of my all-time favorite cookie recipe. And let me tell you, these snickerdoodle blondie…
If you like my brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodles, the best cookies on the planet, you will LOVE these blondies! I decided it was time to make a bar version of my all-time favorite cookie recipe. And let me tell you, these snickerdoodle blondies are outstanding. Maybe one of my top 10 desserts EVER! Yeah,…
These soft and chewy vegan Snickerdoodle cookies are tossed in a combination of cinnamon sugar and are the best way to satisfy your sugar craving. They are perfect alongside a glass of dairy-free milk or a bowl of vegan ice cream. Whether you have them…
These soft and chewy vegan Snickerdoodle cookies are tossed in a combination of cinnamon sugar and are the best way to satisfy your sugar craving. They are perfect alongside a glass of dairy-free milk or a bowl of vegan ice cream. Whether you have them as a mid-day snack or after-dinner treat, your taste buds...
The warming, sweet + spicy flavors of a chai latte infused into a creamy, spreadable snack? Yes, please! This homemade chai-spiced nut butter jazzes up any boring breakfast and makes a sweet holiday gift for friends and family.
Just 20 minutes and 9 in…
The warming, sweet + spicy flavors of a chai latte infused into a creamy, spreadable snack? Yes, please! This homemade chai-spiced nut butter jazzes up any boring breakfast and makes a sweet holiday gift for friends and family.
Just 20 minutes and 9 ingredients are required for you to check homemade holiday gift giving off your to-do list. Let’s make nut butter!
How to Make Homemade Chai-Spiced Nut Butter
This creamy, warming spread begins with lightly roasting cashews and almonds to bring out their natural richness.
I don’t know if anything can get me in the holiday mood more than baking (and decorating) a batch of Gingerbread Cookies. Their warm, spicy aroma just smells like Christmas, and decorating them is SO. MUCH. FUN. This recipe for gingerbread cookies will make plenty of soft, chewy, spiced cookies for you and your friends and family to decorate, so bookmark this Gingerbread Cookie recipe and make them this weekend. And don’t forget to take a photo and show us your creations on social media!
What Are Gingerbread Cookies?
Gingerbread cookies are a cookie made with rich molasses and plenty of warm spices, like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. The gingerbread cookies are often cut into the shape of a man (aka gingerbread men), but can also be cut into a variety of holiday-themed shapes. Decorating gingerbread cookies is a popular holiday activity and my personal favorite!
Ingredients for Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookies have many of the same ingredients as most basic cookies but include a variety of rich and warm spices. Here’s what you’ll need to make gingerbread cookies:
Butter: Butter is the base for many cookies. It gives the cookies plenty of richness and creamy buttery flavor.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar gives these cookies a deeply rich sweetness, and helps keep the cookies soft.
Molasses: Molasses sweetens the cookies, adds an amazingly deep flavor, and gives the cookies a rich brown color.
Egg: Egg helps give the cookies structure and helps them rise just a little bit while baking.
Vanilla: Vanilla adds to the warm flavor profile of the cookies.
Baking Soda: A small amount of baking soda helps the cookies rise so they are nice and soft.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the cookies structure and bulk.
Spices: A mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt gives the gingerbread cookies tons of warm flavor in every bite! Cinnamon also helps deepen the cookie’s classic brown color.
How to Decorate Gingerbread Cookies
While you don’t have to decorate gingerbread cookies, I think that’s half the fun. I like to keep things simple with a basic powdered sugar icing. To make the icing, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 Tbsp water, or just enough for it to form a thick icing. You can make multiple batches of the icing and color each one separately with a couple drops of food coloring, for even more decorating fun. Then just spoon the icing into a plastic bag, cut off just a sliver of the corner of the bag to create a piping tip, and then decorate away!
You can also add tons of other fun items to the gingerbread cookies, like sprinkles, red hot candies, peppermints, or any other type of small candy. These extras will take your gingerbread cookies to the next level!
Storing Gingerbread Cookies
Once cooled and decorated (and once the icing has dried), the gingerbread cookies can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for about one week. …But I’m sure they’ll all get eaten before then!
Add the butter and brown sugar to a bowl and use a mixer to beat them together until light and creamy. Add the molasses, vanilla, and egg, and beat until creamy again.
In a separate large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, then beat on low speed until incorporated. Repeat until all of the flour has been added to the batter. It should form a very soft cookie dough.
Transfer the cookie dough to a large piece of plastic, shape it into a ball, and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to one day.
When ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Divide the cookie dough in half to make it easier to work with (keep the other half in the refrigerator until ready to use). Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it's about ⅛-inch thick. Cut the dough into your desired shapes and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, at least one inch apart.
Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, or until slightly puffed in the center and they are just beginning to brown on the outer edges. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
Icing (optional)
While the cookies are cooling, place the powdered sugar in a bowl and add 1 Tbsp water. Stir to combine, then continue to add water, a very small amount at a time, until it forms a thick icing (about 1-2 Tbsp total).
Place the icing in a plastic bag and cut a very small piece off the corner to create a piping tip. Pipe the icing onto the cooled cookies in your favorite design!
How to Make Gingerbread Cookies – Step by Step Photos
Using a mixer, beat together 12 Tbsp (¾ cup) room-temperature salted butter and ¾ cup brown sugar until light and creamy. Add ½ cup molasses, one tsp vanilla extract, and one large egg, then beat until smooth again.
In a separate bowl, stir together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 tsp cinnamon 1 Tbsp ginger, ½ tsp cloves, ½ tsp nutmeg, and ½ tsp salt.
Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar, then beat on low speed until combined. Repeat until all of the flour and spices have been added to the cookie batter.
When all of the flour and spices have been added, you’ll have a very soft cookie batter.
Place the cookie batter on a large sheet of plastic wrap, shape it into a ball, and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours (it can stay refrigerated for up to a day).
When you’re ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Divide the dough in half to make it easier to work with and place the other half in the refrigerator until ready to roll. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 1/8-inch thick, then cut into your desired shapes.
Place the cut cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet with at least 1 inch between each cookie (they will expand a little). Gather up the dough scraps, roll again, and cut more until there is little or no dough left. Keep any unused dough in the refrigerator so it stays chilled.
Bake the cookies in the preheated 350ºF oven for 8 minutes, or until slightly puffed in the center and the outer edges are just beginning to brown. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.
While the cookies are cooling, prepare the simple powdered sugar glaze. Add 1 cup powdered sugar to a bowl and add 1 Tbsp water. Stir to combine. Continue to add water, a little at a time, until it forms a thick glaze (1-2 Tbsp total water).
Spoon the icing into a plastic bag and cut off a very small piece of the corner to use as a piping tip, then have fun!
This cinnamon roll recipe almost did me in. They were so good with their buttery, cinnamon-filled layers and gooey cream cheese frosting that I just couldn’t stop eating them. And since I tested this cinnamon roll recipe several times over the course of a few weeks, my diet was probably 50% cinnamon roll there for a while. 😅 But hey, it was worth the sacrifice. (#sarcasm) After all the hard work and dedication of eating cinnamon roll after cinnamon roll, I’m now ready to teach you how to make the absolute best homemade cinnamon rolls ever. Your Saturday mornings will never be the same.
These incredible homemade cinnamon rolls have a super fluffing and soft brioche-like dough that is slightly sweet. The dough is slathered with a mixture of butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar, then rolled up and sliced into perfect little pinwheels. They bake up fluffy and cloud-like and then are topped with the most deliciously sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. They’re cinnamon roll perfection!
Ingredients for Cinnamon Rolls
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own homemade cinnamon rolls:
Yeast: Yeast is what gives these cinnamon rolls their airy, fluffy texture. You can use active dry yeast, instant yeast, or bread machine yeast for this recipe.
Sugar: We use regular granulated sugar in the cinnamon roll dough, brown sugar to make the filling, and powdered sugar in the cream cheese icing. Make no mistake, this is a sweet treat!
Flour: Regular all-purpose flour is the base for the soft and fluffy cinnamon roll dough.
Salt: Adding a little salt to the dough really makes the flavor pop instead of being a bland, floury flavor.
Butter: Butter is used to help keep the dough tender, to make the rich cinnamon-sugar swirl filling, and to soften the cream cheese icing.
Milk: Milk also helps tenderize the dough, keeping it super soft and moist. We also add just a touch to the cream cheese frosting to help it whip up nice and soft without being too thick.
Cinnamon: There is no shortage of cinnamon in these cinnamon rolls! We use a full tablespoon in the filling, which gives the rolls a warm and cozy flavor.
Cream Cheese: The tangy flavor of cream cheese in the frosting helps balance the sweet and rich flavor of the cinnamon rolls.
Vanilla: A splash of vanilla extract gives the frosting more flavor and richness.
Make Them Ahead
I know, not everyone wants to bake a full-blown batch of cinnamon rolls first thing in the morning. If you’re more of a night owl or prefer to do the majority of the work the night before, simply prepare the cinnamon rolls as directed below and as soon as they’re cut and in the baking dish cover them with plastic and refrigerate. They’ll rise slowly while they refrigerate overnight. The next morning, take them out of the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature while the oven preheats, then bake as usual!
How to Store Cinnamon Rolls
The un-frosted baked cinnamon rolls can stay at room temperature for about two days. Frosted cinnamon rolls can be kept in the refrigerator for about four days. And since these little cinnamon bombs are super rich, you can also freeze them for later! Just pull apart each roll, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid (about two hours). Then wrap each one tightly and place in a freezer bag. The frozen cinnamon rolls can be thawed at room temperature for about 30 minutes before enjoying.
Stir together the hot water, yeast, and sugar until the yeast is mostly dissolved. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes, or until a thick layer of foam develops on the surface.
Once the yeast is activated (as indicated by the foam on top), whisk in the milk and melted butter.
In a separate large bowl, stir together 1 cup of flour and the salt. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the flour and stir until smooth.
Begin adding more flour, ½ cup at a time, until a sticky ball of dough forms and it becomes difficult to stir with a spoon. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead the dough for 3 minutes, adding a small amount of flour as you go to prevent the dough from sticking. After kneading for a couple of minutes, the dough should be very soft, fairly smooth, and just slightly tacky. Do not over-knead the dough or add too much flour, as this will make the dough stiff. You'll use about 2 cups of flour total from the beginning in the bowl to the end of kneading.
Place the kneaded dough back into the mixing bowl and cover loosely with plastic. Let the dough rise for one hour, or until it's double in size.
Punch the dough down to deflate, then scrape it out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough out into an 8×13-inch rectangle, sprinkling with flour as you go to prevent sticking.
To make the filling, stir together the room-temperature butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until it forms a smooth paste. Spread the paste over the dough from edge to edge.
Roll the dough up (long side toward long side) to create a 13-inch long log. Do not roll tightly, or this will make the center of your cinnamon rolls pop up while baking. Slice the roll into 9 pieces, about 1.5 inches wide each.
Place the slices into a greased 9×9-inch baking dish (or a round pie dish). Let rise for 10-15 minutes as you preheat the oven to 350ºF. The rolls will rise quite a bit in the oven, so don't worry if they're still quite small after 10 minutes of rising.
Once the oven is preheated, bake the cinnamon rolls for 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top.
To make the icing, beat together the room-temperature cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Begin stirring in the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until it is all incorporated.
After the cinnamon rolls have baked, let them cool for 5-10 minutes before spreading the cream cheese icing on top. Enjoy warm or wait until cooled, then dig in!
Stir together ½ cup hot water, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, and 2 tsp yeast. Let the mixture sit until a thick froth forms on the top of the liquid (about 5 minutes). If it does not become frothy, your yeast has likely expired and your dough will not rise.
Melt 2 Tbsp of salted butter and stir it into the yeast water along with ⅓ cup whole milk. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour and ½ tsp salt. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and stir until well combined. Continue to add flour, about ½ cup at a time, until it forms a sticky ball and becomes difficult to stir with a spoon.
When the dough forms a ball in the bowl and you can no longer stir it with a spoon, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for only about three minutes, adding a little flour as you go to keep it from sticking to your hands. After about three minutes you should have a very soft ball of dough that is slightly tacky and you will have used about 2 cups of flour total (in the bowl and while kneading).
Shape the dough into a ball and place it back into the mixing bowl. Loosely cover it with plastic and let it rise for one hour, or until doubled in size (pictured above after rising). Punch the dough down to deflate and turn it out onto a floured surface.
Roll the dough out into an 8×13-inch rectangle, sprinkling with flour as you go to prevent it from sticking.
Mix together 6 Tbsp softened butter, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp cinnamon, and ⅛ tsp salt. Spread the mixture onto the rectangle of dough, spreading it from edge to edge.
Roll the dough up into a 13-inch long roll (long side toward long side), making sure not to roll tightly (this makes the center of the cinnamon rolls pop up while baking). Slice the roll into nine pieces. I find a serrated knife works best for this because you can slice horizontally without using so much downward pressure that it squishes the roll.
Place the sliced cinnamon rolls into a greased 9×9-inch baking dish. Let them rise for 10-15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350ºF. They should have risen just enough to be touching each other when they go into the oven (pictured above). They will rise quite a bit more as they bake.
Bake the cinnamon rolls for 30 minutes or until they are nicely golden brown on top and the filling is bubbling up through the top.
While the cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the cream cheese icing. Beat together 4oz. room-temperature cream cheese, 2 Tbsp room-temperature butter, 1 Tbsp whole milk, and ½ tsp vanilla extract. Once those ingredients are fully combined, stir in 1.5 cups of powdered sugar. It’s best to add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time to prevent it from flying everywhere as you stir. After the cinnamon rolls have baked, let them cool for about 10 minutes before adding the icing so it doesn’t completely melt into the rolls.
Enjoy the soft, fluffy, buttery, cinnamon-licious homemade cinnamon rolls warm, or wait until completely cool to devour! (My vote is to enjoy while still slightly warm!)
Friends, let me introduce you to my all-time favorite pie, the incomparable Sweet Potato Pie! Ok, I realize that’s a big statement, but it’s true. This creamy Sweet Potato Pie recipe is made with baked sweet potatoes for a deep, caramelized flavor, warm spices, and a flaky, buttery crust. It comes in at under a dollar per serving and it can be made in advance to free up your oven on Thanksgiving day for all of those delicious side dishes. Sweet Potato Pie is definitely a classic Thanksgiving dessert that will steal the show at this year’s holiday dinner!
Sweet Potato Pie vs. Pumpkin Pie
Growing up in the South, there was always this fun, light-hearted debate over which pie was better – Sweet Potato Pie or Pumpkin Pie. They both are made with a custard filling and with similar ingredients. However one major difference is that pumpkin pie is made from canned pumpkin puree, and sweet potato pie is made by cooking sweet potatoes (no cans involved). So which is better? Well I don’t want to upset any pumpkin pie lovers out there, so I’ll just say they’re both equally delicious!😉
Ingredients For Sweet Potato Pie
Here’s everything you need to make this dreamy Southern-style Sweet Potato Pie:
Baked Sweet Potatoes: Baking your sweet potatoes in the oven will give you a deep, rich flavor. You’ll need about 2 lbs. or roughly 2-3 sweet potatoes, depending on the size.
Salted Butter: Adds to the richness, flavor, and texture of the pie.
Brown sugar & Granulated sugar: A combination of brown sugar and granulated white sugar sweetens the pie filling. If you’re in a pinch you can use all white sugar, however brown sugar adds a richer flavor.
Spices: A simple mix of warm spices like ground cinnamon and nutmeg adds amazing flavor to the sweet potatoes.
Vanilla Extract: A touch of vanilla to further enhance the flavor of the pie.
Evaporated Milk: Gives the sweet potato pie a creamy and smooth texture.
Eggs: Eggs help the custard pie filling bind together and set.
Pie Crust: I like to use a store-bought 9-inch deep dish pie crust to keep things simple, or you can make our 3-Ingredient Pie Crust from scratch.
Tips For The Best Sweet Potato Pie
Baking vs. Boiling. It may be tempting to peel, chop, and boil the sweet potatoes in the interest of time, but I recommend you bake them instead. Baked sweet potatoes have a richer, caramelized flavor that you just can’t get with boiled sweet potatoes.
To get a head start on making this pie, you can bake your sweet potatoes a day or two in advance. Then once the sweet potatoes are completely cool, just wrap them tightly with foil or store them in an air-tight container in the fridge. They’ll be already cooked and ready to go the next day!
If you want a velvety smooth texture to your sweet potato pie, add the baked sweet potato flesh to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until the sweet potatoes are pureed and smooth.
Although not required, if you prefer a crisp, lightly golden brown crust, I recommend you blind-bake (or at least par-bake) the crust prior to adding the wet custard filling.
To keep the edges of your crust from over-browning, loosely cover the edge with an aluminum foil pie ring as it bakes.
If you really want to get ahead of your holiday cooking, you can make the entire pie a day or two in advance. Let the pie completely cool at room temperature (for about an hour), then cover the pie with plastic wrap or place it in an air-tight container and store in the fridge. Now that’s one less dish you have to worry about on the big day!
Storing Leftovers
If you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, this pie stores well in the fridge for 3-4 days. I like to store mine by placing plastic wrap around the entire pie, then I simply slide the pie in a storage bag and place in the refrigerator. Of course if you only have a couple slices left, you can easily just store those in an air-tight container. If you are making the pie in advance, make sure to let the pie completely cool first at room temperature (about an hour) before storing in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, then prick them several times with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes or until tender and you can easily slide a knife or fork in the center. Set the baked sweet potatoes aside to cool.
Lower oven temperature to 350°F. Next blind-bake the pie crust. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust a few times with a fork. Add a square piece of parchment paper inside the center of the crust and place pie weights (or dry beans) on top.
Bake the crust in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the pie weights and parchment and return the crust to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes. Remove crust from the oven and let cool.
Now make the pie filling. Scoop about 2 cups of the sweet potato flesh from the baked sweet potatoes and add to a large bowl. Using a potato masher or hand mixer, mash or blend the sweet potato flesh until smooth.
Add the melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Blend the ingredients together with a hand mixer until smooth.
Add the eggs and evaporated milk to the sweet potato mixture and blend until smooth.
Pour the sweet potato pie filling into the crust. Add a foil ring around the edges to prevent the crust from over-browning. Bake the pie in the oven for 50-55 minutes or until the pie is mostly set and the center is no longer liquid. It’s ok if the center has a slight jiggle when you shake the pan.
Remove the pie from the oven. It will be slightly domed and puffed around the edges. Let the pie cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate to serve later.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pie – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and dry roughly 2 lbs. of sweet potatoes, then prick them several times with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes or until tender and you can easily slide a knife or fork in the center. Set the baked sweet potatoes aside to cool.
Lower oven temperature to 350°F. Next, blind-bake the pie crust. Prick the bottom and sides of 1 deep dish pie crust a few times with a fork. Add a square piece of parchment paper inside the center of the crust and place pie weights (or dry beans) on top. Bake the crust in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the pie weights and parchment and return the crust to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool.
Now make the pie filling. Scoop about 2 cups of the sweet potato flesh from the baked sweet potatoes and add to a large bowl. Using a potato masher or hand mixer, mash or blend the sweet potato flesh until smooth.
Add the 6 Tbsp of melted butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated white sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Blend the ingredients together with a hand mixer until smooth.
Add the 2 large eggs and 1/3 cup of evaporated milk to the sweet potato mixture and blend until smooth.
Pour the sweet potato pie filling into the crust. Add a foil ring around the edges to prevent the crust from over-browning. Bake the pie in the oven for 50-55 minutes or until the pie is mostly set and the center is no longer liquid. It’s ok if the center has a slight jiggle when you shake the pan.
Remove the pie from the oven. It will be slightly domed and puffed around the edges. As the pie sets it will start to sink back down into a flat surface. Let the pie cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
For an extra sweet finish, add a dollop of fluffy Homemade Whipped Cream on the top of each slice. Then all that’s left to do is serve and enjoy!
I love squash. Zucchini, delicata, butternut, spaghetti, and yellow squash, just to name a few. I also really enjoy acorn squash. It is the perfect fall vegetable. Acorn squash is sweet, nutty, and satisfying. My favorite way to cook it is in the oven….
I love squash. Zucchini, delicata, butternut, spaghetti, and yellow squash, just to name a few. I also really enjoy acorn squash. It is the perfect fall vegetable. Acorn squash is sweet, nutty, and satisfying. My favorite way to cook it is in the oven. Roasted acorn squash is the best and so easy to make.…
Move over pumpkin pie, there’s a new favorite in town: sweet potato pie! Okay, maybe not so new, BUT new to some of us. And we’ve all decided this one might even replace pumpkin pie on our Thanksgiving tables (gasp!). It’s rich, creamy, fluffy, and per…
Move over pumpkin pie, there’s a new favorite in town: sweet potato pie! Okay, maybe not so new, BUT new to some of us. And we’ve all decided this one might even replace pumpkin pie on our Thanksgiving tables (gasp!). It’s rich, creamy, fluffy, and perfectly sweet and spiced!
Bonus? It’s undetectably vegan, naturally sweetened, and (optionally) gluten-free! Just 9 ingredients stand in your way. Preheat your ovens, it’s pie time!
I always get a warm and cozy feeling anytime I make homemade applesauce. The smell of apples and cinnamon spreads through the kitchen as it cooks and soon the scent of Fall has filled the entire house. Fall is also the best time to make this homemade applesauce recipe because apples are in season so there are a lot of varieties to choose from, their flavor is at their peak, and they’re inexpensive. Sure you can buy store-bought applesauce, but trust me it’s no comparison to the taste of homemade applesauce!
Ingredients for Homemade Applesauce
You only need 4 simple ingredients to make this easy homemade applesauce recipe:
Apples – Of course, there are lots of different apples to choose from when making applesauce, but in general you’ll want to stick with sweet or semi-sweet varieties. If you choose a tart apple, like granny smith, you may want to add some additional sugar. We used Gala apples for this recipe.
Water – Water is used to cook the apples. Using water instead of apple juice or apple cider allows the fresh flavor of the apples to shine through!
Ground cinnamon – A touch of ground cinnamon goes a long way and tastes great with cooked apples. It also gives the applesauce just a hint of flavor.
Lemon juice – A little lemon juice brightens up the applesauce and helps the flavors pop. Don’t skip this one!
That’s it! Perfect homemade applesauce and no added sweetener needed.
What Kind of Apples Are Best For Making Applesauce?
You can honestly use several different types of apples to make applesauce. But to keep from having to add any sugar or sweetener, I suggest using a sweeter or semi-sweet variety of apple, like Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp. You can use just one kind or a combination of 2 varieties if you want. And, of course, if you’re making your applesauce during the fall season, you’ll find the best deals and the sweetest apples during this time of year. ;)
Should You Peel The Apples?
This is a great question and it honestly depends on personal preference. I like to peel my apples when making applesauce in order to get a smoother consistency. But it’s definitely not required. If you’re short on time, just give them a good wash and leave the peel on.
How To Store Homemade Applesauce?
Homemade applesauce stores very well in the refrigerator and the freezer. Just store any leftover applesauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw the applesauce, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Wash, peel, and remove the core from the apples. Chop the apples into small 3/4 inch chunks.
Add the chopped apples, ground cinnamon and water to a medium pot and place a lid on top. Heat the apples over medium, allowing them to come up to a simmer. Continue to simmer the apples for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender. The total cook time will vary depending on the variety of apple used.*
Remove the pot from heat. Mash the apples with a potato masher inside the pot for a chunky texture. Or allow the apples to cool slightly and blend with an immersion blender or carefully inside a blender for a smoother texture.
Add the lemon juice to the applesauce and stir to combine. Serve homemade applesauce warm or chilled in the refrigerator.
How to Make Homemade Applesauce – Step by Step Photos
Wash, peel, and remove the core from 6 apples. Chop the apples into 3/4 inch small chunks.
Add the chopped apples, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, and 3/4 cup of water to a medium pot and place a lid on top. Heat the apples over medium heat, allowing them to come up to a simmer. Continue to simmer the apples for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender. The total cook time will vary depending on the variety of apple used.
Remove the pot from heat. Mash the apples with a potato masher inside the pot for a chunky texture. Or allow the apples to cool slightly and blend with an immersion blender or carefully inside a blender for smoother texture.
Add the 2 tsp of lemon juice to the applesauce and stir to combine. Serve homemade applesauce warm or chilled in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
We make pancakes almost every single weekend. A few favorites include: buttermilk, blueberry, chocolate chip, lemon ricotta, and pumpkin. We also love making German Pancakes and this Brown Butter Dutch Baby. A Dutch baby is like a crepe, popover, and p…
We make pancakes almost every single weekend. A few favorites include: buttermilk, blueberry, chocolate chip, lemon ricotta, and pumpkin. We also love making German Pancakes and this Brown Butter Dutch Baby. A Dutch baby is like a crepe, popover, and pancake all in one recipe. You make the batter in a blender, pour it into…
If you like my brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodles, the best cookies on the planet, you will LOVE these blondies! I decided it was time to make a bar version of my all-time favorite cookie recipe. And let me tell you, these snickerdoodle blondies are outstanding. Maybe one of my top 10 desserts EVER! Yeah,… 
I love squash. Zucchini, delicata, butternut, spaghetti, and yellow squash, just to name a few. I also really enjoy acorn squash. It is the perfect fall vegetable. Acorn squash is sweet, nutty, and satisfying. My favorite way to cook it is in the oven. Roasted acorn squash is the best and so easy to make.… 
We make pancakes almost every single weekend. A few favorites include: buttermilk, blueberry, chocolate chip, lemon ricotta, and pumpkin. We also love making German Pancakes and this Brown Butter Dutch Baby. A Dutch baby is like a crepe, popover, and pancake all in one recipe. You make the batter in a blender, pour it into…