Instant Pot Unsweetened Cinnamon Applesauce
by Olivia Biermann
on Sep 29, 2025 (updated Nov 28, 2025)
Homemade applesauce has never been easier! This recipe is made with apples, water and cinnamon and ready in just 15 minutes in a pressure cooker.
With fall’s apple abundance and a recent trip to the orchard, we’ve got plenty to make our own. I love this recipe so much because it essentially cooks itself and can be ready faster than taking a trip to the store to restock on this tasty snack!
You already know I’m obsessed with my Instant Pot! It cranks out our weekly chilli, the fastest one-pot pasta, and yes… the coziest homemade applesauce.
Which apples should I use?
When it comes to applesauce, the type of apple makes all the difference. Softer, sweeter varieties like McIntosh or Gala break down quickly for a naturally sweet sauce, while tart apples like Granny Smith add a bright, tangy flavor. My go-to is Honeycrisp- they strike the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, cook down beautifully, and their flavour stays vibrant even after pressure cooking.
In the recipe card, you’ll see an optional step for sweetening, but the beauty of applesauce is you can taste it after cooking and decide then. Since apples can vary in sweetness, even within the same variety, it’s nice to have the flexibility to adjust afterward.
My tips for perfect applesauce:
- If you don’t want to blend your applesauce, use a 1-inch dice or peel the apples before slicing. I prefer to leave my apples unpeeled when making this recipe- I don’t mind taking the extra step to blend it after cooking. However, if you like the slightly chunkier texture of the unblended applesauce and you wish to leave the peels on, I recommend dicing the apples into 1-inch chunks.
- Don’t overcook it. Keep an eye on the Instant Pot and use the quick release after the 5 minutes cook time is up to avoid burning the bottom of the applesauce to the pot.
- Taste before sweetening. You can add in more ground cinnamon of course, or if the applesauce tastes too tart for your liking, add a sprinkle of brown or white sugar.
Instant Pot Unsweetened Cinnamon Applesauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes (including blending)
- Yield: approx 2 cups (500 mL)
- Category: Side dishes
- Method: Instant Pot
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Homemade applesauce has never been easier! This recipe is made with apples, water and cinnamon and ready in just 15 minutes in a pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 6–8 medium size Honeycrisp apples, cored and sliced
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cinnamon sticks (optional)
- 1/2 cup water
- optional: 2 tbsp white or brown sugar
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot.
- Cover, and cook on Manual for 5 minutes.
- Release steam. Remove lid, remove cinnamon sticks and stir.
- If blending, transfer to blender and pulse a few times until peels are broken down.
- Let cool, then transfer to an airtight container or jar and store in the fridge up to 1 week.
