Pumpkin spice applesauce is the perfect combination of pumpkin flavors and creamy applesauce. You will love this fall flavored version using pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices. Homemade applesauce is a tasty and easy snack to have on hand.

Pumpkin Spice Applesauce

A delicious twist to typical homemade applesauce! Your family will love the delightful aroma this gives your home while it cooks! My mom brought over 30 apples and we made 3 different batches of homemade applesauce. My mom, myself and my two kids had a lot of fun making the different types. Its a great fall activity to involve the family in. This flavor of pumpkin spice applesauce was my kids favorite!

Ingredients

Apples: Any type will work. I used red delicious and gala apples in this recipe
Lemon Juice: To keep the apples from browning and the acidity helps bring out the sweetness
Cinnamon: A perfect fall flavor spice
Water
100% pumpkin puree: Make sure you aren’t using pumpkin pie filling
Vanilla extract
Pumpkin pie spice: The smell and flavor are delicious

How to make pumpkin spice applesauce

Core and peel 10 apples. It is okay if some skin is left on: added fiber!
Chop the apples into same sized pieces so they will cook equally.
Place in a large pot and pour in the lemon juice, water, cinnamon, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Note: The water will NOT cover the apples and that is okay. The apples will cook down and release moisture while they cook.
Heat over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Check at 10 minutes and pierce apples with a fork to check for softness. The softer the apples are, the easier to puree.
Allow the apples to cool.
Stir in pumpkin puree (the puree is already cooked so you do not need to cook it with the apples).
Blend with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender. If you do not have these, you can use a potato masher or fork. Your applesauce consistency will vary based on the method you use. You can leave it slightly clumpy or blend it to a smooth puree (my favorite).

Immersion blender being used in pumpkin spice applesauce

What type of apples to use?

As you can see from the photo, we used quite a variety of different apples! Red delicious, gala apples, and granny smith. Any type of apple will work well. The granny smith apples had a tart taste and are a harder apple so they required a longer cook time.

red delicious, granny smith, and gala apples out on a table

Why you will love this recipe

Delicious taste AND smell
Easy to grab snack or side dish
Healthy
A fun fall activity to include your kids in cooking
Freezes well

How to blend pumpkin applesauce

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Immersion Blender: Handheld blender that you can use directly in the pot you cooked the apples in

Food processor: Pour in applesauce and blend. This will give a very nice, smooth consistency.

Blender: Pour into blender. You may have to do it in 2 batches to not overfill.

Potato masher or fork: A low tech, but very effective way!

pumpkin spice applesauce in filled mason jars

Substitions

Brown sugar: Omit altogether or use maple syrup or honey

Pumpkin pie spice: You can use an additional 1 tsp. of cinnamon instead

More applesauce flavors

Original applesauce

Maple cinnamon applesauce

How to store applesauce

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Can you freeze applesauce?

Yes! I filled a gallon sized Ziploc bag and lay it flat to freeze. When ready to thaw, simply place in the fridge overnight.