Instant Pot Chunky Applesauce with Pears

Welcome to my Instant Pot chunky applesauce with pears! It's made in less than 30 minutes (prep + cook time!) and has just 5 ingredients.

It truly doesn’t get easier and more delicious than throwing some fresh, flavorful ingredients into an Instant Pot and opening the lid to the aroma of cinnamon, pears, maple syrup, and apples.

Hello, amazing wonderfulness!

How to make Instant pot chunky applesauce

Featured Ingredients

• Apples: We love, love, love Honeycrisp for their perfect balance of sweetness, tartness, and a little kick of acidity.
  • However, if you don’t have any Honeycrisp on hand, you could use: Fuji, Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, or Granny Smith apples.
  • The one thing, though, that we really, really recommend is whenever possible keeping the skins on the apples. That’s where a lot of the fiber lives!
• Bartlett Pears: They’re sweet and juicy, with a little bit of a buttery texture that just works incredibly well in this applesauce!
  • But if you don’t have any kicking around the kitchen, Bosc pears are a wonderful substitute because of their sweet and juicy elements along with hints of cinnamon and other fall spices.
• Maple Syrup: Always go for the organic maple syrup without any additional colors or additives. You want it straight from the tree!
  • And for this applesauce, we’d recommend the complex flavor of Grade A - Dark Color and Robust Flavor.
  • It really brings something special to this combination of apples, pears, and spices.
• Cinnamon: You simply cannot have applesauce without cinnamon in it!
• Vanilla extract: Adding pure vanilla extract will take this applesauce from great to exceptional.

Step-by-Step Instructions

In the Instant Pot:

1. Place apples, pears, water, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt in the bowl of the Instant Pot and secure the lid on sealing.
2. Set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 12 minutes. Once it beeps, let it sit until the pressure seal opens, about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the lid.
3. Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the applesauce, so it resembles chunky applesauce.
4. Place in containers, let cool, then refrigerate.

In the slow cooker:

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
3. Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the applesauce, so it resembles chunky applesauce.
4. Place in containers, let cool, then refrigerate.

On the stove-top:

1. Place all ingredients in a stock pot or large saucepan.
2. Simmer for 45-60 minutes, until apples and pears are soft.
3. Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the applesauce, so it resembles chunky applesauce.
4. Place in containers, let cool, then refrigerate.

Canning Instructions:

1. Wash, then boil jars and lids for 10 minutes.
2. Fill with applesauce, then seal and fit with the lid.
3. Boil filled and sealed jar for 10 minutes.
4. Be sure lids pop, then store in the pantry for up to 1 year.

How to use this applesauce in recipes

• How about applesauce cake, applesauce cookies, a quick bread with applesauce and loads of spices, pancakes, pumpkin muffins (with a cream cheese frosting!), brownies, and cakes!
  • And of course, you just stir applesauce into things like your morning oatmeal, into a squash soup, or even in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!
• And don’t forget, applesauce is a great substitute for oils and eggs in cooking.
  • It helps to keep baked goods moist and fluffy – with the addition of amazing flavor.
• Also, serve the applesauce on your plate as a side to roast pork, roast chicken, pork chops, or even a filet of beef!

Recipe Substitution and Variations

• Just apples: Use all apples in this recipe, if you wish. You can use any firm apple for the best texture.
• Just pears: Use all pears in this recipe, if you wish.
• Add ginger: You can add freshly grated ginger to this applesauce for a little extra warm flavor.
• Add cardamom: If you’d really like to add a depth of complexity to the sauce, you could add a touch of ground cardamom to the mix.

Fabulous snack recipes:

• Broccoli Cheddar Bites
• Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Spicy Refrigerator Dill Pickles
• Healthy Chex Mix
• Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cereal Bars
• Pumpkin Cookie Dough Bites

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P.S. You totally deserve to buy yourself an Instant Pot for Christmas, or if you're feeling generous, you could buy one for a loved one.  Or both.  Grab one (or two) here:

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