Baked apple sauce is the perfect autumn side dish to satisfy your sweet tooth. This recipe needs no added sugar. All the sweetness comes straight from the apples. Apples are high in fiber and cancer-fighting antioxidants, so this treat is healthy too!
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. (about 10 medium) assorted apples, such as McCoun, MacIntosh, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Jonagold or HoneyCrisp, peeled, cored, and quartered
- 1/3 cup fresh apple cider
- 4 lemon slices, paper-thin, or 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 (3-inch) piece stick cinnamon, or 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, optional
- 2 Tbsp. sugar, agave syrup, or honey, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place apples, cider and lemon slices or juice in large Dutch oven or heavy casserole with a cover. Toss apples to coat them with lemon. If using, sprinkle on cinnamon and sweetener and toss again.
Bake apples, covered, for 60 to 75 minutes, until very soft and moist. Stir to combine soft apples and liquid into applesauce. If it is too wet, bake applesauce, uncovered, for 15 minutes longer. Cool to room temperature before serving; applesauce thickens as it cools.
The applesauce keeps, covered in refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
Makes 12 servings.
Per ½ cup serving: 99 calories, <1 g fat (0 g sat fat), 26 g carbohydrates, <1 g protein, 4g fiber, 2 mg sodium.
Recipe from the American Institute for Cancer Research.
