Strawberry Applesauce in the Instant Pot is the best 30 minute dessert, side dish or snack. It’s fresh and has less than 5 ingredients so you can feel good about serving it to your family!
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Why this Homemade Strawberry Applesauce Recipe is a Keeper
Instant pot apple sauce is a great way to use up seasonal fruit. No additives, preservatives or fillers in this recipe!
- Easy Ingredients: Only a few ingredients and is super easy.
- Family Friendly: It is a sweet treat that the kids love. Plus the color looks so delicious!
- Adaptable: You can make it with other natural sugars or spices.
- Makes Great Leftovers: This strawberry apple sauce recipe is great for freezing or canning.
What Type of Apple is Best for this Easy Strawberry Applesauce?
Gala apples are used for this recipe, but you can use many different varieties of apples. Try this recipe with Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji, McIntosh, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples.
Ingredient Notes for Homemade Applesauce
You will need just a few super simple ingredients to make applesauce. They’re all easy to find at the store, but you may even have some of the ingredients in your kitchen already.
- Apples: Any apple of your choice will work in this recipe.
- Strawberries: You can use either fresh or frozen strawberries in this chunky applesauce.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for Instant Pot Strawberry Applesauce
Preparing ingredients ahead of time can help to save you time and kitchen space when it comes to making the recipe!
- Measure: Measure out your spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger) and sugar in advance.
- Wash Strawberries: Clean and slice strawberries in advance. Store in an airtight container.
Special Equipment Needed to Make Strawberry Applesauce
A specific piece of equipment can sometimes make all the difference in a recipe. For this recipe, you will need a couple things!
- Instant Pot: An instant pot, or pressure cooker, will very quickly cook your fruit. You can also use a crock pot, just cook until apples are soft.
- Blender: A blender can be used to blend your applesauce smooth. If you don’t have a big enough blender or food processor, you can use an immersion blender, or mash with a potato masher.
Pro Tip for Success
Texture: For a chunky sauce, leave some apple pieces intact. For a smooth sauce, purée or mash.
How to Make Apple Sauce with Strawberries
This recipe comes together in just 2 quick and easy steps. This sweet homemade applesauce recipe is so good, you’ll be making this every fall with in season apples!
These are the basic steps for making Strawberry Applesauce. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Slice Apples and Add Ingredients
Peel and slice gala apples into wedges. Place apples and add strawberries into the instant pot. Add water until fruit is submerged and add honey to sweeten without much sugar.
2. Cook Fruit, Blend and Serve
Seal the instant pot and pressure valve, and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. When done, release pressure naturally and pour into blender to blend until smooth or desired consistency. Let cool.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftovers
- Storing: Strawberry flavor instant pot applesauce is good in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days.
- Reheating: Microwave small portions of sweet applesauce at a time .
- Using Leftovers: Enjoy sweet apples puree throughout the week with lunches or dinners.
Variations and Substitutions for Strawberry Applesauce
It’s super easy to customize this recipe to make it your own. Take it to the next level by experimenting with flavors or trying it with different ingredients.
- Other Fruit: Make the best applesauce varieties like blueberry, peach or berry.
- Apple Combinations: Use a combination of sweet and tart apples to get the best flavor and be pretty pink from the apples and strawberries.
- Use Sugar: If you like it a little sweeter.
Recipe FAQs
If you like this recipe, make a batch and try it with Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza, Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet or Chicken Parm Sliders.
You can add sugar, cinnamon or allspice to this to change up the flavor a little bit.
You can absolutely can this applesauce!
Expert Tips for Making This Strawberry Applesauce Recipe
- Add Different sweetener or no sweetener: If making this recipe for baby food do not add honey for children under the age of one years old. Alternatively, if you like it sweet, add brown sugar, Stevia or any other sweetener that you enjoy.
- Short Cut: Feel free to use frozen berries for this recipe.
- Variation: Chunky applesauce is great too. If you like a little chunk of fruit in your applesauce, there is no need to blend. You can also keep the peels on if you’d like.
- Alternate Cooking Method: Feel free to make on the stove top or in a slow cooker if you desire. Simmer until apples are tender.
- Pouches: If you want, you can spoon applesauce into store-bought reusable pouches.
Instant Pot Strawberry Applesauce
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Ingredients
- 5 Gala apples
- 4 cups Strawberries
- 1-3 tablespoons Honey
Instructions
- Peel and slice gala apples into wedges and place fruit into the instant pot.
- Add water until fruit is submerged. Add honey to taste if desired results are sweetened.
- Seal the instant pot and pressure valve and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes and let naturally release pressure.
- Once done, pour into blender and blend for 1 minute.
- Let cool and serve.
Christina’s Notes
- Add Different sweetener or no sweetener: If making this recipe for baby food do not add honey for children under the age of one years old. Alternatively, if you like it sweet, add brown sugar, Stevia or any other sweetener that you enjoy.
- Short Cut: Feel free to use frozen berries for this recipe.
- Variation: Chunky applesauce is great too. If you like a little chunk of fruit in your applesauce, there is no need to blend. You can also keep the peels on if you’d like.
- Alternate Cooking Method: Feel free to make on the stove top or in a slow cooker if you desire. Simmer until apples are tender.
- Pouches: If you want, you can spoon applesauce into store-bought reusable pouches.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
This was my first time ever making strawberry applesauce and I loved it. What a great flavor combo!
This is a scrumptious twist on a classic! Getting to make it in the Instant Pot simplifies the process. Thanks for sharing your recipe!