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This single serve mini crockpot applesauce is made from scratch with two apples and cinnamon in a small slow cooker. Put the lid on and walk away; the apples cook until they’re tender enough to mash with a fork, and the kitchen smells like apples the whole time.
Featured Comment
“Easy, delicious way to prepare applesauce”
– Sylvia
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 to 6 hours on Low, or 3 hours on High
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Equipment: 1.5- or 2-quart slow cooker, paring knife or apple corer, fork or potato masher (immersion blender for smooth)
- Cook Method: Slow cooker
- Servings: 1
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Sweet apple with a deep cinnamon flavor.
Slow cooking brings out so much of the apples’ own sweetness that you can leave the sugar out if you want to, and two apples give you about 1 cup of applesauce.
Why You’ll Love This Small Batch Crockpot Applesauce
Apples cooked slowly in a small slow cooker come out sweeter than they went in, which is why the sugar in this recipe is optional. By the time they’re tender enough to mash, you have an applesauce with more apple flavor than anything that comes in a jar.
I developed this mini crockpot applesauce recipe around two apples and a 1.5-quart slow cooker. The whole ingredient list is apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon, and no preservatives. It’s one serving, made for one from the start.
The slow cooker does the work. I lift the lid two or three times to stir, and that’s the whole job until the apples are ready to mash with a fork or blend smooth with an immersion blender.
Looking for more single serving apple recipes? Try an apple dumpling for one, a mini apple cake, or baked apples for two. And if your small slow cooker needs more to do, our mini slow cooker recipes were built for it.
Ingredients
This easy crockpot applesauce needs two apples and a few things from the pantry. For ways to use any leftover ingredients, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Apples: Two medium apples, about 8 ounces total, make one serving. Sweet apples like Fuji or Gala need little or no sugar, and a tart apple like Granny Smith will want some. Extra apples? Fry up a batch of small batch apple fritters.
Water: Water softens the apples as they cook. A covered slow cooker loses very little of it, so a small amount is enough for two apples.
Sugar: Apples and water alone make a naturally sweet applesauce, and the sugar in this recipe builds on that. I add it, and a tart apple like Granny Smith is better with it, but a sweet Fuji or Gala may have enough of its own that you might want to skip it.
Cinnamon stick: A whole stick sits on top of the apples and flavors them slowly over the cook time, which gives the applesauce its deep cinnamon flavor. If you only have ground cinnamon, stir ¼ teaspoon in with the apples instead.
Recipe Variations
These swaps change the sweetener, the spice, or the batch size of homemade applesauce in a crock pot.
Maple Crockpot Applesauce
Use 1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup in place of the sugar and add it at the start with the water. The maple flavor comes through most with a sweet apple like Gala, since there’s less tartness to cover it.
Apple Pie Spice Applesauce
Leave out the cinnamon stick and stir ¼ teaspoon of apple pie spice in with the apples before cooking. You get cinnamon plus the nutmeg and allspice that go into a pie filling.
Vanilla Applesauce
Stir ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract into the finished applesauce after you mash or blend it. Adding it at the end keeps the vanilla from cooking off over 3 hours.
Ginger Applesauce
Set a ½-inch piece of peeled fresh ginger on top of the apples next to the cinnamon stick, and take both out before mashing. It gives the applesauce a gentle warmth that goes with the cinnamon.
Crockpot Applesauce For Two
Double every ingredient and cook it in a 3-quart slow cooker so the apples aren’t piled too deep to cook evenly.
How To Make Applesauce In A Mini Crock Pot
These photos show how to make slow cooker applesauce for one, step by step. See the recipe card below for exact amounts and full instructions.
- Peel and core the apples, then dice them into ¾ to 1 inch pieces so they soften at the same rate.
- Put the diced apples, water, and sugar in a 1.5-quart slow cooker and stir once to coat the apples. Set the cinnamon stick on top.
- Cover and cook on High for 3 hours or on Low for 5 to 6 hours, lifting the lid to stir 2 or 3 times. The apples are done when a fork slides in with no resistance.
- Take out the cinnamon stick. Mash with a fork or potato masher for chunky applesauce, or blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
Making Applesauce Without Peeling The Apples
You can leave the skins on. They soften over the long cook time, and an immersion blender or food processor will blend them right into the applesauce. If you’d rather not have the skins, run the finished applesauce through a fine mesh strainer or a food mill.
Using A Larger Slow Cooker
If you only have a 4-quart or bigger slow cooker, put the ingredients in a small oven-safe bowl or ramekin and set it inside the empty cooker. Fill the bowl about two-thirds to three-quarters full, since a very small amount cooks faster, and start checking the apples about an hour before the recipe says. Our post on cooking small meals in a large slow cooker walks through the setup.
Expert Tips
- Use a 1.5- or 2-quart slow cooker. Two apples need a small cooker to stay in contact with the heat. In a 4-quart or larger, use the bowl method in the section above.
- Dice the apples ¾ to 1 inch. Pieces that size soften through in 3 hours on High, and keeping them even means no firm chunks in the finished applesauce.
- Keep the lid on between stirs. The cooker loses heat every time the lid comes off, so stir 2 or 3 times total and leave it closed otherwise.
- Add a splash of water in a 2-quart. The wider insert lets more water cook off, so if the apples look dry partway through, add a tablespoon.
- Taste before adding more sugar. Slow cooking brings out the apples’ own sweetness, so wait until they’re cooked to decide whether the applesauce needs anything more.
- Store it covered. Homemade applesauce keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Troubleshooting
Here’s how to get crockpot applesauce exactly the texture and sweetness you want.
Why is my crockpot applesauce watery?
Crockpot applesauce ends up watery when the water added at the start hasn’t cooked off, because the lid holds it in. To thicken it, take the lid off, turn the cooker to High, and cook for 20 to 30 more minutes, stirring once, until it reaches the texture you want.
Why aren’t the apples soft after 3 hours?
Apples stay firm in a slow cooker when the cooker runs cooler than average or the lid came off too often. To fix it, keep the lid on, cook on High for 30 more minutes, and check again with a fork; the apples are done when it slides in with no resistance.
Why is my crockpot applesauce too tart?
Crockpot applesauce tastes tart when it’s made with a tart apple like Granny Smith and the small amount of sugar in the recipe isn’t enough to balance it. To fix it, stir a little more sugar into the hot applesauce and taste again.
Why did my applesauce dry out around the edges?
Applesauce dries at the edges in a 2-quart slow cooker because the wider insert lets more water evaporate. To prevent it, stir when you check the apples and add a tablespoon of water if the bottom looks dry.
Why isn’t my applesauce smooth?
Applesauce stays chunky when it’s mashed with a fork, and skins left on won’t break down with a masher. For a smooth texture, use an immersion blender in the cooker, or run the applesauce through a food mill or fine mesh strainer to remove the skins.
Serving Suggestions
Here are a few ways to serve this small batch of crockpot applesauce.
- Fluffy Pancakes For One: Warm applesauce over a short stack in place of syrup.
- Glazed Ham Steak: Sweet applesauce next to salty ham on the same plate.
- Air Fryer Pork Chop: A spoonful of applesauce next to a seasoned chop.
- Vanilla Ice Cream For One: Warm applesauce over cold ice cream for dessert.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applesauce takes 3 hours on High or 5 to 6 hours on Low in a 1.5- or 2-quart slow cooker. The apples are done when a fork slides into a piece with no resistance.
A 1.5- or 2-quart slow cooker is the right size for two apples, which makes one serving of applesauce. A 16-ounce dip warmer is made for keeping dips warm and doesn’t get hot enough to cook with.
This recipe peels the apples for the smoothest texture, and that’s what I do. You can skip peeling if you plan to use an immersion blender, which breaks the skins down, or run the finished applesauce through a food mill to remove them.
Two medium apples make about 1 cup of applesauce, which is one serving.
Yes. Our stovetop applesauce for one uses one apple and takes about 20 minutes in a small saucepan.
Yes. Double every ingredient and cook it in a 3-quart slow cooker for the same time.
Refrigerated in a covered container, crockpot applesauce keeps for up to 5 days. It also freezes well for up to 4 months.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this single serving crockpot applesauce recipe please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Mini Crockpot Applesauce For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium apples (about 8 oz total/229g)
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar , plus a little more if using a tart apple like Granny Smith
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples, then dice them into ¾ to 1 inch pieces.
- Put the diced apples, water, and sugar in the slow cooker and stir to coat. Set the cinnamon stick on top.
- Cover and cook on High for 3 hours, stirring 2 or 3 times, until the apples are soft and a fork slides into a piece with no resistance.
- Remove the cinnamon stick. For chunky applesauce, mash with a fork or potato masher. For smooth applesauce, blend with an immersion blender.
Notes
- Tart apples: Taste after cooking and stir in a little more sugar if you used a tart apple like Granny Smith.
- Cooking on Low: Cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours. Slow cookers vary, so start checking the apples at 4½ hours.
- 2-quart slow cooker: The wider insert lets more water cook off. If the apples look dry when you stir, add a tablespoon of water.
- Ground cinnamon: If you don’t have a cinnamon stick, stir ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon in with the apples.
- Storage: Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 4 months.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Easy, delicious way to prepare applesauce
Just got the slow cooker and this was my first venture. The directions were easy to follow and quick to do. It is delicious and will be made many times. My first slow cooker recipe was a complete success and had me go to your sight for more slow cooker recipes.
Try this recipe with star anise instead of cinnamon. It’s delicious.
Anxious to try next year. I made chunky applesauce on stove like my grandma made but this time I left skins on. Believe it or not, it is just fine! I froze it so I didn’t have to can. Turned out great. But I definitely will try doing it in slow cooker so I don’t have to stand in front of stove!!! Love your recipes!
Perfect timing! It is cooler and I had apples each day for lunch. Two days other things came up so I have two apples I need to use…also a small slow cooker that needs more reasons to be used!
Can you put ingredients into small ramekin and cook inside a 4-qt slow cooker?
Yes, you can use a small ramekin or oven-safe bowl inside a larger slow cooker. I haven’t specifically tested this recipe in a 4-quart, but it should work with a few adjustments. I also have a post on adapting a large slow cooker for smaller meals that you might find helpful: https://onedishkitchen.com/cook-small-meals-in-slow-cooker/. A few quick tips:
Size matters: Use an oven-safe bowl that fits inside your slow cooker. It should be big enough to hold the apples and other ingredients but small enough to leave space around it.
Filling right: Aim to fill the bowl about two-thirds to three-quarters full. Too little and the apples may cook too quickly, too much and they might not cook all the way through.
Temperature and time: Smaller portions can cook faster, so check for doneness a bit earlier than the recipe states.
Your recipes are a great help! Thank you for sharing!
Have ever used the Crock Pot Little Dipper for cooking for one?
I think it has a nice size for one portion cooking.
Thank you again for your site
Ma ria
Thank you so much for your kind words, I’m glad the recipes have been helpful! I haven’t used the Crock Pot Little Dipper for cooking for one. From what I know, it’s designed mainly for keeping dips and sauces warm rather than actually cooking food. It doesn’t have adjustable temperature settings and usually just heats on low, so it may not work well for recipes that need controlled cooking times or higher heat. For single serving slow cooker recipes, I recommend a 1.5- to 2-quart slow cooker since it gives more flexibility.
I have a 2.4 qt slow cooker/pressure cooker and it only has a low temperature setting. How long would I cook this on low?
Thank you!
This recipe was tested in a 1.5-quart slow cooker on high for 3 hours. A 2-quart works fine with the same timing, and your 2.4-quart isn’t much larger. Since yours only has a low setting, I’d estimate about 5 to 6 hours, but because the surface area is bigger, the liquid may evaporate more quickly and the apples might soften a little faster. I’d check them around the 4 ½ to 5 hour mark, and if the mixture looks too dry before the apples are tender, just add a splash of water.
Nothing better than homemade.
I do mix some cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl and stir & mix in my diced apples and dump in the crockpot. I’m more apt to have ground cinnamon on hand more-so than the cinnamon sticks.
Sometimes; if I have on hand that is; I make red applesauce by adding some Red Hots ( I don’t measure; use your own judgement) and let them cook right along with the apples.
I cook on low all day and with no water. I add sugar at the end only if it needs it. Usually I do not since cooking it low and slow brings out the sugar.
Terrific recipe.
Thank you!