Instant Pot Applesauce Recipe (5 minutes) | Dessert for Two (2024)

Instant pot applesauce recipe is the place to start for Instant Pot beginners!

We're easing into the Instant Pot lifestyle over here. ( I use the Instant Pot Mini, of course!)

I'm not one of those Instant Pot fanatics who makes absolutely everything in the Instant Pot. I bought it to make beans from scratch quickly, and that's really all I intended to use it for.

After I made a few pots of beans, I decided to branch out and tryInstant Pot Chicken Broth. It's impossible to mess up.

Then, I graduated from that by scaling down Melissa Clark's recipe for Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings.

So now that I fully trust my Instant Pot to make my two favorite foods, it was time to give it a try for baby food.

I tell anyone who asks how and why my kid eats salmon, sauerkraut, broccoli and plain yogurt, that it's because of baby food expert Michele at Baby FoodE. I'm a big believer in Michele's adventurous baby food purees with bold flavors and spices--I believe that's what gave Camille her broad palate.

Camille's first applesauce had plenty of spices, thanks to Michele. Then, it was an easy transition to Michele's carrot cake apple sauce, followed by her hot pink beet applesauce.

I also started Camille on savory foods first (like sweet potatoes, avocado and peas) before I gave her fruit. If you're curious, Camille's first months of eating went like this: sweet potato + breastmilk, mashed avocado, mashed banana, and then applesauce. (It sounds like you should check out my BABY FOOD section).

I added these mixtures to the store-bought baby cereals. I actually don't believe in making your own baby cereal, because the store-bought ones contain extra vitamins. It's the difference between pulverizing brown rice in your blender and using brown rice enriched with vitamins. It's the one baby food item I believe in buying!

Just a little warning (that I didn't heed at first), you're going to want two different seal rings for your Instant Pot: one for savory food and one for sweet foods. The first time you make apple sauce after making chicken, you'll learn just how gross chicken-flavored apple sauce actually is. Prepare yourself ahead of time, and buy a separate sealing ring, trust me! <--Please note that the link goes to rings that fit the 3 quart Instant Pot MINI. Be sure to buy the correct size for your Instant Pot!

Homemade baby food pouch info:

A great way to use this instant pot applesauce is to make homemade baby food pouches!

I portioned the applesauce into these Baby Brezza reusable baby food pouches. I have tried ALL kinds of baby food pouches, friends. Oh, let me tell you! I almost started a YouTube channel chronicling my frustration with homemade baby food pouch makers. But, these are the ONLY pouches I love! They fill from the side and they come with a funnel (it's the orange thing in the photo).

Plus, the Baby Brezza set is just $10! It will pay for itself immediately, because we all know how expensive baby food pouches are at the store (but what we don't know is what is really in them!).

After you fill them from the side, lay it flat on the counter and run your finger over the seal to double-check that it's sealed.

Other flavor options for instant pot applesauce:

After making this instant pot applesauce flavored with plain cinnamon, I added a beet the next time to make hot pink applesauce. Camille adores it! I can also suggest adding 3 whole carrots and carrot cake spices, just like Michelle's version!

These reusable baby food pouches are dishwasher safe (hallelujah!), and so easy to use. If you show me a baby food pouch system that has a suction or squeeze station, I will flip.my.lid. Do not buy those contraptions, unless you want to start an amusing YouTube channel, of course.

Another fun variation is mango apple sauce! I reduce the apples to 2 pounds and add 1 heaping cup of frozen mango chunks. The mango instant pot applesauce has a gorgeous orange color, and the mango brings so much sweetness that I don't use any honey or other sugar to taste. Sometimes, I like to grate in about 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger into my mango applesauce.

You don't have to be a kid to love this instant pot applesauce, though! Stir into plain yogurt for a snack, or try making your oatmeal with it as a natural sweetener! I hear apple sauce and pork chops were made for each other, too. Let me know how you like your instant pot applesauce!

Once it's done pressure cooking, let the Instant Pot do a natural pressure relate, and then either puree the mixture in your blender (remove the cinnamon stick first), or use an immersion blender right in the pot!

SaveSave

SaveSave