Baked Cinnamon Applesauce: Canning in 5 Easy Steps

Use this recipe to can baked cinnamon applesauce to enjoy for months to come. This recipe is sugar-free yet super tasty. Our kids love it! The recipe yields 9 pints.

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Have you ever tried making your own homemade applesauce? After you go apple picking with your family this fall, try this baked cinnamon applesauce recipe. It’s delicious and will make your whole house smell amazing!

This fall, we had the opportunity to handpick apples at a local orchard and decided to can them into baked cinnamon applesauce to enjoy for months to come. Our applesauce recipe is sugar-free yet super tasty. Our kids love it! This recipe yielded 9 pints.

What you need:

Applesauce Ingredients and Tools:

These are the ingredients you’ll need. All the exact amounts are in the printable card at the bottom of this post.

• Apples
• Cinnamon
• Apple slicer
• Cutting board

Canning Tools:

• Large glass baking dishes
• Pint jars
• Canning rings
• Canning lids, new
• Blender
• 2 large pots
• Tongs
• Ladle
• Funnel
• Towels
• Permanent Marker

Instructions:

Here is how to can your own baked cinnamon applesauce. Before you begin, preheat the oven. Now you are ready to start!

1. Prepare and bake the apples.

Thoroughly wash apples. Use apple corer and divider to cut apples. (We used the OXO Good Grips Apple Corer and Divider.) Then remove any brown or soft spots. Leave the peels on the apples.

Place the apple slices in a shallow layer on the bottom of a large glass baking dish. We had to use four glass baking dishes to accommodate all our apples. Fill a quarter of each glass baking dish with water.

Bake the apples in the oven until soft.

The apples should be soft enough that you could mash them with a fork.

2. Prepare the jars.

While the apples are baking, wash the pint jars and canning rings in soapy hot water or the dishwasher. (We used Wide Mouth Pint Jars, Lids and Bands.)

Carefully remove the baked apples from the oven. Let cool slightly, then remove peels with a fork. If the apples are soft enough, much of the peel will fall right off of the apple.

Puree the apple slices in a blender until smooth then transfer into a large pot.

4. Add cinnamon and bring to a low boil.

Stir cinnamon into the applesauce. More or less cinnamon can be used depending on your preference. We did not add sugar to our applesauce, but if you prefer sweeter applesauce this is when you’d add the sugar. Bring the applesauce to a low rolling boil, stirring regularly.

5. Can the applesauce following these steps. Repeat the steps for each jar.

1. Sanitize a jar and lid:

Fill a second large pot with water and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Use tongs to gently place a canning jar and lid into the hot water.

Move the jar around using the tongs until the glass is heated. Use tongs to carefully lift the jar out of the water. Place the hot jar on a towel on the counter.

2. Fill the canning jar:

Place a funnel on top of the hot jar and use a ladle to scoop the boiling hot applesauce into the jar. Fill the jar to 1/2 inch from the top. Wipe the mouth of the jar clean if any applesauce got on the rim.

3. Seal the canning jar:

Use the tongs to pull the canning lid out of the boiling hot water. Place the canning lid on top of the filled jar, seal side down.

Screw the ring on top of the jar lightly. (Be careful not to over tighten.) Then set the jar aside on a towel and begin to repeat the canning steps for the next jar until all jars have been filled.

If there is any applesauce left after all the jars have been filled, it can be refrigerated or frozen.

HOW can you tell if a canning jar is sealed?

The lids on the jars will make a popping sound as they cool to signify that the jar has properly sealed. Once the jars have completely cooled, check each jar by pressing on the center of the lid.

If the lid does not indent or flex when you touch it, the jar is sealed.

what do you do if a canning jar doesn’t seal?

Any jars that do not seal can be refrigerated. Applesauce could also be transferred to a freezer-safe container and stored in the freezer for future enjoyment.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO STORE HOMEMADE CANNED APPLESAUCE?

Use a permanent marker to label each jar with “Baked Cinnamon Applesauce” and the date you canned. Store the applesauce jars in a pantry or cool dark closet.

How long does canned applesauce last?

If you store it correctly, it will last about a year. Most canned applesauce will last on the shelf for 18-24 months. This is why it is so important to write the date on the lid.

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More Apple Recipes

Need more ideas for fresh fruit? Check out these recipes while you’re here:

• Apple Coffee Cake Muffins
• Quick and Simple Apple Crisp Recipe
• Peach Freezer Jam Recipe: A Delicious Seasonal Idea

Originally published November 2013. Updated November 2019 and again August 2020.