Instant Pot Apple Sauce with Cinnamon Cardamom
Silky homemade apple sauce made in minutes with a blend of Fuji, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith apples. Warmed with vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom, then pressure-cooked and blended to your preferred texture. Ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Fuji apples, unpeeled, cored, quarteredHoneycrisp1:1sweetcrisp
similar sugar content
- 2 lbs Golden Delicious apples, unpeeled, cored, quarteredGala1:1sweetmild
comparable tartness
- 1 lb Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored, quartered
- 1 cup cold water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 large pinches kosher salt
Instructions
- 1
Add quartered apples, cold water, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt to the instant pot and stir to combine.
- 2
Close the lid, ensuring the valve is set to sealing.
- 3
Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.
- 4
Turn off heat and release pressure using natural or quick release, avoiding steam contact.
- 5
Blend the mixture to desired texture using an immersion blender, or transfer in batches to a high-powered blender or food processor.
- 6
Cool completely before transferring to storage containers.
Tips
Use an immersion blender for easiest blending directly in the pot.
Sauce will thicken significantly as it cools.
For chunkier sauce, blend briefly; for smoother consistency, blend longer.
Good to Know
Refrigerate in airtight containers or glass jars for up to 10 days.
Prepare apples (core and quarter) up to 4 hours in advance; store in cold water with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Serve warm or chilled. Pair with oatmeal, yogurt, roasted pork, or duck.
Common Mistakes
Don't skip the natural release period to avoid splattering when opening the lid.
Don't over-blend if you prefer chunky texture; start brief and pulse as needed.
Substitutions
similar sugar content
comparable tartness