This diabetes-friendly 4-ingredient cinnamon applesauce without sugar is so simple to make right in your slow cooker! It’s easy, delicious, and so much healthier than store-bought applesauce.

Spoon scooping cinnamon applesauce out of a bowl

Why you will love this cinnamon applesauce

Most applesauce you find at the store is packed with high fructose corn syrup, artificial colorings, or artificial sweeteners.

Instead, you can make this diabetes-friendly cinnamon applesauce right at home! Thanks to the slow cooker, it’s incredibly easy.

Plus, you only need four ingredients (and one of those is water!) No fillers, corn syrup, or added sugar, just wonderful and delicious applesauce!

Cinnamon applesauce ingredients

All of the flavor comes from the apples and cinnamon, so it’s important to use high-quality ingredients – preferably organic apples and a cinnamon stick that has been stored in a dry place away from moisture.

Ingredients for the cinnamon applesauce on a marble surface
  • Apples – I like to use a combination of Gala and Red Delicious apples, but feel free to experiment with different varieties to see what you like best!
  • Cinnamon stick – Cinnamon comes in two main types – Ceylon and Cassia. Ceylon cinnamon has a gentle flavor with notes of citrus blossom, while the “standard” Cassia cinnamon has a slightly peppery taste. Both are great for this recipe, but I prefer Cassia for a more powerful spicy flavor.
  • Lemon juice – Fresh juice from any type of lemon will do.
  • Water

How to make cinnamon applesauce

You are only 4 ingredients and 4 easy steps away from delicious homemade applesauce:

  1. Add the apples, lemon juice, and water to the slow cooker. Place the cinnamon stick in the middle of the apples.
  2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or on LOW for 6 hours until the apples are falling apart.
  3. Remove the cinnamon stick.
  4. Mash the applesauce with a potato masher in the pot. For a smoother texture, purée in a food processor or with an immersion blender.

You can serve your applesauce warm, or place it in a jar with a screw-top lid for easy storage.

Two bowls of cinnamon applesauce seem from above

Ways to use applesauce

There are so many great ways to enjoy applesauce. Personally, I enjoy it right out of a bowl topped with a few sliced almonds!

For a tasty snack, try mixing it with plain yogurt. Or serve your applesauce warm and top it with low-carb granola or walnuts for dessert.

It’s also an amazing topping for apple-spiced overnight oats.

Finally, applesauce is great for baking! You can use it to replace the mashed banana in my oatmeal muffins with pumpkin seeds and nuts.

Storage

This recipe makes about 4 cups of applesauce, so you should have plenty to store for future use!

I recommend placing the applesauce in a jar with a screw-top lid for easy serving. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Other delicious apple recipes

I just love cooking with apples, especially in the fall! You can add them to so many tasty dishes for wonderful texture and flavor. Here are a few of my favorite apple recipes I know you’ll love:

You can also take a look at my roundup of diabetes-friendly dessert recipes for more inspiration!

Cinnamon Applesauce (Without Sugar)

5 from 2 votes
Leave a review
This diabetes-friendly 4-ingredient cinnamon applesauce is so simple to make right in your slow cooker! It's easy, delicious, and so much healthier than store-bought.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients 

  • 7 large apples, (peeled, cored, and quartered)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

  • Add the apples, lemon juice, and water to the slow cooker. Place the cinnamon stick in the middle of the apples.
    7 large apples, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water, 1 cinnamon stick
  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or on LOW for 6 hours until the apples are falling apart.
  • Remove the cinnamon stick.
  • Mash the applesauce with a potato masher in the pot. For a smoother texture, purée in a food processor or with an immersion blender.

Notes

This recipe is for 12 servings. Each serving is ⅓ of a cup.
You can use any combination of apples you like.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition Info Per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Cinnamon Applesauce (Without Sugar)
Serving Size
 
0.33 cup
Amount per Serving
Calories
65
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
0.2
g
0
%
Saturated Fat
 
0
g
0
%
Trans Fat
 
0
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0.1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0
g
Cholesterol
 
0
mg
0
%
Sodium
 
1.2
mg
0
%
Potassium
 
0
mg
0
%
Carbohydrates
 
15.3
g
5
%
Fiber
 
2.9
g
12
%
Sugar
 
10.9
g
12
%
Protein
 
0.3
g
1
%
Net carbs
 
12.4
g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.