My microwave applesauce for one with no sugar recipe is easy and delicious. This no-peel version calls for simply cutting up fresh apples, adding some lemon juice, and microwaving them until soft. After pureeing with an immersion blender, this applesauce is ready to eat. Even though it’s unsweetened, the fact that it’s thicker and fresher than storebought applesauce means it’s still full of flavor. If you’re looking for a quick and healthy dessert, this recipe is for you!
Can You Make Applesauce In the Microwave?
Yes! From melting butter to cooking rice, you can cook just about anything in the microwave, including applesauce. Instead of standing over a hot stove and stir constantly, you can cut up some apples and soften them in the microwave–it’s a lot easier.
Can You Make Applesauce Without Peeling the Apples?
Yes! You can definitely make applesauce without peeling the apples. Leaving the peel on not only saves time but also adds flavor and vitamins to the applesauce. The skins also thicken the applesauce with naturally-occurring pectin, and depending on the type of apple, the skins can add color, too.
Microwave Applesauce For One (No Sugar) Ingredients
My microwave applesauce recipe is super easy because it only has 2 ingredients:
Apples – 2/3 cup yellow apple chunks. As I explain in my easy apple cobbler with pie crust recipe, I think that yellow apples have the perfect balance between sweetness, tartness and flavor. If you want to make microwave applesauce with a single variety of apple, Golden Delicious would be my first choice.
Lemon Juice – 1.5 Tablespoons. Lemon juice (or something acidic in general) helps to bring out flavors, especially in fruit. In this recipe, the lemon juice not only emphasizes the apple flavor but also helps prevent the apples from turning brown.
Although you could add a pinch of salt if you wanted, I don’t think it needs it–this recipe is great with just 2 ingredients.
What Kind of Apples Should I Use?
Golden Delicious are the Best for Microwave Applesauce
I think Golden Delicious apples have the perfect combination of tartness and sweetness, along with the right amount of pectin to not be mushy when cooked. In fact, a SouthernLiving.com article on the best apples for applesauce mentions Golden Delicious as one of the best, so I’m not alone in my opinion.
Golden Delicious apples also have just the right amount of naturally-occurring pectin, the same thickener used to set jams and jellies. This pectin helps yellow apples baked in pies hold their shape, as well as applesauce made with yellow apples to be thicker.
For these reasons, I think that Golden Delicious apples are the best apple for my microwave applesauce recipe.
Other Varieties of Apples for Microwave Applesauce
However, many applesauce recipes recommend a combination of at least 2 varieties is probably, preferably a sour apple and a sweet variety.. To give you some ideas, you might want to try:
Golden Delicious – As stated above, I think yellow apples are the best. If you’re only going to use one type of apple, I’d use Golden Delicious. If you can find yellow apples tinged with a bit of pink, those tend to be a bit sweeter.
McIntosh – The SouthernLiving.com article says that McIntosh apples are fresh and crisp yet soften easily, making them perfect for cooking.
Fuji – The sweetness would balance out a tart green apple.
Honeycrisp – This sweet apple would add a nice, refreshing taste.
Granny Smith – Since this microwave applesauce recipe is made with no sugar, I’d be sure to pair green apples with a sweet variety like Fuji or Honeycrisp.
Jonagold – A cross between Jonathan and Golden Delicious, Jonagold apples add a refreshing twist to the sweet and tart combination.
Braeburn – According to a Food52.com article, Braeburn apples are great for applesauce because cooking them releases hints of aromatics. I’ve never tried this recipe with Braeburn apples, but it sounds delicious.
Do I Need to Add Water to the Applesauce?
No, you don’t need to add water. Although most applesauce recipes call for adding water or apple juice to thin it out, I think that when making unsweetened applesauce, thicker is better. By leaving out the liquid, the flavors are more concentrated in the thick sauce, helping to make up for the lack of sugar.
However, if you prefer a thinner applesauce, I recommend adding about 1/4 cup of water at the beginning of the cooking process. If you give this a try, let me know what you think.
How to Make Microwave Applesauce For One With No Sugar
Learning how to make microwave applesauce for one with no sugar is easy. Let’s go over the steps:
Select 1 Pound of Whole Apples
Since this recipe calls for 2/3 cups of apple chunks, you will need to start with 1 pound of whole, fresh apples. You will likely need about 2 medium apples. As stated above, I recommend using Golden Delicious, but you can use whatever you like.
Cut the Apples into Chunks
After washing drying the apples, cut around the core. You can use an apple corer and peeler if you want, but I think it’s easier to just use a large knife to cut large chunks from around the core.
Then, cut those larger chunks into 2 or 3 pieces so that each apple is cut into 8-10 chunks. Although the pieces should ideally all be about the same size, you don’t have to be exact. You don’t have to cut the chunks into cubes, either: rounded slices are fine.
Honestly, it’s hard to explain this in words, so I recommend referring to the video at the bottom of the page for a better idea of how to cut the apples. If a picture’s worth 1,000 words, a video’s worth 1,000,000.
Measure the Apples
Once the apples are cut into chunks, measure 3 cups of chunks (300 grams). If you have a food scale, I suggest weighing the chunks since it’s difficult to measure irregularly-shaped objects by volume.
Add the Apples to a Microwave-Safe Bowl
Then, place the apple chunks in a microwave-safe bowl. Since you will be using an immersion blender to puree the applesauce, I suggest using a bowl that is deeper than it’s wide so the blender can sink down into the apples and puree them more easily.
Add Lemon Juice
Then, add 1.5 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. This is to not only prevent browning but also bring out the flavor. Since this applesauce is unsweetened, we want to maximize the flavor as much as possible.
Cover the Apples
I covered the glass bowl with plastic wrap, but if your container comes with a designated lid, feel free to use that. You don’t have to make an air-tight seal: just enough to lock in most of the heat and moisture.
Microwave in 5-Minute Increments and Stir
Once the apples are ready, microwave them on HIGH for three, 5-minute increments. After each 5-minute increment, take the apples out of the microwave and stir them.
Please be careful when uncovering the apples: since the heat is locked in, the steam will be very hot. If you want, you could uncovered the bowl slightly and let the steam escape for a few seconds before stirring.
Puree with an Immersion Blender
The apple chunks will be soft after 15 minutes of cooking, so all that’s left to do is puree the chunks into applesauce. Although you could use a potato masher or even a blender, an immersion blender makes this job quick and easy.
As explained in my immersion blender whipped cream recipe, an immersion blender is good for small jobs. If you’re just making enough applesauce for one, or only enough whipped cream for one slice of cake, you can do the job a lot faster–and with less cleanup–than with a larger blender.
With just 30-60 seconds of pureeing, your applesauce should be nice and smooth.
Serve
When the applesauce is pureed to your liking, it’s done! Enjoy!
How Much Applesauce Does This Recipe Make?
One batch of this microwave applesauce recipe makes about 1/2 cup (maybe a little more), just enough for a generous single serving.
Should I Serve Microwave Applesauce Hot or Cold?
I think this microwave applesauce is good either hot or cold. However, in my opinion, I think I liked it a little better cold.
How to Enjoy Microwave Applesauce For One With No Sugar
This unsweetened applesauce can be enjoyed multiple ways:
Healthy Dessert – Since this applesauce is made with no sugar, it’s extremely healthy. And with no eggs, milk, butter, or flour, it’s also coincidentally vegan and gluten-free.
Applesauce Pie – If you like apple pie and pumpkin pie, then you’ll enjoy using this applesauce as a filling for a custard-style pie.
Baked Ham – The refreshing sweetness of applesauce complements salty, smoky, fatty ham very well.
How Long Does Microwave Applesauce Keep?
Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, your microwave applesauce should be good for 5-7 days.
Can You Freeze Applesauce?
Yes! Although you can freeze applesauce by putting it into plastic bags, I admit I’m not sure how the freezing / thawing process would affect the texture.
A Chef’s Review
I really liked my microwave applesauce for one with no sugar recipe. Since there was no peeling, the prep time was minimal, and since I made it in the microwave, it was a lot easier than the stove top. Personally, I think that using ripe Golden Delicious apples was key since they lend themselves to cooking very well.
I also really liked the texture, the thickness adding richness that sugar would normally provide. If you’ve only had thin storebought applesauce, you have to try this thicker version, too.
Compared to storebought, this homemade applesauce had a fresh flavor that was came through loud and clear. If you have a recipe that calls for applesauce, using this will definitely add a lot of flavor.
If you’re looking for a quick dessert that’s healthy, gluten-free, and vegan, this is it. So, if you’ve never made applesauce before, this recipe is definitely worth a try.
Possible Changes to the Recipe
Although I thought my unsweetened applesauce in the microwave recipe turned out great, possible changes to the recipe include:
Different Apples – As stated above, you can use a variety of apples to make applesauce.
Spices – I am sure a bit of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg would be good in this recipe. I would add it just before putting the apple chunks in the microwave so the spices have time to cook into the apples.
Chunky – If you prefer chunky applesauce, puree it with a potato masher or large spoon to your liking.
Microwave Applesauce For One (No Sugar) Variations
If you want to switch things up, possible variations to this recipe include:
Include Other Fruits – I’m sure one apple and one pear would be nice, or perhaps a handful of blueberries or strawberries.
Lime Juice – I’m curious how using lime juice in place of lemon juice would affect the recipe.
Pineapple Juice – I think this might be good, too.
Other Healthy Recipes
If you liked this healthy no sugar applesauce, then be sure to check out my other healthy recipes:
Baked Butternut Squash – Learn how to make butternut squash in the oven the simple way.
Carrot Salad Recipe – Originally from France, this Argentinian side dish is surprisingly delicious.
How to Cook Quinoa on the Stove – This recipe shows how to make quinoa that’s fluffy, not soggy.
Other Immersion Blender Recipes
If this recipe made you realize the usefulness of immersion blenders, be sure to check out my other hand blender recipes:
Immersion Blender Whipped Cream – Homemade whipped cream with vanilla extra is the best.
Immersion Blender Butter – If you have leftover whipping cream, make homemade butter.
Microwave Applesauce For One (No Sugar) Recipe Directions
Microwave Applesauce For One (No Sugar)
Ingredients
- 2/3 pound (300g, about 3 cups) of apple chunks — you will need about 1 pound of fresh, whole apples
- 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Do not peel the apples. This is a no peel applesauce.
- Cutting around the core, cut the apples into chunks.
- Measure out 3 cups (300g) of apple chunks, then place into a microwave-safe bowl.
- Drizzle in lemon juice, then stir to coat all of the apple slices with the lemon juice.
- Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap, then microwave on high for a total of 15 minutes, stopping every 5 minutes to stir the apples.
- After microwaving the apples for 3 increments of 5 minutes, puree with immersion blender for 30-60 seconds.
YouTube Video
Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial:
