Unsweetened Applesauce with Veggies

A vibrant treat with beets and carrots! Recipe can be served cold or warm.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings cups

Calories 167kcal

Prepare the apples by coring and roughly chopping them into quarters. I kept the skin on for some extra fiber, but you can choose to peel them if you want. Prepare the carrots by washing and peeling them, then slicing into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Wash and peel the beets, and chop them into rough quarters. For a sweeter taste, use 8 instead of 6 apples and 1 fewer beet.
Place a large pot on the stovetop and add the apples, carrots, and beets, along with the cinnamon and water. The water will not cover the ingredients, but that's intentional. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir occasionally to promote even cooking. You want the fruit and veggies to be tender when touched with a fork before blending.
Remove from heat, and use an immersion blender to blend the contents of the pot until smooth. You can also transfer the ingredients in batches to a regular blender (see notes for safety tips) and blend each batch for approximately 1 minute until smooth.
Enjoy warm or cold with more cinnamon as desired!

For a sweeter applesauce, use Honeycrisp or Cosmic Crisp apples.
To make in a slow cooker, combine all of the ingredients and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Use an immersion blender or transfer the mixture to a regular blender in batches to finish the recipe.
If you use a regular blender, be very careful when blending the hot applesauce. I recommend only filling it halfway with ingredients, to avoid any hot splattering. You may also want to remove the lid (or the plastic circle in the middle of the lid) and cover with a dish towel instead, to let steam escape.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. You can also freeze this for 2-3 months. I love to refrigerate or freeze the applesauce in reusable pouches for my kids!