Slow Cooker Strawberry Applesauce
60 Comments Jun 12, 2022
Updated Oct 27, 2024
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This slow cooker strawberry applesauce combines sweet strawberries with tart green apples and two other pantry staples. It’s the perfect homemade applesauce to keep on hand and use for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a quick snack. Your family will absolutely love this, especially if you have kids.
You can make regular slow cooker applesauce, or slow cooker apple butter in your slow cooker too! The possibilities are endless.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
Strawberries are typically one of those fruits that either get used up or end up going bad. Instead of having to toss them out, use them to make some of this delicious apple strawberry sauce.
If you have babies or toddlers, this is also a tasty and nutritious treat they can have. In addition, strawberry applesauce can replace your ordinary preserves or jelly. With low prep time and cooking ease, this is a recipe you’ll want to make a big batch of!
Recipe Ingredients
- Strawberries: Storebought or farm-fresh-picked strawberries both work for this recipe.
- Apples: Green apples give the applesauce a slight tart flavor.
- Sugar: Helps add sweetness to the overall taste.
- Apple Juice: Provides a bit more apple flavor.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Peel, core, and slice 7 apples (about 4 pounds). There is no need to be exact on the amounts in this recipe, always turns out great. Add the apples to the slow cooker.
Step Two – Add one pound of stemmed strawberries to the slow cooker.
Step Three – Pour over a 1/2 cup of apple juice or water. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or low for 8 hours.
Step Four – After the cooking time is done, stir the apples and strawberries with a whisk until a sauce forms. Alternatively, you can blend up the applesauce in your blender or food processor.
Step Five – Serve and enjoy!
How to serve?
- Yogurt Topping: When dressing your yogurt, add a spoonful (or two) of this strawberry apple sauce along with granola and a few slices of fresh fruit.
- Oatmeal: Give your bowl of oatmeal an instant perk of flavor by adding this delicious applesauce to it. Simply add a few dollops and give your oatmeal a stir and enjoy!
- Lunch Side: Add this applesauce to your lunch as a healthy side.
- Quick Dessert: This makes for a quick and easy dessert, especially when the sweet tooth hits. Top your ice cream with a heaping spoonful of this applesauce (warm or cold).
- Toast – Hands down the BEST way to eat apple sauce. Lightly toast your bread, slather with butter, then top with cold strawberry applesauce! Great for when you’re not feeling well.
How to store:
- Place the strawberry applesauce into an airtight container. Consider using multiple small containers for the best storage. Glass jars or Tupperware works great. Place in the fridge for up to a week.
- If you want to freeze, leave at room at the top of the jars for expansion, about an inch.
- Freeze for up to three months. Any longer may affect the taste.
- To thaw, place in the fridge the day before you would like to use it.
- This is not a canning recipe; canning takes special precautions and exact measurements.
Variations
You make using a different type of fruit if desired. Use two cups of fruit along with the apples for a different variation.
- Peaches or Nectarines
- Blueberries
- Raspberries or Blackberries
- Pears
Recipe FAQs
I would not add cinnamon to this, it will cover up the strawberry flavor and affect the pink coloring. However, I do add cinnamon to all my other applesauce and butter recipes, in this one, I do not.
In addition to Granny Smith’s green apples, you can use Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, and/or Honey Crisp.
Sure. You’ll have tartier applesauce, but still yummy and edible. Vanilla extract is also another ingredient you can add for slight flavoring.
If you’re looking to dodge the sugar, you can always add honey to taste.
Yes, although you may not get the same flavor as what fresh strawberries will provide.
As mentioned before, this isn’t particularly a canning recipe; however, you can add a bit of lemon juice for extended storing options.
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Slow Cooker Strawberry Applesauce
Ingredients
- 7 apples, (about 3-4 pounds, no need to be exact!)
- 1 lb. container strawberries
- 1/2 cup apple juice or water
- sugar, to taste if desired
Instructions
- Peel, core and slice apples and add to the slow cooker. Remove the stems from the strawberries and add to the slow cooker with the apples. Add the apple juice or water.
- Cover, and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
- Using a whisk stir the apples and strawberries until a sauce forms. Alternatively, you can blend up the applesauce in your blender or food processor.
- Taste the sauce and decide if you want to add sugar. Add a tablespoon at a time until desired sweetness is reached
- Serve and enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers in small containers for up to a week. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge for a day before needed.
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- Place the strawberry applesauce into an airtight container. Consider using multiple small containers for the best storage. Glass jars or Tupperware works great. Place in the fridge for up to a week.
- If you want to freeze, leave at room at the top of the jars for expansion, about an inch.
- Freeze for up to three months. Any longer may affect the taste.
- To thaw, place it in the fridge the day before you want to use it.
- This is not a canning recipe; canning takes special precautions and exact measurements.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
What apples would be best for this strawberry applesauce recipe.
I use Fuji for it’s one of the sweetest apples.
What type of apples do you like best for this applesauce?
I usually use Fuji.
Just wondering if the nutrition info is serving size or for the batch. We, me and my fiance are keto so knowing the carbs is important. Thank you
Hi! I do not provide that information. You’ll have to figure that out on your own. I apologize.
CAn you use frozen strawberries?
Yes! would work fine!
My blender broke and I haven’t had a reason to buy another one. Is there a different way to get this consistency?
I often don’t use a blender. Cook a bit longer and use a whisk. Will turn out great.
Can I use mango instead of strawberries
I don’t see why not, I was thinking of trying apricots next. I really think any fruit would work. 🙂
I started a batch of this this morning. I’m going to can some and make some into fruit leather in my dehydrator!
I’ve done the apples with both strawberries and raspberries without adding any sugar and they both were good!
Can you pressure cook this?
I don’t own a pressure cooker, I’m not sure what the liquid requirements or timing would be?
Put apples in bottom of pressure cooker place strawberries on top. Mix 1 cup Apple juice and 1/2 c sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg if you want it, pour over fruit. Attach lid, set to high pressure 8 min. Let natural release 5 min
I live in the Mountains of Pennsylvania and as you can imagine, the winters can be quite isolating. So I decided to do some canning this past winter. I never made homemade jam or preserves let alone canned anything. Thanks to “The Pioneer Woman” I was able accomplish both. She gives detailed instructions with pictures which makes it very easy to follow. Anyway….my whole point to this comment was to say I never thought of making “Strawberry Applesause” until I was at the market yesterday buying more apples for my applesause. I saw these beautiful strawberries that were also on sale. I have plenty of strawberry preserves and I thought to myself, I know what I can do with these strawberries…add them to the applesause. So of course I had to go online for a recipe. I decided to use yours…so thank you for sharing, I’m sure it’ll come out just great!
~Dottie from Pennsylvania