Applesauce

The most crucial step in any homemade applesauce recipe is deciding which type of apples to use. The best fruit for the job may not be the apples you use for pie. Look for soft-fleshed varieties that break down as they cook, like Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, or McIntosh. Steer clear of Jonagold, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp, which are firmer and better suited to baking or eating out of hand. For the best applesauce, use a variety of apples in a single batch.

This recipe has brown sugar and cinnamon, but you should feel free to play around. Swap out the sweetener for plain white sugar; add honey, maple syrup (you’ll only need about half as much), or another brown sugar substitute. Or cut the sugar entirely if you’re using especially sweet apples or prefer a no-sugar option. Meanwhile, you could swap the spice for powdered cardamom or ginger—one reader accidentally used cumin and reported great results!

We like a chunky applesauce, but that doesn’t mean you have to. For a smoother purée, grab your food processor or immersion blender—or run the cooked apples through a food mill—to reach your desired consistency.

There are all sorts of ways to deploy this easy recipe. Stir a spoonful of applesauce into your morning oatmeal; follow the Bradys’ lead, and serve as a side dish to pork chops; plate it up with a fresh batch of hot latkes; or use applesauce in your cake batter. For a quick dessert with lots of apple flavor, mix homemade applesauce into store-bought vanilla ice cream and drizzle with Tahini-Walnut Magic Shell.