Craving Cranberries & Applesauce

I always associate applesauce with the kind in your elementary school lunch or when you’re sick. This is applesauce for grown-ups. If you haven’t noticed, I took pictures of the Cranberry Cinnamon Applesauce in tupperware — it was that hard not to immediately consume. Bursting with cinnamon, the combination of the sweet Gala apples and tart cranberries is truly decadent. To top it off, this version has no added sugar (thanks, Aloha), you literally chop the apples and dump them in a pot and your kitchen may or may not smell like a Yankee candle. So take a bite of this naturally sweet and insanely delicious applesauce.

Ingredients (serves 4-6).

• 6-7 Gala apples, cored
• 1/2 c water (may need more)
• 1½ t cinnamon
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 1 T Aloha‘s Coconut Water Powder (as the sweetener) *
• 1/3 c unsweetened dried cranberries

* Please Note: I do receive products from Aloha. I only post recipes with their products that I have made and loved myself.

Directions.

1. Using an apple corer (like one here), core apples, leaving the skin on. (You can peel them — it’s just added work!) Chop the apples into small chunks.
2. Add all ingredients to a large pot on high heat, stirring continuously. Make sure there is a thin layer of liquid on the bottom of the pan to prevent the applesauce from burning. Try not to add more than the 1/2 c  water because additional water will naturally cook out of the apples.
3. Once the thin layer of liquid is boiling, reduce applesauce to a simmer. Stir every 5 min.
4. After about 20 min. or when the apple pieces are soft, remove from heat and use a potato masher to mash the apple pieces until the applesauce has the consistency you’d like (optional).
5. Stir in more sweetener if needed.
6. Let applesauce cool before serving.
7. Enjoy!

Adapted from Aloha‘s “Easy, No-Sugar-Added Cinnamon Applesauce” and my “Spiced Applesauce with Golden Raisins.”