Sugar Free Honey Clove Applesauce
This applesauce simmers on the stove top with clove and cinnamon and sweetened only with honey. The perfect sugar free alternative to the store-bought stuff!
What is it about applesauce? Little boys and husbands love the stuff. I'm not even kidding. When we're at a restaurant and you get to pick two sides, more often than not, Paul asks for applesauce as one of his. I mean come on, applesauce instead of sweet potato fries? Garlic steamed green beans?
I don't know, he's weird.
I'm traumatized by store-bought applesauce though, I think. A few times as a kid I remember my mom trying to mix in whatever medicine I needed to take in with applesauce. Of course I could tell right away. This was probably her last resort because I remember simply refusing to take anything that wasn't "bubblegum" medicine. Because for children of the 80's there were two different types of medicine that existed: bubblegum medicine and non bubblegum medicine.
Which pretty much shut out anything in pill form - forget that business. I tasted Silas' children's Tylenol and let me tell you - kids today have it EASY! Really, it's like drinking candy. Every little bump and bruise he's begging me to take medicine.
And then there's my poor mom sprinkling this awful medicine in my applesauce. I was a real joy, can you tell?
The applesauce from a jar always makes me remember that wondrous time in my life. Have you made stove top applesauce though? Oh my word, you have to! This one is sugar free and would make for an amazing ice cream topping, that's how good it is! Plus you know exactly the ingredients your kids are getting in this - what a great lunchbox snack.
Sugar Free Honey Clove Applesauce
4 medium sized apples 2 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 whole clove 2 tablespoons - 1/4 cup honey (to taste)
Peel, core, and slice apples and place in a saucepan along with the water. Heat over medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes until apple pieces are soft and are falling apart in the pan. Turn off the heat and transfer apples to a heat-safe bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until your desired consistency (the chunkier the better for me, but the boys like it really smooth). Return the apples to the saucepan and add cinnamon, clove, and 2 tablespoons of honey.
Taste (be careful, it's hot!) and add up to an additional 2 tablespoons depending on how tart or sweet your apples were. Cook over medium heat again for another 5 - 10 minutes or until applesauce has thickened. Remove clove. Serve warm, or cool and store in the refrigerator.
I'll probably double or triple the next batch I make and then freeze small portions for lunches and snacks - yum!
Here are some more of my favorite apple recipes:
Apple Peanut Butter Cookies
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