Instant Pot Hidden Veggie Pear Applesauce is packed with nutrition and made in just a few minutes using your favorite pressure cooker! This recipe includes two vegetables and tastes just like cinnamon applesauce, for the win!
Instant Pot Applesauce Recipe
I confess, I don’t have a child who’s a “picky” eater. She does have preferences though and STRONGLY prefers fruit to vegetables, especially these days. Fruit is no trouble though and that’s why I created this Instant Pot Hidden Veggie Pear Applesauce. She doesn’t even care there are veggies in it (she knows) because it tastes like fruit!
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The two hidden veggies featured in this applesauce are beets (golden) and spinach. The spinach, as you can probably tell, is not completely hidden but my daughter couldn’t care less! If you however have a child who does care about the color I’d recommend a fun incognito device like a reusable squeeze. My favorite are these. Let me know in the comments what your child thought!
How Long Does Homemade Applesauce Last?
- In the Fridge – Homemade applesauce will last a week up to 10 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
- In the Freezer – For longer storage, in a sealed freezer-safe container (I prefer wide-mouth mason jars with lids) homemade applesauce will last for 3 months.
More Simple Healthy Recipes:
- Chia Seed Jam
- Simple Homemade Almond Milk
- How To Roast Squash Seeds
- Whole30 Gravy
- How To Make A Flax Egg
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Instant Pot Hidden Veggie Pear Applesauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 Quarts 1x
- Category: Appetizers & Snacks
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
Instant Pot Hidden Veggie Pear Applesauce is packed with nutrition and made in just a few minutes using your favorite pressure cooker! This recipe includes two vegetables and tastes just like cinnamon applesauce, for the win!
Ingredients
For the Instant Pot:
- 10 pears (I typically use bartlett but any will work), cored and deseeded with skin on
- 3 large apples (I prefer honeycrisp), cored and deseeded with skin on
- 3 golden beets (yellow beets), use a vegetable peeler to remove skin and cut into 1 inch thick pieces
- 1 cup water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Into the Blender:
- 1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Once prepared add apples, pears and golden beets to the instant pot or pressure cooker.
- Pour in one cup of water and place 2 cinnamon sticks in.
- Lock lid and set valve to sealing.
- Select Manual / Pressure Cook on high for 10 minutes.
- Once cooking has finished, quick release steam.
- Carefully remove the two cinnamon sticks and discard.
- Using a slotted spoon transfer all but the liquid into a blender.
- To the blender also add the spinach and ground cinnamon.
- Blend on high several minutes until smooth and creamy.
- (Optional Step: Pour blender contents through a wire strainer to ensure no chunks of spinach remain and rat you out!)
- Pour Pear Applesauce into mason jars or other freezable containers for storage.
- I recommend allowing to cool on the counter for 30+ minutes if possible to release steam before placing a lid on and transferring to the refrigerator. I also recommend allowing to chill in the frig prior to placing in the freezer to prep the jars and give your freezer an easier job.
- Enjoy!
Notes
*Cook time is an “Instant Pot” 10 minutes which means once the machine comes to pressure which is really closer to 15-20 minutes in total.
Keywords: Applesauce recipe, instant pot, hidden veggie, picky eater,
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Lori says
Brilliant idea to slip in the veggies! Thank you for this recipe.
★★★★★
Nicole says
Thank you! Yes, this is definitely a “make on repeat” kind of recipe!
Hillary Sonnentag says
Is it essential that they’re golden beets? Will the sauce just be pink if I use regular beets? (I have honestly never cooked either variety, so pardon my niavety if they’re very different)
Nicole says
Hi Hillary! Great question, yes the sauce will be pink if you use red beets instead of golden. If you are really trying to convince a little one that this is just standard applesauce I’d definitely go with the golden beets but the flavor will also be slightly different. It’s a matter of personal preference and although I like both red and golden beets I find red beets usually more “earthy” in flavor which not everyone enjoys. I hope that helps!
★★★★★
Danielle says
Would you be able to make this without a pressure cooker? Just cook the beets, apples, and pears till soft in a standard crock pot?
Nicole says
Hi Danielle,
Yes, absolutely! It will take longer on the stove top but you certainly could! It may also need a bit more water added as more steam will be released unless it’s covered but I haven’t tried it to know for sure how much would be needed. You would just want to keep an eye on it and add more water if needed. I hope you enjoy, we LOVE this recipe in our house!
★★★★★
Courtney says
How long would this stay good in the fridge for after making? If I put it into mason jars for example?
Nicole says
Hi Courtney! Great question, in the fridge the applesauce will last for a week to 10 days and can be frozen for 3 months.
★★★★★