Maple Cinnamon Apple-Pearsauce
It has been awhile since I posted something in the baby food category. And this gem of a recipe came to me several months ago from Jessie. I’m just sad it has taken me this long to get it up! You should be seeing more in this category as the summer goes on. I do have a 5 month old now!
At 15 1/2 months, my daughter Libbie JUST started wanting to eat real food. For 6 months plus, we’ve been in this epic battle where she would eat any baby food, no matter how smelly or disgusting, but, say, pasta? Soup? Chicken Parmesan? She wouldn’t even let the spoon near her delicate mouth.
It’s been WAY fun.
So for months, her diet has consisted of bananas, yogurt, Cheerios, cheese, and applesauce. While I was working, I would occasionally make my own applesauce, but it was easier to buy Mott’s Natural. At home now, though, I’ve felt more freedom to experiment and create whole, tasty foods for my little taste-tester.
This is barely a recipe, but it’s a flavor combination you might not have thought of, and an easy way to prepare homemade applesauce.
Author/Source:
Jessie @ VanderbiltWife.com care of Tricia @ Onceamonthmom.com
Ingredients:
- 5-lb bag of apples, any kind
- 4 pears, any kind
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1-2 tsp. cinnamon
Directions:
Peel apples and pears. (I got all of the fruit for $2 at Aldi! Woot!) Cut into large dice and throw in the crackpot.
Mix in maple syrup and cinnamon. (I used about 2 tsp because Libbie can handle it, but it’s pretty strongly cinnamon-flavored. I’d suggest 1 tsp. for smaller children.)
Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until completely soft.
For older children, mash with a potato masher. For younger babies, puree in a blender or with an immersion blender to make more smooth.
Freezing Directions:
Freeze in quart-sized freezer zip bags or individual servings in ice cube trays. Great by itself or mixed with plain, whole-milk yogurt.
Servings: Varies with Age
My girls would like this…they are 6 and 2 and the love applesauce. How many cups would you say this makes?
Also, I’m assuming maple syrup is different than your regular pancake syrup?
I think it makes about 8 cups. And yes, I use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Pancake syrup has sugar and high fructose corn syrup, while maple syrup is a “whole foods” sweetener.
[...] leftovers! I also made some mini sweet potato muffins, also a hit!! In the same week I cranked out homemade apple-pear sauce (again much in the freezer, frozen in ice cube trays so there are smaller portions to [...]
I wonder if you even need all the maple syrup? Have you ever made it with less?