How great is applesauce? Whether you’re pairing it with pork chops or sweet potato latkes as a condiment for a hearty main dish or eating it all on its own, applesauce is a delightful snack.
As long as there are no noncompliant ingredients, applesauce is allowed on Whole30!
Shopping For Whole30 Applesauce? Here’s What to Look For
As is often the case on Whole30, when perusing the applesauce aisle at the grocery store you have to remember to always read your labels to look out for not-so-Whole30-friendly additives before you make your final choice. This additive guide from the Whole30 team is always a great resource if you’re unsure about what is and what isn’t allowed.
Lucky for all the applesauce-loving Whole30-ers out there, finding a brand that doesn’t break any rules is not too difficult.
The most common noncompliant ingredient in applesauce is—you guessed it—sugar! As we know, sugar in any form is not allowed on Whole30, so you’ll want to steer clear of any applesauce brands with added sugar as an ingredient.
High fructose corn syrup is popular in many applesauce brands, so definitely be on the lookout for that!
The keywords you want to look for when applesauce-shopping are things like “unsweetened” and “natural”—typically the shorter the ingredient-list, the better.
When it comes to applesauce, the next most common additive (other than sugar, of course) is most likely Ascorbic Acid, more widely known as Vitamin C. Don’t worry! According to our handy list of common additives, Ascorbic acid is categorized as acceptable. Phew!
Recommended Whole30-Compliant Applesauce Brands
Here’s our list of some of the most popular and easily available Whole30-compliant applesauce brands. They aren’t the only ones out there, but at least you can find these ones online without any hassle!
- One 46 ounce jar
- Great as a snack, side dish or baking alternative
- An excellent source of vitamin C and no added sugar
With Mott’s, make sure you pick the “natural” flavor! Most other Mott’s flavors include High Fructose Corn Syrup to sweeten.
- Pasteurized for safety
- The package length of the product is 7 inches
- The package width of the product is 4.5 inches
- The package height of the product is 4.5 inches
About: Short and sweet (but unsweetened!) ingredient list of apples, water, and vitamin C.
This next one is made in an allergen-free environment, is Kosher, and is made with the skin and core intact for increased nutritional value! How cool is that?
How to Make Your Own Whole30 Applesauce
Even though Whole30-compliant store-bought applesauce is pretty easy to come by, it’s still fun to make your own!
So how do you do it?
- All you need to do is peel and core your apples of choice, place them in your slow cooker, pour a bit of water over them, sprinkle in a pinch of salt and voila!
- Set your slow cooker to low and let your apples simmer for about 6 hours until they start to break down.
You’re welcome to leave your applesauce chunky or if you prefer something a little smoother, use an immersion blender or pour the contents of your crock-pot into a blender or food processor and puree until you reach your desired texture.
Now’s your opportunity to add some extra flavor! Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice are great here.
In the mood for something a little more classic? There’s nothing wrong with leaving out the spices and sticking with plain applesauce either! For more in-depth instructions, check out this recipe. Just don’t forget to leave out the honey to make it Whole30-compliant!
Applesauce & The Sugar Dragon: Fruit Fans Beware!
It seems like applesauce can do no wrong. Easy to find in stores, easy to make, delicious as a snack or as a condiment…what could be better? Before you grab a spoon and start eating straight out of the jar (or your crock pot!), there is one important thing you should keep in mind.
Although it is not an official rule, per say, the Whole30 recommendation for fruit is around two servings per day. One serving of applesauce is approximately ½ cup and, let’s be honest, we could easily eat twice that without batting an eye.
To be clear, the reasoning behind recommending limited fruit intake is not necessarily to cut out sugar, but more to encourage awareness of why you might be inclined to binge on certain foods. If you have a seriously out-of-control Sugar Dragon —meaning your sugar cravings are strong, fierce and, well, dragon-like—then you might want to do your best to avoid eating too much fruit.
Since we are cutting out all sugar on Whole30, fruit is the only thing our Sugar Dragons have left to munch on. If you feel like you have your cravings under control, more power to you! If not, make sure to be extra mindful of your how you consume your fruit—make sure it’s you, not that pesky dessert-obsessed Sugar Dragon, that’s choosing that bowl of applesauce as an after-dinner snack.
Have a favorite homemade applesauce recipe? A compliant store-bought favorite we left out? Share your thoughts with us below!
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
