Fall in a slow cooker

Honestly, now that my youngest child is 5 I thought the days of applesauce as a snack were pretty much  over in our house, but my son loves the cinnamon apples at a chain restaurant. They pretty much taste like the inside of an apple pie, and I'm sure that they are loaded with sugar and butter.  They got me thinking that there must be a healthier way to get that delicious apple cinnamon flavor.

After seeing a recipe for homemade applesauce in a slow cooker I started playing around with the recipe and the result is this delicious chunky applesauce that makes the whole house smell like fall.  It's so good that when my second grader takes it to school for lunch the teacher makes her save it for last because she assumes that it's dessert, but the truth is I don't mind her eating it for a snack almost any time.

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Apples

 Slow Cooker Cinnamon Apples

12 Apples, peeled cored and sliced

2 tsp. cinamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cover.  Cook on low for 6 hours stirring 1-2 times during cooking.  

If you prefer smoother applesauce blend with immersion blender or cool and blend in traditional blender.  Store in airtight container, can serve cold or warm.  Makes 6 cups.