Frugal Friday: Four Unusual Ways to Use Applesauce

 I love living in a part of a country where we have 4 distinct seasons, and Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year in Upstate New York.  I love it so much, sometimes I go a little bananas picking apples. (Get it, bananas. . .apples. . .see, that’s cute? Oh, nevermind.)  

I’m not exaggerating when I say that every year I end up with bushels of apples in my kitchen, all ready to become yummy, cinnamon-y applesauce.  My kids would eat applesauce every day, at every meal, so I never have to worry about making too much. But if you are like me and have lots of applesauce to make, here are a few different things to do with your applesauce. (And I promise none of them involves pork chops!)

1. Homemade Apple Leather -- this is a healthy, easy, and delicious snack.

2. As a substitute for oil in baked goods -- in general, you can substitute applesauce for oil in a 1:1 ratio: that is, if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup oil, you can use 1/2 cup applesauce instead. If you are using sweetened applesauce, you may have to decrease the amount of sugar in the recipe.  Applesauce can also be a substitute for eggs, and even milk, but I only use it to substitute for the main fat (such as oil) --otherwise the final product might have a rubbery or tough texture. Applesauce works best in making sweet, fall-like baked goods such as pumpkin bread and oatmeal muffins.

3. Stirred into oatmeal -- Instead of sweetening with sugar or honey, add 1/4 cup of applesauce to your morning oatmeal. Applesauce is an all-natural sweetener and it helps cool down the oatmeal so you can eat it immediately. Add raisins for even more yumminess.

4. Slow Cooker Applesauce Chicken -- one of my favorite recipes, and the whole family loves it!

You’re next! I’d love to hear some more out-of-the-box uses for applesauce!