It’s time to shake up the classic homemade applesauce recipe! Let’s add a splash of Bourbon and freshly squeezed orange juice, then give it a swirl and simmer with a few apples, a vanilla bean, and cinnamon stick. Yes, this Bourbon spice applesauce recipe is that easy! And to make this recipe even easier, I cut out the cutting (see what I did there?). Just roughly quarter the apples leaving the seeds and stem still attached – don’t worry, they will get milled out and separated later. Oh, and while simmering away, this recipe might make your whole house smell like the holidays. You’ve been warned.

I don’t think I realized how ridiculously easy applesauce could be until I saw this recipe in Bon Appetite Magazine. Using their recipe as my guide, I spiced up the classic applesauce with some extra boozy and citrusy ingredients to elevate this fruity side dish. The result was absolutely magical. I could seriously eat this Bourbon spice applesauce right out of the bowl, warm, with a spoon. Every day. All day.

Now, let’s get (apple) saucy!

Rustic Bourbon Spice Applesauce

Serves: 4, Total Time: 1 hour, Cook time: 45 minutes – 1 hour

Ingredients: 4 apples (quartered), juice from 2 medium oranges, 1 cup Bourbon, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 split vanilla bean. Optional Topping: Powdered cinnamon.

Instructions: Add all ingredients to a pot and stir. Make sure the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean are submerged in the liquid, then cover the pot with a lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 45 minutes – 1 hour. You can stir once or twice but it’s not required. Once the apples are nice and extra soft, take the pot off the heat, then carefully remove and discard the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. Pour everything into a food mill (apples and all liquid), and turn through a small hole disk into a serving bowl. Enjoy warm right off the stove or chill in the refrigerator before serving.

No food mill? No problem. Check out the alternative method in the recipe notes at the bottom of the page.

Online Shop the Exact Brands I Used: Bulleit Bourbon, Cinnamon Sticks*, Vanilla Bean*, Food Mill *, and optional Cinnamon * topping.

Look closely and you can see the vanilla specks, dashes of cinnamon, and pieces of orange! I just love this recipe so much and I may have taken one too many giant warm spoonfuls right after I finished the photo shoot. I’m not sure why my first batch of homemade applesauce took me so long to try but it’s the easiest recipe and I loved getting to use Fall ripened ingredients.

Have you ever had homemade applesauce? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section!

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*The Amazon products linked on this page are products I used to make this rustic Bourbon spice applesauce recipe. If you purchase any of the items through the Amazon affiliate links I have provided, I receive a small commission on the items purchased. This in no way influences the items I recommend or raises the price of the items for you. I only add items to my posts that I use and think you will love just as much and I do!