Applesauce
Soft, sweet and easy to make. Choose unsweetened, and serve it from a spoon.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat applesauce from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve applesauce by age
6 months+
Smooth or slightly lumpy, on a spoon
Make your own by simmering peeled apple until very soft, then blending or mashing it, or buy applesauce labeled no added sugars. Offer it on a pre-loaded spoon your baby can hold, or let them scoop it with their fingers. If you use a pouch, squeeze it onto a spoon.
- Size
- A teaspoon or two of smooth or finely mashed applesauce, on a pre-loaded spoon.
- Check before serving
- Any lumps should squash easily between your thumb and finger, with no firm or raw pieces.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
9 months+
Lumpy applesauce, as a dip or stirred into food
Mash cooked apple roughly, leaving soft lumps. Stir it into oatmeal, or into plain full-fat yogurt once dairy has been introduced, or offer it as a dip for soft finger foods like soft-cooked carrot or sweet potato sticks.
- Size
- Soft lumps no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Each lump should squash flat between your thumb and finger.
12 months+
Chunky applesauce or as a topping
Use unsweetened applesauce as a topping for oatmeal, pancakes or yogurt for the whole family, instead of syrup or jam. The Apple and pear purée recipe makes a batch that works the same way.
- Size
- Soft cooked pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or smooth.
- Check before serving
- Any pieces should still squash easily. Raw apple pieces are a choking hazard.
18 months+
From a bowl, as a topping or in baking
Let your toddler eat applesauce from a bowl with their own spoon, or use it in family dishes. Keep choosing unsweetened: US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar up to age 4. Make sure your toddler sits down to eat, and stay with them.
- Size
- Soft cooked pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or smooth.
- Check before serving
- Any pieces should still squash easily.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare applesauce
- 1
Wash your hands. Rinse the apples under running water, gently rubbing the skin, before you peel them.
- 2
Peel them, cut them into quarters, and cut out the cores and all the seeds. Chop the apple into chunks of about the same size.
- 3
Put the apple in a pan with a few tablespoons of water, cover, and simmer gently for about 10 to 12 minutes, until every piece is very soft. Don't add sugar, honey or syrup.
- 4
Blend until smooth, or mash with a fork for a lumpier texture. Let it cool, and check it's only just warm before serving.
- 5
Buying it? Check the label for no added sugars, and the ingredients for sugar, syrups, honey or fruit juice concentrate.
How much to offer
Start with a teaspoon or two. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Applesauce is easy to eat, so offer it alongside other foods and textures, not instead of them.
Common mistakes
Choosing sweetened applesauce
Sweetened applesauce has added sugar. US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar up to age 4. Choose jars and pouches labeled no added sugars, or make your own.
Letting your baby suck from a pouch
The NHS says sucking straight from the pouch can increase the risk of tooth decay. Squeeze it onto a spoon or into a bowl instead.
Feeding from the jar, then saving it
Saliva on the spoon can get into the food. Spoon a serving into a dish, refrigerate the rest, and throw away what's left in the dish (FDA).
Staying with smooth food only
Most food from pouches and jars has the same soft texture. Move on to lumpier applesauce and soft finger foods, like soft-cooked apple wedges, as soon as your baby is ready (NHS).
Where US and UK guidance differ on applesauce
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
An AAP page says to avoid foods and drinks with added sugar for children under 2. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines go further and say to avoid added sugar for children aged 4 and under, which this site follows.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says to avoid food and drink with sugar for children aged 4 and under, and counts the sugar in puréed fruit as free sugar. It says to use pouches and jars only occasionally, avoid ones with lots of puréed fruit or sweet vegetables (they can be high in sugar), squeeze pouches onto a spoon, and choose the option with the least sugar.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can applesauce be a choking hazard for babies?
Smooth applesauce is a low choking risk. The CDC lists pieces of hard raw fruit, such as apples, as a choking hazard, so homemade chunky applesauce should have only soft, cooked pieces that squash easily. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to applesauce?
Apple is not a common allergen. People with a latex allergy can react to some foods, and ACAAI lists apple among them. If your child has a latex allergy, ask your pediatrician before offering it.
Is applesauce healthy for babies?
Unsweetened applesauce has about 9.4 g of total sugars per 100 g, all from the apples, but the NHS counts the sugar in puréed fruit as free sugar (unlike the sugar in whole fruit), and too much sugar can cause tooth decay. It isn't a major source of iron, and applesauce without added vitamin C has very little (about 1 mg per 100 g).
Is store-bought applesauce OK for babies?
Yes, if it's unsweetened. Check the label for no added sugars and read the ingredients: the FDA counts sugar, syrups, honey and concentrated fruit juice as added sugars. Spoon a serving into a dish rather than feeding from the jar.
Are applesauce pouches OK?
Now and then. The NHS says pouches and jars should be used once in a while, not as everyday food, and to avoid ones with lots of puréed fruit or sweet vegetables, because they can be high in sugar. An applesauce pouch is all puréed fruit, so keep it occasional even when it's unsweetened. Always squeeze the pouch onto a spoon: sucking straight from it can increase the risk of tooth decay. Choose the option with the least sugar. For lead limits and past pouch recalls, see the baby food pouches guide.
Can babies have applesauce every day?
Unsweetened applesauce can be part of a varied diet. Offer other fruits and vegetables, lumpier textures and finger foods too, plus iron-rich foods like meat, fish, beans, lentils and iron-fortified cereal. See the apple page for soft apple wedges and grated apple.
If your baby refuses applesauce
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try another form: smooth, lumpy, stirred into oatmeal, or as a dip.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
- Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing applesauce
- Homemade applesauce keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
- To freeze it, spoon it into an ice cube tray, then move the cubes to a labeled, dated freezer bag and use them within 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge, use it within 24 hours of thawing, and if you warm it, reheat it only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let it cool before serving.
- Once you open a jar or pouch, keep it in the fridge and follow the label. Never put back food from your baby's bowl.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
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Recipes with applesauce
Helpful guides
Sources
- NHS Best Start in Life: How to start weaning your baby
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- HHS: Fact sheet on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
- AAP: How to reduce added sugar in your child's diet
- FDA: Added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label
- FDA: Once baby arrives (Food safety for moms-to-be)
- CDC: Choking hazards
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
- ACAAI: Latex allergy
- USDA FoodData Central: Applesauce, canned, unsweetened, without added ascorbic acid
- NHS: How does sugar in our diet affect our health?
- FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits and vegetables
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS: Help your baby enjoy new foods
More first foods
Free printable: The First 100 Foods checklist
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