When it comes to common pantry staples, oils, flours, and spices are usually found on well-stocked shelves—but why not apple sauce? Besides being a simple and healthy snack that offers many of the same benefits as regular apples, this humble puree also serves as a gentle food for upset stomachs and can be a versatile substitute to make baked goods vegan. That alone should be enough reason to keep some on hand.

In developing our own line of organic apple sauces, Thrive Market gives this kitchen essential the royal treatment. We start with a delicious blend of ripe and juicy USDA certified organic apples that are washed, chopped, cooked, and blended together for intense fruit flavor and more balanced acidity. The mixture is also flavored with a touch of organic cinnamon to make it even sweeter.

But it’s not done yet. Next, our apple sauce is passed through an intense screening process to ensure even consistency and optimal flavor before being packaged into four, 4 oz. servings that can easily be thrown into lunch boxes, purses, or gym bags. (Also check out our economy-sized 24 oz. glass jars.)

Thrive Market takes pride in offering pure, whole food products, and our apple sauce is no exception. Made solely with fresh-picked organic apples, a touch of organic apple juice, and organic cinnamon for added flavor, this non-GMO treat is incredibly pure, but it can also be enjoyed by anyone following Paleo, kosher, gluten-free, or vegan diets.

A healthy snack and comforting stomach soother

Apple sauce is a unique snack because it’s considered both a health and comfort food at the same time. The smooth texture and slightly tart sweetness make it feel more decadent than biting into an apple, even though you get many of the same benefits as eating the fruit itself. And that’s saying something since apples are rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals that have been said to help reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and even some types of cancer.

As with all plant–based foods, apples are also a great source of dietary fiber, which helps you to feel fuller longer and can keep cravings at bay. Fiber is also important for gut health because it cleans out the digestive tract as it passes through. In fact, ample amounts of soluble fiber have been shown to reduce chronic inflammation and the uncomfortable symptoms that go along with it.

There’s even some science behind its comfort food status. Apple sauce is featured in the BRAT (bananas, rice, apple sauce, and toast) diet, which is recommended as temporary protocol for the stomach flu, food poisoning, morning sickness, or any other time that your gastrointestinal tract seems to turn on you. These bland foods are low in fat and gentler on the digestion process, with just enough fiber to be helpful during bouts of diarrhea—but not so much that it’ll further irritate your stomach.

The reason why apple sauce (and not apples) are called for in this gentle regimen is because the heat used to cook it helps to break down the cellulose that gives fruit its structure, so a cooked and pureed sauce is a great way to get the nutrients of plant foods when your stomach is feeling fragile. The foods in the BRAT diet also feature electrolytes, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium, which often get depleted when fluids are lost during times of illness.

Apple sauce can be a healthy baking substitute

Apple sauce is considered a pantry staple not only because it’s an easy and healthy snack, but also because you can use it as a versatile substitute for oil, eggs, and sometimes even butter in a number of recipes—though not all.

Sweet loafs, muffins, and dense cakes respond best to the apple sauce sub. If you’re a fan of chewy cookies, you can try it in those recipes, too (but know that crisp-edged cookies need butter). While most people probably won’t be able to detect even a hint of the apple flavor, the apple sauce will actually enhance the finished result. It will increase the sweetness just slightly—and the texture will be denser since eggs contribute to the fluffy texture common in baked goods.

When swapping for Thrive Market Organic Apple Sauce, follow these guidelines:

For oil: Use a 1:1 substitution
For butter: Use a 1:1 substitution
For eggs: Trade a quarter-cup of apple sauce for each egg called for in the recipe

To simply cut calories, you can also replace half of the butter or oil called for in the recipe with apple sauce.

Cooking with Thrive Market Organic Cinnamon Apple Sauce

Unsweetened, unflavored apple sauce works best as a substitute, but you can certainly experiment with cinnamon and other flavor varieties if you’re feeling creative. In particular, this slightly sweet puree works as a fantastic egg substitute because it lends moisture to recipes, like these.

Vegan Pancakes

Try it as an alternative for eggs in some of our favorite vegan pancake recipes:

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Using agave in place of honey and apple sauce instead of eggs makes these tropical flapjacks completely vegan—and completely tasty.

Pumpkin Quinoa Pancakes

The real scene stealer in this recipe is the vegan cream cheese filling, which you can slather between two of these pancakes for a delicious breakfast “sandwich.”

Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes

Chocolate lovers, take note—these flapjacks will become your new best friend. Dark chocolate is melted into the batter and coconut sugar is use to sweeten things up. Add some maple syrup on top, and you’ll have dessert that’s totally okay for breakfast.

Baked goods

Baking with apple sauce helps reduce the guilt factor of indulgent recipes by lowering calories and upping the fiber content. While it can make foods slightly denser (and more moist) than the original recipe, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can help you fill up faster, making it less likely that you’ll be tempted to go back for seconds, which is helpful if you’re trying to be mindful of portion sizes. Try it it for yourself with these Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with frosting that’s made out of veggies.

More versatile cooking options for apple sauce

Apple sauce can be used as more than a sneaky sub. Try these applications, too:

Use it to top your oatmeal or yogurt for a quick flavor boost
Serve it alongside pork chops or potato latkes for a more traditional pairing
Experiment with creating a savory version by mixing in your favorite spices or seasoning blends

More about Thrive Market products

At Thrive Market, our mission is to bring you the highest quality organic goods at truly affordable prices. That's why we've gone directly to the source to develop our own line of premium products made from the very best all-natural ingredients at a fraction of their usual price tag. Finally, you don't need to choose between cost and quality, taste and health, value and your values. If it has the Thrive Market seal, you can trust that you're getting the highest quality product possible at the lowest price anywhere. Shop our premium, organic, and fair-trade certified virgin coconut oil, spices, nuts and dried fruits, tomato sauces, ghee, and sprouted grains today!

Thrive Market, Organic Apple Sauce, Cinnamon