Place the apples in a large saucepan with the water, lemon juice and ground cinnamon. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the temperature to low.
Let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very tender and start to break down.
Mash with a potato masher or puree the applesauce with an immersion blender or food processor.
Serve warm or chilled.
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Notes
You can use whatever varieties of apples that you like, but since we aren't adding any sugar to this sauce, you'll want to use some that are on the sweeter side. I prefer to use a combination of granny smith, gala, and honey crisp apples. This way I get sweet and tart notes in the finished sauce.
Mashing the apples by hand will give you a chunky applesauce. For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender or food processor.
If you would prefer not to peel the apples, you can cook them with the skins on. Blend the applesauce in a blender or food processor rather than mashing so that the skins are cut into smaller pieces.
Stir the applesauce occasionally as it cooks so that the apples don't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
Store your unsweetened applesauce in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
You can also freeze the applesauce in small freezer bags for up to two months.