Learn how to make stewed apple sauce that is a great gut-friendly GAPS Diet snack that won’t spike your blood sugar.

Apple sauce is a tasty way to introduce fruit after a period of elimination. Cooked apples are easier to digest than raw apples as the fiber has been broken down. Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride creator of the GAPS Diet, recommends cooked apple as the first fruit to introduce on Stage 5 of the Introduction Diet.
The apple be combined with animal fat such as butter, ghee, lard, dark fat, or coconut oil; the fat helps keep your blood sugar balanced while eating the natural sugars found in the apple.
Stewed Apple Sauce Makes a Great Snack!
This simple recipe is a great way to boost fat intake on the GAPS Diet, enjoy it as a snack by itself or with a side of GAPS sour cream, yogurt, or fermented nuts or seeds. Make in bulk and freezer for later to always have a quick GAPS snack on hand.
My favorite type of apples to use are organic granny smith apples they have a tangy and slightly sour taste. If you find them too sour, add honey to the apple sauce to taste, or select a variety of red apples.

Ingredients
- 6 organic apples
- ½ cup butter or fat of your choice
- 2-3 tbsp filtered water
Tools you may need
- Knife and chopping board
- Peeler
- Saucepan with lid
- Immersion blender
How to Make Stewed Apple Sauce for Gut Health
Step 1: Peel the apples making sure to remove all the apple peel as this is harder to digest.

Step 2: Core and chop the apple and place it in a saucepan.
Step 3: Add filtered water to the saucepan (water needs to cover the base of the saucepan) and cover with a lid.

Step 4: Cook on medium-high until the water starts to boil then reduce to low heat. Simmer until the apple is cooked through.

Step 5: Turn off the heat, add the butter to the stewed apples, and stir to melt and combine. The apple sauce will be chunky in texture at this stage and can be eaten as is, my preference is a smooth consistency.
Step 6: Blend the apple butter mixture with an immersion blender until smooth.
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop.

Variations + Substitutions
Red Apples – You may prefer to use a variety of red apples instead of granny smith apples. Consider the sugar content in the variety that you select.
Pears – If you are not yet tolerating apples, you may be able to substitute apples with pears.
How to introduce
The sugar in the apple will feed to beneficial and pathogenic gut bacteria, so introduce slowly starting with just one tablespoon on the first, and watch digestive distress and reactions such as bloating, gas, and loose bowel movements. If you experience any of these symptoms your digestive system is not ready to tolerate apple sauce. Dr Natasha recommends waiting two weeks for symptoms to calm down and for more healing to occur before trying again.
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Stewed Apple Sauce Recipe for Gut Health

Learn how to make stewed apple sauce that is a great gut-friendly GAPS iet snack and won’t spike your blood sugar.
Ingredients
- 6 organic apples
- ½ cup butter or fat of your choice
- 2-3 tbsp filtered water
Instructions
- Peel the apples making sure to remove all the apple peel as this is harder to digest.
- Core and chop the apple and place it in a saucepan.
- Add filtered water to the saucepan (water needs to cover the base of the saucepan) and cover with a lid.
- Cook on medium-high until the water starts to boil then reduce to low heat. Simmer until the apple is cooked through.
- Turn off the heat, add the butter to the stewed apples, and stir to melt and combine. The apple sauce will be chunky in texture at this stage and can be eaten as is, my preference is a smooth consistency.
- Blend the apple butter mixture with an immersion blender until smooth.
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop.
Notes
How to introduce
The sugar in the apple will feed to beneficial and pathogenic gut bacteria, so introduce slowly starting with just one tablespoon on the first, and watch digestive distress and reactions such as bloating, gas, and loose bowel movements. If you experience any of these symptoms your digestive system is not ready to tolerate apple sauce. Dr Natasha recommends waiting two weeks for symptoms to calm down and for more healing to occur before trying again
GAPS and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.
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