I’m excited to share the answer to Can You Use Gala Apples For Apple Crisp with you. Gala apples are an apple variety that have been a staple in the United States for several decades. These red and green apples are considered to be moderately sweet and good for baking. They are best used in a variety of baked goods, like apple crisp, cookies, cakes and pies.
THE 10 BEST APPLES FOR BAKING
Don’t leave your apple selection to chance for your next baking adventure. Here are the 10 best apples for baking, sure to hold up to the heat of your oven.
Fall baking season is finally here and, for most, that means apples will make an appearance in many desserts. Whether you make an annual trip to the orchard to pick your own or head straight to the supermarket, there’s nothing quite like the smell of a freshly baked apple pie, or a big pan of apple crisp straight out of the oven, bubbling away. But with thousands of varieties to choose from, it’s hard to know which apples should make the cut once your oven gets involved. Some are perfect for eating fresh out of hand — or perhaps with a big spoonful of peanut butter — but won’t stand up to the heat of the oven without turning to mush. Take it from experience: I once had an apple crisp that had turned into applesauce because the wrong variety was used. Still delicious? Sure, but definitely not what I had in mind. Your choice can make or break your recipe — but no need to worry, because we’ve rounded up the best apples for baking so you never have to risk a failed dessert again.
Apples certainly are good for you. They’re packed with fiber, and are cholesterol, sodium, and fat-free, not to mention delicious, too. Plus they’re available year-round; while apples are at their peak in the fall season, you can still have that apple dessert just about any time you want it.
The best apples for baking hold their structure and have a nice balance between tart and sweet. Some apples will break down a little more than others, but everything on this list is suitable for baking. Some are a little more tart or sweet, so experiment and mix and match to find the combination best suited for your tastes and your recipe. Here are our favorite varieties of apples to bake with:
GRANNY SMITH
The most recognizable — and oft-used — variety of apple for baking. It’s tart and tangy, firm and crisp, and holds its shape best when baked.
JONAGOLD
It’s the perfect blend of the Jonathan and Golden Delicious apple. We love their firm, crisp texture and sweet-tart, juicy taste — just what’s needed in a baking apple. Very versatile, they work equally well in sweet or savory dishes, and are good for eating raw, frying, roasting, or baking.
HONEYCRISP
Honeycrisp apples are perhaps the best apple to eat fresh, out of hand, but they do equally well when baked. Sweet with a hint of honey, they are crisp and firm and very versatile to use in a variety of recipes, from baking, roasting and eating raw.
BRAEBURN
Incredibly crisp, these apples have a concentrated, pear-like flavor when baked. They stay juicy and don’t turn to mush when baked, making them a great option for recipes in which you don’t want the filling to be overly juicy. Plus they have a reddish-pink exterior, streaked with yellow, which make for an extra-pretty presentation, especially when used raw.
GALA
With their crisp, mellow sweetness, Gala apples are great for baking, especially because you can typically use less sugar due to their natural sweetness. Taste the apples before adding sugar to determine how much to use.
EMPIRE
These apples have a cider-like, sweet-tart flavor and a firm texture. They are an all-purpose apple for juicing, sauces, pies, baking and adding to salads.
WINESAP
These intensely-flavored, tart and spicy apples are highly aromatic and have deep cider-like notes. They can hold up against other strong flavors (think cinnamon and other warming spices). Winesap apples are great for salads, cider-making, applesauce and adding raw to cheeseboards, as well as baking.
GOLDEN DELICIOUS
Another classic baking apple! Golden delicious apples are naturally sweet, so they require less added sugar to the recipe. The flesh of Golden Delicious doesn’t stay as firm as other varieties, so use for applesauce and apple butter, or in combination with other more crisp apples when baking.
PINK LADY
These sweet-tart apples are well-balanced with a blush-pink skin with hints of yellow and green. They make for a pretty presentation, and hold up very well to baking.
CORTLAND
A relative to the red McIntosh apple, Cortlands are crisp and juicy with a great sweet-tart taste. Their snow-white interiors don’t discolor as quickly when cut, making them great for fresh applications. But they also perform well in cakes, tarts, crisps and other baking recipes.
Easy Gala Apple Recipes: Breakfast To Dinner Is Covered! 🍎
When fall rolls around, kitchens all across the country are bursting at the seams with Gala Apple Recipes.
While there are roughly 7,500 kinds of apples, the gala apple is the most produced apple in the United States.
So what’s so special about gala apples that all the best recipes involving apples call for them?
For starters, they’re crisp, fresh, and sweet.
Gala apples carry an incredibly balanced flavor—sweet but not too sweet, and tart but not too tart.
They also have a very distinguishable appearance; they are a muted red with greenish-yellow stripes flowing from the top and middle-sized.
Aside from the flavor, the texture of a gala apple also makes this particular variety a great candidate for cooking and baking.
Gala apples are known to make the most delicious apple pies, apple sauce, and apple butter around.
They are also the featured ingredient of many other unique dessert dishes and a great addition to several dinner entrees.
From classic Apple Crisp to Apple Pie Egg Rolls to Cheddar Apple Turkey Burgers, we’ve included a little bit of everything.
In honor of all the unbelievably tasty ways we can use these delightful fruits, we’ve chosen 23 of them to highlight for you here.
1. Apple Crisp
Apple Crisp with gala apples is the crumbly luscious cousin of apple pie and apple cobbler, and it might just be our favorite fall treat.
Gala apples’ crisp yet the tender texture is the perfect match for this dessert and serves as a great base for the scoop of vanilla ice cream you simply must top it with.
2. Apple Cobbler
Speaking of apple cobbler, this recipe is one of the most delectable you’ll find, as the crust component is more of a cake batter.
It’s sweet, fluffy, warmly spiced, and right up our alley (or apple orchard).
3. Rustic Gala Apple Tart
Tarts can be tricky, but this Rustic Gala Apple Tart recipe takes the mystery out of the equation.
It provides simple instructions for the dough, and the rustic vibe of the tart makes the whole process uncomplicated yet sophisticated.
4. One Bowl Apple Cake
Homemade cakes are an art; it takes practice, time, and the perfect recipe.
After scouring through gala apple cake recipes, we think we’ve found it with this One Bowl Apple Cake.
Which are all the things a fabulous homemade cake should be: easy, moist, and heavenly.
5. Slow Cooker Fried Apples
Next time you take a trip to your local apple orchard and go a little crazy with the picking, we have the most delicious use for your bushel of gala apples: Slow Cooker Fried Apples.
These fried apples are quick for a slow cooker recipe, effortless, and can be served for breakfast, dinner, or dessert.
6. Apple Pie Egg Rolls
We’re in the business of food, and even we admit this is one of the most unique recipes using gala apples we’ve come across.
These Apple Pie Egg Rolls are crispy on the outside yet soft and warm on the inside, giving a whole new meaning to ‘melt in your mouth.’
Best Gala Apple Recipes To Try Tonight
If you like apples, then you’ve picked the perfect list! These Gala apple recipes will delight your taste buds to the core.
Crisp, floral, and just a little sweet, Galas are one of the most popular apple varieties around. They’re a universally loved fruit and are terrific for applesauce, cider, baking, or snacking.
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If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, does that include a thick slice of apple pie? How about a bowl of apple dumplings?
Either way, you’ll want to try these apple-solutely delicious Gala apple recipes.
1. Rustic French Apple Tart
Ooh-la-la, this rustic apple galette is the perfect end to an autumn dinner. Or any cozy meal, really, because when is pastry ever a bad idea?
This tart features warm and aromatic cinnamon sugar-coated apples with a hint of vanilla. The crust is buttery and flaky and oh, so delicious.
2. Homemade Apple Pie
There is nothing so quintessentially American as apple pie.
You’ll find it on the table at many get-togethers, from Thanksgiving to the 4th of July.
And what’s not to love?
Apple pie is good hot or cold, it’s sweet and full of spices, and its flaky crust and gooey filling are simply sublime.
If your family doesn’t already have a “Grandma’s Apple Pie” recipe, use this one. It’s super simple and results in the perfect pie every time.
3. Apple Muffins
Sure, blueberry and lemon poppyseed muffins are delicious, but these are about to become your favorite.
These apple muffins are moist, sweet, and filled with spiced bites of appley goodness.
If that’s not reason enough to love them, they’re also topped with a toffee pecan crunch. Yum!
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These muffins might be meant for breakfast, but they’d make a great dessert, too!
4. Cinnamon Apple Cake
This cinnamon apple cake is perfect for your next small get-together.
It’s sweet, super moist, and features a delicious cinnamon-sugar crumble topped with a milky glaze.
Best served warm; this cake is humble but luscious.
Now, all you need is good coffee and a few friends to share it with.
5. Microwave Baked Apples
Want a fast, easy, and healthy treat? This simple apple recipe is perfect for you!
All you need is butter, cinnamon, and Gala apples.
In a microwave-safe bowl, add chopped apples, cinnamon, and butter. Microwave for 2-4 minutes and voila – warm, spiced, and deliciously sweet apples.
These baked apples are great alone, on oatmeal, on pancakes, or topped with ice cream.
That might mitigate the health benefits, but it sure is good for your soul.
6. Air Fryer Apple Chips
Apple chips are the perfect snack food. They are crispy, a little chewy, and wonderfully sweet.
With the invention of the Air Fryer, this healthy snack has never been easier to make.
This recipe uses cinnamon for extra flavor, but you can use any spice you like or make them plain. Cardamom is another excellent option.