Honeycrisp Apples are good for baking and for eating out-of-hand. While Honeycrisp apples belong to the same family as Macintosh, Jonagold, and Rome varieties. They contain more nutrients, less sugar, and fewer calories than other apples. It is also the best apple for snacking or fresh eating. This apple variety is rich in antioxidants and contains vitamins A and C. Honeycrisp apples are ideal for preparing pies and cakes.
Nothing says “home” like the smell of apple pie baking in the oven. Apples are a traditional ingredient for making apple pie and are used in most recipes in place of fresh apples. One apple taken from the whole fruit might not make a difference to the flavor, but several applets are needed to build flavor.
If you’re baking an apple pie or simply looking for a new variety of apples to try, then this guide is perfect for you. There are so many different apples out there and it can be difficult to choose the right one. Keep reading to discover more about the best apples for baking apple pie as well as the health benefits of apples.
Related Post: Yummy Apple Desserts
Honeycrisp Apples Good For Baking
Learn how to choose the best honey crisp apples good for a baking variety for your recipe based on flavor and texture. Plus, get our best apple-picking tricks and storage tips. Everything You Need to Know About Apples. Apples are a versatile fruit and a top pick for healthy snacks, savory dishes, and sweet treats. Come along as Matthew teaches us about the numerous types of apples and the various ways that they can be used to add extra nutrients to your diet.
Not all apples are created equal. They come in many flavors and textures and react to heat in different ways. That’s why the apples you choose to cook and bake with can make or break your dish. Read on to learn which apples are suited for your recipes.
Comparing Apples to Apples
With so many varieties of apples to choose from — more than 2,500 in the United States alone — no wonder it’s challenging to know which apple to use for what kind of recipe. Let’s compare some of the most popular commercially available apples to help you sort out which ones are the best apples for apple pie, the best apples for applesauce, the best apples for all-purpose baking, and more.
Braeburn
Braeburns have a sweet-tart flavor, with a texture that remains firm when it’s baked. An all-purpose apple, it works well in pies and tarts where you don’t want the filling to be overly juicy.
Related Post: Vegan Apple Desserts
Cortland
Cortlands are juicy and slightly tart, with bright red skin and snowy white flesh. They are a terrific for baking apples: Great apples for pies, cobblers, and crisps. When sliced, Cortlands are excellent for salads and cheese plates, as the flesh doesn’t brown and discolor quickly.
Empire
Empires are a cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious apples. Firm-textured and sweet-tart, the Empire is a fine all-purpose apple good for juice, sauce, pies, baking, salads, eating fresh, and drying.
Fuji
Firm, crisp, and juicy, Fuji apples are among the most popular apples for eating fresh, but they’re also great for baking, as they hold their shape when they cook.
Gala
A crisp, sweet apple with a mild flavor, Galas have yellow-orange skin with red striping. They’re among the best apples for applesauce, salads, eating out-of-hand, and pressing into cider.
Golden Delicious
The Golden Delicious is sweet, with a rich, mellow flavor. It is one of the best all-around cooking apples, as it maintains its shape after baking.
Granny Smith
One of the most popular tart apples, Granny Smiths are crisp and quite sour. They’re a good all-purpose cooking apple, and their flavor is enhanced when paired with sweeter, spicier apples in pies and crisps.
Gravenstein
Gravensteins come in red or yellow varieties, with a sweet-tart flavor and firm texture. They’re excellent apples for eating fresh as well as baking, cooking down into applesauce, and pressing into cider. They have a very short season and don’t keep well, so snap them up when you see them at a farmers’ market or farm stand.
Honeycrisp
Developed in Minnesota, Honeycrisps are fantastic for eating apples. As the name indicates, they are crisp and juicy, with a honey-sweet and tart flavor. Honeycrisps are also good for baking and applesauce.
Related Post: gooey apple crumble
Ida Red
A very old variety, Ida Reds have a tangy flavor and a flesh that is sometimes tinted a rosy pink. Ida Red apples make beautiful applesauce: cook the apples with the skins on and strain the sauce to get the best pink color. Ida Reds keep their shape during baking and are also excellent in salads and for freezing.
Jonagold
A blend of Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples, Jonagolds have a tangy-sweet flavor. With a yellow-green base and a blush stripe, is excellent both for eating fresh and for cooking.
Jonathan
Jonathans are quite tart, with a rich, slightly spicy apple flavor. They hold their shape well when baked. They are also good in salads and for applesauce.
Macoun
Sweet and aromatic, Macouns are excellent for snacking, in salads and for sauce. With bright red skin and juicy white flesh, they make an attractive apple on a cheese plate.
McIntosh
A classic bright red apple with green undertones, juicy, crisp McIntoshes tend to break down when cooked. They are delicious eaten out of hand or in sauce and are best paired with Golden Delicious or other apples in pies and other baked goods.
Related Post: Gluten Apple Crumble
Best Apples for Baking
You have your heart set on making the most adorable mini mason jar apple pies. But once you’re in the produce section, you’re suddenly swimming in a sea of apples and can’t decide which is best to use. In order to pick the best apples for baking, you need to know which apples are best for baking. Honeycrisp?
Fuji? It can’t be Golden Delicious, right? Woo, deep breaths—your dessert dream is still within reach. Here, are the best apples for baking.
1. HONEYCRISP
She’s sweet, versatile, available basically everywhere, and super crunchy. What’s not to like? This apple’s skin is a gorgeous sunset of red and yellow, but it tastes even better in dessert thanks to its ridiculously crisp texture. It’s killer in tarts, pies, bars, dumplings, applesauce, and just about any baked treat. Honeycrisps are at peak deliciousness from September to November but are typically available year-round.
2. GRANNY SMITH
These green gems are famous for their bright tartness and juiciness. As it turns out, tart, firm apples like these (plus Empire and Cortland apples), hold their shape wonderfully in the oven under a layer of pie crust. A mix of sweet and tart apples is ideal for desserts like pie, but feel free to just follow your heart (er, tummy) if you want to go all-tart. Their skin is a bit thicker than some other less-firm choices, so feel free to peel before baking. Granny Smiths are typically harvested in mid-October, but you’ll always see them in the produce section.
3. PINK LADY
Isn’t she gorgeous? Also called Cripps Pink apples, these ruby cuties are prime for everything from bread to pie to cake. They’ll stay firm after a stint in the oven and offer both acidity and sweetness to desserts, not to mention distinct tannic notes. Their signature crisp, almost fizzy bite is also super refreshing when eaten raw. Pink Lady apples are typically harvested in late fall and available through spring. Don’t bother peeling their rosy skin before baking with them.
Related Post: Apple Date Crisp
4. GOLDEN DELICIOUS
These sunny picks are sweet but balanced with buttery undertones. Since they break down easily when baked (like Red Delicious and McIntosh varieties), use them in applesauce, preserves, apple butter, cake or any recipe that won’t benefit from the slices maintaining their shape and texture. They’re harvested from September through October, but odds are you’ll see them year-round at the supermarket. If these yellow beauties are your favorite, try Jonagold apples next.
5. FUJI
You love ’em straight out of the fridge, but they can have a whole new life in your favorite baking dish. They’re sweet, juicy and firm with red skin, and—best of all—they’re not mealy at all. Pies, crisps and baked goods in general call for firm apples, and these will definitely hold their own against the oven and additional wet ingredients. Fuji apples ripen late in apple season, so you’ll most likely see them on shelves come November or December.
6. WINESAP
Search for these sweet-and-sour cuties when you have a baking project or cider-making on the brain. They’re crisp and sturdy but packed with lots of winey, aromatic juice. Their flavor is pretty robust and complex, so they’re great for recipes that call for cranberries, plums, or lots of spices. Keep an eye out for them at a local orchard or grocery store come mid-fall or early winter. If you’re all about the combo of sweet and sour in pie, cider, or applesauce, try Newtown Pippin apples too. Rome Beauties are also great for baking and cider.
Related Post: angel food with pineapple
Best Apples for Baking Apple Pie
Anyone who’s tried Ree Drummond’s Dreamy Apple Pie knows just how blissful it can be—the flaky pie crust, the streusel topping, and, of course, the sweet sweet apples inside. But if you’re new to baking or you just want to perfect your favorite pie recipes, you might be wondering: what are the best apples for making apple pie? After all, there are so many different apple varieties out there—some are great for apple pie and others, not so much. We all know the kind of apples we like to eat, but when it comes to baking, you’ll want to check out the list below for the 12 best apples for apple pie.
Whether you’re shopping for apples at your local farmers’ market or picking your own at an apple orchard, one of the most important things to know is that the apple you choose should be firm enough for baking. That means it won’t turn to mush in the oven. The flavor is also an important factor. You want an apple that’s not too tart and has just the right amount of sweetness. Still not sure which to choose? You can mix and match varieties to get a perfect balance. For instance, these apple pie bars use both Granny Smith (which are tart) and Honey Crisp (which are sweet) for the ultimate apple dessert.
Crispin
This apple (sometimes called Mutsu) is similar to a Golden Delicious, and it has the same tart-sweetness that’s nicely balanced. And as you can guess from the name, it’s also great for holding its crisp when baked.
Honey Crisp
Honey Crisp apples are nice and sweet, and they’re a fan favorite in apple pie. They’re also relatively firm and hold their shape well when baked, making it the perfect combination of flavor and texture. With Honey Crisp apples, you’ll get nice clean slices of pie without too much juice. Looking for another use for Honey Crisp apples? Ree loves using them for her Apple Peanut Butter Delights.
Granny Smith
These green-skinned apples are Ree’s favorite pick for apple pie. Their signature tart flavor is delicious on its own, but if you prefer a pie that’s a little sweeter, Granny Smith apples are great when paired with some of the sweeter apples on this list. They’re even delicious when combined with sweet pears, which is why Ree uses them in her recipe for Apple-Pear Pie. Bonus: Granny Smiths are easy to find year-round, so you can get your pie fix whenever the mood strikes!
Related Post: air fryer apple crisp
Gala
Gala apples have a nice mellow sweetness to them and they don’t get too soft in the oven. They’re a great multi-purpose apple and a delicious pick for apple pie. Best of all, this variety of apples is usually available year-round. Look for the red and yellow striped apples at most grocery stores and farmers’ markets.
Pink Lady
We love Pink Lady apples: They have a nice, rosy color (hence the name!) and they’re super crisp, so they’re ideal for getting that picture-perfect slice of pie. Pink Lady apples have a sweet-tart flavor that’s refreshing when eaten raw as a snacking apple, but that also works well in baked goods.
Golden Delicious
Golden Delicious apples stand out on the shelf thanks to their sunny yellow color, and you can usually find them throughout the year. These apples are pretty mild in their flavor, so they work well in pies that have some extra sweetness and spice. Unlike Granny Smith apples, Golden Delicious apples tend to break down more when cooked, so they’re a good choice to combine with other firmer apples on this list.
Northern Spy
These large, round apples aren’t always readily available throughout the year, but when they are, they’re one of the very best for pie! They have a mostly sweet, very lightly tart flavor and they’re nice and firm. Look for them in the later months of fall and you’ll be baking an apple pie for all the cold-weather holidays.
Jonagold
Jonagold apples are a cousin of Golden Delicious and they have some of the same pretty golden hues in their skin. They’re a nice mix of sweet and tart, so they work well on their own in a pie. The firm-fleshed apple is a great choice for baking in all forms. They’re mostly found at farmer’s markets during apple season.
Related Post: how to freeze apples
Braeburn
Braeburn apples are perfectly balanced: not too sweet and not too tart! They have a unique flavor that’s almost citrusy and spiced but turns deliciously sweet when cooked. They’re great for baking because they release very little liquid when baked, so your pie won’t be too runny.
McIntosh
This classic fall apple has soft white flesh and sweet flavor that’s hard to beat. They’re actually better for snacking on and making applesauce than pie—it can get mushy pretty quickly. If you love the flavor of McIntosh apples and have a lot of them, try mixing them with a firmer variety, like a Pink Lady or a Honey Crisp for pie.
Cortland
These apples don’t brown as quickly as other varieties—you can slice them and set them aside while you roll out your dough. Cortland apples have a very sweet, slightly tart flavor that’s similar to McIntosh and works well when baked in an apple pie. Look for the large, often flat-shaped, apples throughout the fall season.
Health Benefits of Apples
Apples are full of nutrients and minerals that can improve your overall health. While you might assume apples are just sugary fruits, they are among the most nutrient-packed foods here on Earth.
The health benefits of apples are going to amaze you. Apples provide relief from heart disease, cancer and arthritis and help keep asthma away. Apples contain fiber that aids your digestion and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels and regulates your blood sugar levels.
1. Apples May Lower High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
Savor a juicy apple and you may help keep your ticker healthy in the process. “Studies have linked apple consumption with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, which may be related to the cholesterol-lowering benefits of the soluble fiber found in apples,” says Anzlovar.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material, according to Mayo Clinic.
According to the University of Illinois, soluble fiber helps prevent cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls, therefore lowering the incidence of atherosclerosis (restricted blood flow in the arteries due to plaque buildup) and heart disease. It can also help lower blood pressure levels: One past review found that a higher intake of soluble fiber was associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Past research shows that eating apples (or pears) regularly was associated with a 52 percent lower stroke risk. Furthermore, a study published in February 2020 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating two apples a day helped study participants lower both their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
2. Eating Foods With Fiber, Including Apples, Can Aid Digestion
You’ve likely heard that fiber is good for digestion — and what you’ve heard is true! According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, both types of fiber (soluble and insoluble, which means it can’t be absorbed in water) are important for digestion. And you’re in luck — apples have both types, according to the University of Illinois.
Soluble fiber helps slow down digestion, allowing you to feel full, and also slows the digestion of glucose, which helps control your blood sugar. Meanwhile, insoluble fiber can help move food through your system and aid with constipation and regularity, per Harvard.
Be sure to eat the apple skin, which contains much of the apple’s insoluble fiber, according to the University of Illinois.
Related Post: taffy apple salad
3. Apples Can Support a Healthy Immune System
Who doesn’t want a stronger immune system going into autumn? Apples can be an important tool in your immune-supporting tool kit.
According to past research in animals, a diet filled with soluble fiber helped convert immune cells that were pro-inflammatory into anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting ones. Another animal study, published in May 2018 in the journal Immunity, found that a diet high in dietary fiber helped protect mice against the flu. (It’s not clear whether these effects would occur in humans, though.)
Still, there’s reason to believe that apples may bolster immunity, in part because they contain immune-boosting vitamin C. One past large review found that regular consumption of vitamin C plays many roles in helping the immune system function. For example, it can help strengthen the epithelial (a type of tissue) barrier against pathogens and guard against environmental oxidative stress, such as pollution and radiation, according to past research.
4. Apples Are a Diabetes-Friendly Fruit
If you have type 2 diabetes, consider adding apples to your diet. Sure, they’re a fruit, but it’s a common misconception that people with diabetes can’t eat fruit.
In this case, apples’ soluble fiber can help slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and may improve blood sugar levels, Mayo Clinic notes. Plus, per Mayo, a healthy diet that includes insoluble fiber can lower your odds of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place.
Furthermore, a study of people with type 2 diabetes, published in August 2016 in Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, found that regularly consuming soluble fiber helped reduce insulin resistance and improved blood sugar and triglyceride levels.
5. The Antioxidants in Apples May Play a Role in Cancer Prevention
While there’s no one surefire way to prevent cancer, apples may help play a role in fighting off these diseases. “Apples may reduce the risk of certain cancers, which researchers speculate is related to the antioxidants found in apples,” says Anzlovar. Past research suggests that apples are high in antioxidants, and in laboratory studies, these antioxidants have been shown to limit cancer cell growth.
A review published in October 2016 in Public Health Nutrition found that eating apples regularly is associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers, including colorectal, oral cavity, esophageal, and breast cancers.
The fiber in apples may provide cancer-preventing perks. A study published in March 2016 in the journal Pediatrics found that women who ate more high-fiber foods during adolescence and young adulthood (especially lots of fruits and vegetables) had a lower breast cancer risk later in life.
And another study, published in January 2019 in the journal The Lancet, found that a diet high in dietary fiber could help protect against colorectal cancer and breast cancer, as well as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.