Best Apples to Bake With (2024)

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By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated September 15, 2020

Best Apples to Bake With (1)

Not all apples look, crunch, or taste the same. Neither do they bake the same! Elevate your apple game with this quick how-to guide that'll help you make the most of everyone's favorite fruit - from aromatic pies and apple crisps to soups with a delicious twist.

How do I pick the best apples?

  • Which apples bake best? For the best pies, crisps, and other baked treats, apples need to be firm enough to hold their own during the cooking process. We call these apples “baking apples” and to namedrop, they include Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin. Try mixing a variety of baking apples to take the flavor of your pie to whole new depths.
  • Let's think beyond a pie! Use fewer firm apples for cakes and sauces. Red Delicious, McIntosh, and Golden Delicious apples tend to break down faster when they bake, making them perfect for your alternative treats.
  • How do I know what apple to choose? The best apples are the ones that are in season. Out-of-season apples have been kept in storage, which affects their freshness, crispness, and juiciness.
    • Look for firm apples with no bruises or bug holes.
    • Unripe apples will be overly hard and too green or yellow for their variety.
    • Fresh, ripe apples will have a strong apple aroma.

Best Apples to Bake With (2)

How many apples do I need?

  • The more the merrier! The general rule is that about 5-6 sliced or chopped apples make for a perfect 9inch pie. Try Betty’s Scrumptious Apple Pie—this recipe calls for eight of your favorite tart apples.
  • How many apples do I need for most crisps? You will need 4 to 6 cups of sliced apples. 4 cups work well for 8-inch baking dishes and 6 cups are perfect for 13x9 pans.
  • How do I convert whole apples to cups? It’s easy! Just remember:
    • 2 to 2 1/2 cups chopped or sliced apples are equivalent to 3 medium apples, or about 1 pound.
    • 3 medium apples are roughly equivalent to 2 large apples or 4 small apples.

Best Apples to Bake With (3)

How should apples be stored?

  • Refrigerate apples for full flavor and crunch.
  • Keep the temperature between 32-40F degrees.
  • To prevent drying, store in perforated plastic bags or containers that allow airflow.
  • Apples keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. No pressure!

How should I prepare my apples before I start cooking or baking?

  • Wash and peel your apples. An apple's skin becomes tough during cooking and it will not break down.
  • Use a vegetable peeler, instead of a knife. It’s faster and removes less flesh.
  • Cut peeled apples into fourths to easily remove the core.
  • Toss cut pieces with water and lemon juice to prevent browning.
  • Use overripe or bruised apples for sauce, like our Slow-Cooker Apple Butter or our Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce.

Best Apples to Bake With (4)

Best Apples to Bake With (5)

Ready to try a few of Betty’s best apple recipes? We’d love to know what you decide to bake. So, once you've made it, share it!

Apple recipes to make while the season is ripe

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Best Apples to Bake With (2024)

FAQs

Best Apples to Bake With? ›

For the best pies, crisps, and other baked treats, apples need to be firm enough to hold their own during the cooking process. We call these apples “baking apples

baking apples
A cooking apple or culinary apple is an apple that is used primarily for cooking, as opposed to a dessert apple, which is eaten raw. Cooking apples are generally larger, and can be tarter than dessert varieties. Some varieties have a firm flesh that does not break down much when cooked.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Cooking_apple
” and to namedrop, they include Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith
Granny Smith
The Granny Smith, also known as a green apple or sour apple, is an apple cultivar that originated in Australia in 1868. It is named after Maria Ann Smith, who propagated the cultivar from a chance seedling.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Granny_Smith
, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin
.

Which apples are best for baking? ›

Best Sweet Apples for Baking:
  • Jazz.
  • Pazazz.
  • Honeycrisp.
  • Pink Lady.
  • Jonagold.
  • Fuji.
  • Rome.
Sep 6, 2023

Are Gala apples good for baking? ›

Gala: If you want extra sweetness without the soft texture, choose Gala apples for your pie. As with Golden Delicious apples, bakers sometimes reduce the sugar in their recipes due to this variety's extra-sweet flavor.

Is Honeycrisp a good baking apple? ›

Honeycrisp. One of the sweetest apples around, this Midwestern favorite is good for anything—including baking. It boasts a distinctive juicy crispness and is firm enough that it won't cook down much. It complements just about any other apple variety to make a stellar pie.

What are the best apples for apple crisp? ›

What Makes A Good Apple For Apple Crisp? The best apples for baking keep their structure under heat, which prevents the chunks of fruit from turning into mush after baking. The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps.

What kind of apples are best for baking pies? ›

Our favorite apple pie recipe calls for Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Golden Delicious apples, or a mix of all three. Honeycrisp apples err on the sweeter side, with a distinct honey-like flavor; Braeburns toe the line between sweet and tart; and Gold Delicious apples intensify in flavor when baked.

What is a Gala apple good for? ›

Gala's have a golden yellow and red exterior with a slightly yellow interior color. They have a mildly sweet flavor and crisp texture. Known as a good snacking apple they are also good for baking, juicing and freezing.

What apples should not be used for apple pie? ›

There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

Which is better, gala or Honeycrisp? ›

Gala apples have a sweet flavor, a good crunch and has been the top apple at Kauffman's Fruit Farm for a few years. Yet Clair Kauffman, orchard manager, can see other apples soon rising to the top. Take the Honeycrisp, which has a more complex flavor than a Gala, he says.

Which types of apples are best for making applesauce? ›

For a basic applesauce, use McIntosh and Golden Delicious apples. Golden Delicious is a soft apple variety with a mellow flavor, so it cooks down easily and provides a great foundation for your applesauce. McIntosh apples are slightly tart and crisp, but soften easily, making them a stellar choice for pies and sauces.

What are the best apples for apple tarts? ›

The results are way more delicate and not as sweet as a shortbread shell, but provides the perfect base for our apples. The best apples for an apple tart: We're partial to Granny Smith, Honeycrip, and Gala, but you can really use any baking apple that you prefer in this recipe!

Are ever crisp apples good for baking? ›

The EverCrisp® is an apple that is flavorful, juicy and crisp, and can weather unpredictable winters. It has dense flesh and light crispness and juiciness, combining the best features of its parent varieties, the Honeycrisp and Fuji. While it is an great snack, its firmness makes it an ideal apple for baking.

Are sugar bee apples good for baking? ›

SugarBee® apples are great for baking. Their crisp and firm texture holds up well when cooked, and their touch of acidy will balance the sweetness of any baked good.

What are the best baking apples? ›

For the best pies, crisps, and other baked treats, apples need to be firm enough to hold their own during the cooking process. We call these apples “baking apples” and to namedrop, they include Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin.

What is the most crisp and sweet apple? ›

Fuji. Due to their low acidity, these ultra-sweet, crispy and juicy apples are a go-to choice for snacking and baking, as well as homemade baby food or apple butters.

Are pink lady apples good for baking? ›

Why Are Pink Lady® Apples Good for Baking? Pink Lady® apples make such great baked apples because of the natural sweetness you get in every apple. The juicy fizz you get from Pink Lady® apples is intensified when baked, giving you delicious results every time.

Are red or green apples better for baking? ›

Statement two says red apples are better for baking, and that statement is false. Green apples, like Granny Smith apples, have a much denser texture. That makes them better able to withstand high heat. So green apples are preferred when apples are used for baking.

What is the difference between baking apples and regular apples? ›

In general, eating apples tend to be softer in texture and sweeter, while baking apples tend more toward firm, crisp, and tart. "The most noticeable thing if you use a non-baking apple for a baking project will be the texture," says Erin Jeanne McDowell, author of The Book on Pie.

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