Let me share all you need to know about the best apples for baking! Learn which apple varieties are ideal for baking, and why their texture, flavor, and level of sweetness matters. You’ll find my top choices below, and why I reach for a combination!
It’s no secret that apples are a perennial favorite in a baker’s kitchen.
Apples are undoubtedly juicy and delicious, are easy to come by year round, and they can be used in a variety of sweet and savory recipes, from classic apple pie to sausage & herb stuffing.
Whether you’re whipping up this easy apple cake or apple cinnamon muffins, or something more time consuming like a salted caramel apple pie, you may be wondering…
Which are the best apples for baking?
The Texture of the Apple Matters
You want apples that hold their shape while baking, instead of cooking down into mush. (Use those for making applesauce and apple butter!) Let’s go ahead and compare apples to apples. Literally.
Look for an apple variety that’s known for its crisp, firm texture. On the crisp-crunchy end of the spectrum, you’ll find:
- Honeycrisp
- Jazz
- Pazazz
- Braeburn
- Jonagold
- Pacific Rose
- Pink Lady
- Fuji
- Pinata
- SugarBee
- SweeTango
- Granny Smith
These are all excellent choices for baking.
You’ll want to avoid soft, mealy, or creamy-flesh apples like Red Delicious, Gala, and McIntosh. They will soften up too quickly in the baking process, and therefore do not provide ideal texture.
For Best Results, Use a Combination of Apples
For depth of flavor, it’s best to bake with a mix of tart and sweet apples. Whether I’m making individual apple crumbles or apple cinnamon bread, I like to use both tart and sweet apples in the recipe.
Best Tart Apples for Baking:
- Granny Smith (in my opinion, this is the best overall apple for baking)
- Braeburn (a sweet-tart variety)
- Jonathan
- Pacific Rose
- Cortland (slightly tart)
Best Sweet Apples for Baking:
- Jazz
- Pazazz
- Honeycrisp
- Pink Lady
- Jonagold
- Fuji
- Rome
- SweeTango
- SugarBee
Again, using a combination of both sweet and tart apples will give your baked good an interesting depth of flavor. So if you need 4 apples for your recipe, use 2 tart and 2 sweet.
If you only want to grab ONE type of apple, I would recommend Granny Smith.
All of the apples listed above are wonderful for cooking and baking. If I had to highlight a small handful, these would be my particular favorites/top choices:
Granny Smith (Tart)
Granny Smiths are typically my go-to apple for baking, so I’ll always have them on hand during the fall months. Their tart, citrusy flavor make them perfect for sweet baked goods, where there’s sugar in the recipe. I love using these for homemade caramel apples, too.
Braeburn (Slightly Tart)
Braeburn apples have a classic, sharp apple flavor. They’re not as tart as Granny Smith, but they hold their shape very well when cooked.
Honeycrisp (Sweet)
Who doesn’t love biting into a fresh Honeycrisp apple? They’re extra juicy and very crisp with a honey-sweet flavor that translates wonderfully into baked goods. AND they are the star of the show in my Honeycrisp apple sangria.
Pink Lady (Sweet)
These are sweet-tart, crisp, and very firm apples that hold shape beautifully in pies. Because they hold shape so well, I usually use them when I make baked apples. They’re also known as Cripps Pink.
Jazz (Sweet)
These are my favorite sweet apples for baking! They’re crisp and firm, with a mildly tangy flavor. I usually bake apple pies with a mix of Granny Smiths and Jazz or Pink Lady apples.
How to Prep Apples for Baking
If the apple recipe you’re using includes a step for peeling (not all do!), you’ll need an apple peeler.
- Apple Peeler: I use and love this peeler for everyday use. But if you’re planning to bake with a LOT of apples, you may want to invest in a Johnny Apple Peeler, which peels, cores, and slices the apples.
Do you peel around the apple in one long strip, or straight down it in lots of short little strips? True story: Once when we were all baking in the kitchen together, two of my team members actually had a “peel-off” contest to see whose method was faster… and they tied! (Though the long spiraling ribbon was much more beautiful than the little strips, if you’re going for the Prettiest Apple Peel in the Compost Bin award. LOL.)
Some recipes don’t require peeling the apples at all. If a recipe calls for shredded apples—like morning glory muffins—a simple box grater is all you need.
One last tip: Pay attention to whether the recipe calls for slicing the apples or chopping the apples into chunks. For apple pie and apple cobbler, I recommend slices, as uniform as you can make them, about 1/4 inch thick. For apple crisp, I prefer chunks because they easily fit onto a spoon.
Best Apples for Baking: 20 Favorite Apple Recipes
The Best Apple Cobbler I’ve Ever Had
Sweet spiced apples are blanketed with a soft, fluffy topping in this comforting, homestyle cinnamon apple cobbler. Give the apple filling a quick pre-cook on the stove, and then top with an easy batter that comes together in 1 bowl.
Apple Cider Spice Bread
This is a recipe from Sally’s Baking 101 cookbook! You’ll find it on page 213.
Skillet Apple Cider Chicken (Quick & Easy)
This ultra-flavorful apple cider chicken is made in just 1 skillet and is ready in about 35 minutes. Pair with green beans and rice for a well-rounded, wholesome meal that the entire family will love.
Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie
Underneath a delicious brown sugar and oat crumble topping you’ll find layers of sweet spiced apples and juicy tart cranberries… all atop a perfectly buttery and flaky pie crust.
Easy Apple Cake Recipe
Soft and tender with a stick-to-your-fork moist crumb and juicy apples in every bite, this cake is delicious plain, topped with buttery brown sugar glaze, or even a quick dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
Healthy Apple Muffins
These healthy apple muffins are wonderfully wholesome and soft, and you’ll appreciate that they’re made without any refined sugar. This recipe is my go-to choice when I’m looking for an easy and quick healthy muffin.
Apple Cinnamon Bread
This apple cinnamon quick bread is buttery moist and cake-like with plenty of apples dotted in each slice and dreamy pockets of sweet cinnamon swirl throughout. It’s great for breakfast, with afternoon tea, or even for dessert.
Classic Apple Crisp Recipe
Featuring warm gooey cinnamon apples and a brown sugar oat topping, this comfort food classic takes half the time and effort of traditional apple pie. You only need a handful of basic ingredients to make this classic fall dessert.
Brown Butter Apple Blondies
These brown butter apple blondies are wildly popular each fall—and for good reason! They’re soft and chewy, chock-full of cinnamon-spiced apples, and topped with an irresistible brown butter icing.
Apple Cinnamon Scones
Full of quintessential fall flavors, these scones are buttery soft with flaky centers, crisp-crumbly edges, and loaded with bits of sweet-tart juicy apples. Crunchy coarse sugar and caramel sauce are the perfect finishing touches.
Baked Apple Cider French Toast
Apples, challah bread (or your favorite loaf), brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and apple cider come together in one incredible make-ahead breakfast dish. It’s great for a crowd and can be served with maple syrup or salted caramel for an extra-sweet start to any autumn morning.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Made with a shortbread crust, spiced apple filling, streusel topping, and homemade salted caramel sauce, these apple pie bars are everything we know and love about traditional apple pie, but in a handheld bar form. Much simpler to make, too!
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
Loaded with fresh apple flavor and plenty of warm spices, these soft and chewy apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies are absolutely perfect for the fall season.
My Favorite Apple Pie
With a mountain of gooey cinnamon apples nestled under a perfectly buttery and flaky pie crust, this is most certainly my favorite apple pie recipe. To bring out the best apple flavor and texture, pre-cook the filling for about 5 minutes on the stove.
