Best Apples for Baking

Last Updated on August 24, 2024 by Jennifer Osborn

Discover the ultimate apples for baking. Which apples are perfect for pie-making or cake baking? I've got you covered.

Read more: Best Apples for Baking

Jump to:

• Choosing Apples for Pie, Tart or Cake
• Texture
• Aroma
• Sweet
• Tart
• Worst Apples for Baking
• Apple Test
• A Note About Apple Harvest Time
• Storing Apples
• How to Freeze Apples
• List of Baking Apples
• Dessert Recipes to Try
• Further reading:
• Comments

Choosing Apples for Pie, Tart or Cake

Aroma, texture, sweetness and sourness are all things to consider when choosing an apple variety destined for your oven.

Texture

Texture of course makes sense. Baking is best with firmer apples because they don't dissolve into a puddle of mush.

If an apple is soft for eating, you're not going to want to slice it and bake it for an hour, it will be mush if it hasn't completely dissolved.

The firmest apples include Granny Smith, Cortland and York Imperial.

Aroma

If you're baking with an apple that doesn't have a strong apple smell, you may end up with a pie that's more cinnamon than apple. Nothing wrong with that but just a heads up.

Apples with strong aromas include Empire, Jonathan and MacIntosh.

A Mac, however, isn't great for baking because it breaks down easily.

What's a baker to do?

Maybe bake a pie using a combination of apples, such as Granny Smith and Macintosh.

That's what Milk Street Founder Christopher Kimball has done. In his Dessert Bible, he provides a recipe for apple pie using four Granny Smith and four Macs.

The Grannies provide sturdiness and the Macs' flavor.

Sweet

You can adjust the sweetness in your tart or pie by adding sugar of course.

Golden Delicious and Red Delicious are sweet apples.

Other sweet apples include Arkansas Black, Opal, Pazazz, and Pink Lady.

Fuji, Gala and Honey Crisp are also sweet but crisp apples, making them good for snacking or baking.

Granny Smith and York Imperial are low sugar apples.

Tart

Tart or sour apples, or those high in acid, like Granny Smith, are preferred for baking.

You can always add a splash of lemon juice if you're not using an acidic apple but then your pie may taste lemony.

My mom, who makes the best apple pie, always uses Granny Smith, which is a reliably firm, crisp, low sugar, acidic apple who holds her shape in a pie crust.

You could also use Honey Crisp, Jonagold, Gravenstein, Pink Lady, Braeburn or Rhode Island Greening.

Rome Beauty, Arkansas Black, Opal, Jazz, Empire and Cortland are also good baking apples, which hold their shape.

More apple varieties recommended for baking include Winesap (isn't that a great name?), Mutsu, Sierra Beauty and Cox's Orange Pippin.

Worst Apples for Baking

The worst apples for baking are those that don't hold their shape or dissolve into mush once cooked.

These varieties include Gala and MacIntosh, which is beloved for its flavor.

Apple Test

This is a trick I learned from reading Alice Waters' Chez Panisse Fruit about how to tell whether an apple will be any good for baking or cooking.

Put a peeled wedge of apple in a small sauce pot of water and bring to a boil. Simmer until apple is tender. Poke it with a fork. Does it fall apart or hold it's shape? Taste it, is there any flavor?

How to Freeze Apples

• Peel, core and slice apples then dip into a lemon juice solution.
• Lay the apple slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and put in the freezer until the slices are frozen.
• Transfer the slices in freezer safe containers.

This is the simplest method of freezing apples if you've bought too many to use fresh before they start to turn.

There are other methods, including freezing whole, which I'm not going to get into here.

But Minnetonka Orchards is a good resource for information on freezing apples.

List of Baking Apples

Rank	Apple Variety	Characteristics for Baking
1	Granny Smith	Tart, firm, and holds shape well. Excellent for pies and crisps.
2	Honeycrisp	Sweet-tart, crisp, and maintains texture. Great for pies and tarts.
3	Jonagold	Sweet-tart with good firmness. Works well in a variety of baked goods.
4	Gravenstein	Tart and crisp, excellent for pies, tarts, and sauces. Can break down slightly in texture.
5	Pink Lady	Sweet-tart and firm, excellent for pies and crisps.
6	Braeburn	Balanced sweet-tart flavor and firm texture. Ideal for pies.
7	Rhode Island Greening	Very tart and firm, holds shape well, ideal for pies and crisps.
8	Winesap	Spicy, tangy, and firm. Excellent for baking, especially in pies and cider.
9	Mutsu (Crispin)	Sweet-tart and firm, good for pies and crisps.
10	Sierra Beauty	Balanced sweet-tart, firm texture, great for pies and crisps.
11	Cox's Orange Pippin	Complex flavor and firm texture, great for pies and tarts.
12	Rome Beauty	Mildly tart, holds shape well. Good for pies and baked dishes.
13	Arkansas Black	Very firm, mildly tart, holds shape well. Best for pies and baked goods.
14	Opal	Sweet-tart and firm, holds up well in baking.
15	Jazz	Sweet-tart with a crisp texture, holds up well in baking.
16	Empire	Sweet-tart and firm, suitable for a variety of baked recipes.
17	Cortland	Sweet-tart, holds shape fairly well, good for pies and crisps.
18	Macoun	Sweet and tender, can break down more, best for softer recipes.
19	Golden Delicious	Sweet and softer, better for recipes where apples are mixed with other ingredients.
20	McIntosh	Sweet and tender, tends to break down more, best for sauces and butters.
21	Gala	Sweet and soft, not ideal for baking as they tend to become mushy.

Dessert Recipes to Try

You might like Nellie & Joe's Famous Key Lime Pie Recipe (Just 3 Ingredients) or Butterscotch Cake or St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake (aka The Cake You Won't Stop Eating)

Further reading:

Maine Pomological Society

How Baking Works

Minnetonka Orchards