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 Muffins
These apple cider spice muffins have deep apple flavor and a moist texture thanks to a triple-dose of apple: apple cider, applesauce, and shredded apple. A medley of warming spices shines through, while a roll in cinnamon-sugar adds the sweetest touch.
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 Turnovers (Puff Pastry)
These are extra flaky puff pastries stuffed with apple cinnamon filling. Today’s apple turnovers come together with homemade puff pastry dough, gooey rich apple filling, and a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce on top. You can skip the from-scratch dough and use store-bought puff pastry if desired.
Apple Cinnamon Babka
This apple cinnamon babka features sweet apples and a thick cinnamon filling twisted inside a rich and buttery yeasted dough. Finish the indulgent loaf with a buttery brown sugar cinnamon crumble topping and bake until golden brown. This is a must-try recipe and it’s impossible not to love!
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.
Apple Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
Comforting flavors like nutmeg and cinnamon dot each bite of these moist and flavorful apple cupcakes. The tiny and tender pieces of tart Granny Smith apples hiding inside melt in your mouth. Rich, fudge-like salted caramel frosting is the perfect finishing touch and if you’re up for accessorizing, add a drizzle of salted caramel sauce, too.
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.
Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins
These apple cinnamon muffins start with an easy muffin batter that’s flavored with cinnamon, brown sugar, and plenty of juicy apples. Enjoy the muffins plain or top them with crumb topping before baking and smooth vanilla icing before serving.
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.
Glazed Apple Bundt Cake
Tender and moist homemade apple Bundt cake smothered in a buttery brown sugar glaze. Your new favorite cake for the crisp fall weather.
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 buttery flaky homemade pie crust.
Apple Upside Down Cake
This is a fall must-make! Combining a soft cinnamon-spiced cake with buttery caramelized apples, we’re essentially getting two desserts in one.
Apple Crumb Cake
This is buttery-soft breakfast cake with warm cinnamon apples and DOUBLE the crumb topping! A fall indulgence.
Apple Cider Spice Bread
This is a recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101. You’ll find it on page 213!
Reader Comments and Reviews
I really like Winesap apples as a more tart apple. I can only get them at the orchard here in KY though.
Love this guide! Granny Smiths are always my go-to for that tart bite, but mixing them with Honeycrisp or Fuji really does take pies and crumbles to the next level. Source on https://bizknowledges.com/
Hi! I have a large bag of cosmic crisp apples, would these work for baking? Thinking about making an apple crisp.
Hi Sara, cosmic crisp apples have a firm texture which makes them great for baking. Let us know how you like the apple crisp!
Sally,
Your new cookbook is beautiful and inviting. I am inspired to get busy baking! Thanks for your hard work on this project
Hi Sally! These recipes look scrumptious. I’ve printed out pretty much all of them (old school), but the apple upside down cake shows nothing but the photo and not the recipe (cruel, Sally, cruel!) 🙂 And of course that’s the one I wanted most of all. Thanks for sharing all of these.
Thank you so much for pointing that out, Carol! Just fixed that link. So glad you love these recipes!
For years I have made my apple pie with a combination of granny Smith, honeycrisp and pink lady. It gives it so much more flavor! People always ask what I do that makes it taste so much better than normal apple pie. To me, it almost has an apple cider flavor
Never have understood the love of Granny Smith apples. I think they taste awful. Cortlands are my choice, for eating and for baking.
Do you think I could use Whitney crabapples as a tart apple? I made muffins with them years ago (didn’t peel) but am wondering how they would do in crisps etc
Hi Annie, we haven’t baked with those before but if you have you can certainly use them!
Hi Sally, I just purchased your latest cookbook. I’m wondering what cookbook these recipes come from as I’d be interested in purchasing it.
Hi Granny, the Classic Apple Pie, Apple Cider Spice Bread, and the Apple Cinnamon Muffins are all in Sally’s Baking 101! The other apple recipes listed here are exclusive to the website.
apple recipes are my favorite and i try to bake with whatever i have at hand but anything apple ill try thanks sally
The apple recipes sound wonderful! I will try some of them soon.
Are these recipes in your “Baking 101 cookbook “ ?
Hi Beatrice, the Classic Apple Pie, Apple Cider Spice Bread, and the Apple Cinnamon Muffins are all in Sally’s Baking 101!
These are such great recipes. I really appreciate the extra help your a blessing
I prefer Haralson apples for baking. I was surprised to not see this one on the list.
I love apples! Have you ever tried a Cosmic Crisp apple? I’m curious of your opinion.
Hi Sally, I may have tried one in recent years, but they are very hard to find in my area!
My good friend recently introduced me to your recipes and I haven’t stop checking them out. We made the apple galette and oh my goodness it was amazing. Question for you is what do you think about Gravenstein apples? I don’t hear much mention of them anymore, either in the grocery stores or anywhere else. We went to an Gravenstein apple fair . It’s what we used on the galette and also made really good applesauce. Heading to Apple Hill this weekend. Thank you for the great recipes!
Hi Kathy, it’s been years since I baked with these. They are very hard to find. But they’re an apple I would consider tart, and if you can have them, they would be excellent to use in baking as a tart apple.
Hi Sally, you should try Swedish Apple Pie, it is a great alternative sometimes.
Absolutely true & much easier than baking an apple pie….as much as I love them, also.
Here in New England we have access to many different kinds of apple. Early season I use Duchess of Oldenburg (tart), Gravenstein, and Williams Pride for pies, breads, and crisps and brown bettys. Gravenstein and Williams Pride are semi-tart. I often use several kinds in one recipe. Later in the season I use R.I. Greening, Northern Spy, Cortland and/or Baldwin. Williams Pride is also a great eating apple. Macoun is a great eating apple, but also works well mixed with one of the tart ones in pies. My local apple orchard grows over 50 kinds. So the choice is outstanding.
I found the recipe (muffins) I was looking for to take to a block party. I also read all the reviews, tips, etc. and want to add a “favorite apple” comment. Surprised I didn’t see yellow delicious on any list. I know they are probably not as crisp, but have a wonder flavor. My favorite pie apple!
Just received your best apples for Fall baking newsletter. Hard to believe I have received all the wonderful images along with delicious sounding recipes … for free. What a gift! I look forward to trying out many of your wonderful creations. Thank you!
Happy baking, Jacqueline!
Would love to receive this too! How do I get it?
Hi Deb, if you sign up for our email list, you’ll get everything!
I love all your recipes!! All the tips and do’s and don’t. I read every recipe, whether I’m going to bake or cook them. I have learned so much about baking and cooking from you. Thank you so very much for all the help you have given me! Donna B
Hi Donna, thank you so much for the kind comment! And thank you for reading, and trusting my recipes!
Have you been able to try the new u of minnesota KUDOS apples in baking it is a cross between honeycrisp and Zestar I think.just curious , as I have been trying to find them in stores inn atlanta.
I haven’t tried those before!
Have you ever made a pie with Macintosh apples? I have had success with Spy apples before but my favourite is by far the standard Macintosh apples, cut into chunks with 1 cup sugar & 2 Tbsp flour. I found a small basket of Macintosh at the local fruit market. They had a sign saying – Good for making applesauce. There were 5 huge bins of other apples, the only ones appealing to me were Ginger Gold. Why is Macintosh getting the snub? My apple muffins are delicious too. It’s important to remember some of the best things in life were favourites from our youth.
Hi Lindsay! Honestly, Macintosh apples aren’t as available as the other varieties I’ve listed above. Maybe they aren’t as popular anymore? I just can’t find them like I used to. They are a wonderful apple, maybe not as crisp as some others so they break down quicker in something like a pie. Definitely great for applesauce, or a soft baked good like muffins or bread.
Spy’s make the best apple pie. Later in the season after first frost. Delicious!
I love your chicken pie recipe! I have made it a few times and my family LOVE! The homemade pie crust put it over the top! Your recipes have become trusted, go-tos! Like Ina Gartin!
You absolutely forgot the BEST apple for baking, the Northern Spy. If you’ve never used them you are missing out on what a real apple pie should taste like. It’s definitely the award winning apple for pies and baking.
Hey there, I make a doz apple pies, lots of cinnamon, every fall for friend and family. Often told best ever had… I ALWAYS use Macs, so discount them as wrong for pies,
If you can get your hands on some Russets, they’re perfect for baking, hard and tart.
Our go to is Macintosh apples! Only during the season too! We’ve already got a bag of them this season and am looking forward to pies. We’re a huge mac family, I’d highly recommend trying!
Thanks for these comments. How about Rome and Cortland apples? Where I live, I see them sold a lot in the fall.
Hi Cat! Cortlands are great. They’re juicy and slightly tart. I like using them with sweeter apples. Rome apples are great too, though I do find that the other varieties listed here hold shape better.
The Mutsu apple(renamed Crispin) is a winner that’s not on this list. They’re large and green with a pale peach blush. Mix ’em up with other apples, if you like. Great for eating, too. Hope you can find them!
Thanks for all of these great apple recipes. I noticed that you didn’t mention stayman apples, which I use for baking and cooking. I wondered what your opinion is when it comes to stayman apples. Thanks!
Hi Linda! I remember tasting Stayman apples a few years ago… delicious! I can’t usually find them locally, but I’ve read they’re excellent for baking. Do you like using them in pie?
The Mutsu apple(renamed Crispin) is a winner that’s not on this list. They’re large and green with a pale peach blush. Mix ’em up with other apples, if you like. Great for eating, too. Hope you can find them!
Have you ever had Haralson apples? They are absolutely the best for pie. You find them in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
I’ve never had them before! I bet they’re wonderful.