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 .
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
- 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
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 lovethis 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, 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
Apple Cinnamon Bread
I make this buttery-moist and cake-like apple cinnamon bread countless times every apple season! Tossing the juicy apples in brown sugar and cinnamon before layering in the pan gives you those sweet pockets of cinnamon-sugar in each bite.
View The Recipe
Classic Apple Crisp Recipe
Back to the basics with pure and simple apple crisp! 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.
View The Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cups
Who says baking with apples is just for dessert? Using a few simple ingredients like oats, applesauce, milk, and cinnamon, throw together these incredibly easy and healthy baked oatmeal cups for a wholesome breakfast or snack.
View The Recipe
Easy Apple Cake
Soft and tender with a stick-to-your-fork moist crumb and juicy apples in every bite, this fresh apple cake is delicious plain, topped with buttery brown sugar glaze, or even a quick dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Simple elegance at its finest!
View The Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Fall breakfast has never tasted so good—or indulgent! This is my recipe for warm and gooey apple cinnamon rolls topped with a delicious caramel icing. The aroma as they bake will get even the sleepiest of sleepyheads down to the breakfast table.
View The Recipe
Perfect Apple Pie
My all-time favorite dessert recipe—yes, out of the thousands I have published! This perfect apple pie features layers and layers of delicious apple slices within my popular buttery flaky pie crust.
View The Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins
My ideal, go-to apple muffin recipe! You can enjoy them plain or top them with a sweet crumb topping and smooth vanilla icing for an extra special fall morning treat.
View The Recipe
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Made with a shortbread crust, spiced apple filling, streusel topping, and homemade salted caramel, apple pie bars are just as delicious as apple pie, but much simpler to make.
View The Recipe
Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
What I love most about this recipe—besides the unbeatable flavors—is that there’s no fancy decoration required. The buttery caramelized apples become the built-in decoration on this supremely moist fall cake!
View The Recipe
Brown Butter Apple Blondies
These brown butter apple blondies are a reader-favorite recipe every fall. Soft and chewy, these handheld bars combine cinnamon-spiced apples, brown sugar, and flavorful brown butter… and are topped with brown butter icing.
View The Recipe
Caramel Apple Cinnamon Scones
Caramel apples for breakfast, anyone? These caramel apple scones are buttery and moist with crisp crumbly edges and soft flaky centers. Enjoy them as-is, or you wont regret a generous drizzle of salted caramel on top.
View The Recipe
Apple Hand Pies
What’s more fun than traditional apple pie? Mini apple hand pies, of course! This recipe pairs my homemade buttery flaky pie crust and a juicy cinnamon apple pie filling.
View The Recipe
Glazed Apple Bundt Cake
Meet your new favorite cake for the crisp fall weather. This tender and moist homemade apple Bundt cake is smothered in a buttery brown sugar glaze and is perfectly acceptable for breakfast or dessert.
View The Recipe
Individual Apple Crumbles
If you’re on the hunt for an easy no-fuss recipe for your fall surplus of apples, try my 7-ingredient individual apple crumbles. Prep is uncomplicated and quick, and the crumbles bake in just over 30 minutes.
View The Recipe
Apple Crumb Cake
Delicious New York-style crumb cake… with a fall twist! Warm cinnamon apples, buttery crumb topping, and sweet icing come together in this breakfast favorite.
View The Recipe
Apple Galette
Galettes are equally as delicious as pies, but require a fraction of the work. This apple galette is so easy and flavorful, you’ll find yourself making it any time you have a few extra apples on hand. Don’t forget a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel!
View The Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
These soft and chewy apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies are exploding with sweet apple spices, loaded with applesauce and apple chunks, and topped with a creamy maple frosting. Talk about an apple-lover’s dream cookie!
View The Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Babka
One bite and you’ll see why it’s impossible not to love this apple cinnamon babka. It features sweet apples and a thick cinnamon filling twisted inside a rich and buttery yeasted dough. A brown sugar cinnamon crumble topping adds the perfect finishing touch.
View The Recipe
Baked Apples Recipe
Like individually portioned apple crisp, baked apples are great for when you need a smaller dessert option. The recipe can easily be halved or doubled, and it couldn’t be easier to prepare. Simply core your apples, fill with a buttery brown sugar cinnamon crumble, and bake.
View The Recipe
Apple Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
Some of fall’s favorite flavors come together in a cupcake wrapper! Smooth salted caramel frosting serves as the perfect topping—and if you’re up for accessorizing, go ahead and add a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
View The Recipe
Other Helpful Baking Pages:
- How to Freeze Bananas for Baking
- 14 Best Baking Tools I Use
- How to Par-Bake Pie Crust
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
- How to Use Piping Tips
