The Best Apples for Apple Pie
Some apples are good for snacking, and others are better suited for baking. These are the best apples for apple pie (and other apple-packed bakes).
If you’re looking for the best apples for apple pie and you don’t want to dig too deep, go ahead and pick up a bag of Granny Smiths. They’re the Taste of Home Test Kitchen’s go-to apples for baking (mine included) because they’re tart and firm, keeping their shape while providing a perfect balance to the sweet ingredients.
That said, they’re certainly not the only option. There are a ton of different types of apples, and they all have a different flavour profile. Some are sweet while others are tart, and their textures can vary from crisp to mealy. How do you know which ones will hold up well after a stint in a hot oven? Pick from one of our favourites below.
The Best Apples for Apple Pie
Braeburn
If you’re looking for a good balance between sweet and tart, Braeburn is an excellent choice. It has a very concentrated apple flavour that becomes more pronounced when it’s baked. Add the fact that it naturally contains cinnamon and nutmeg-like flavours, and this New Zealand apple is a no-brainer to use in apple pie. It doesn’t hurt that it has a super crisp, firm texture that doesn’t lose its form as it bakes, either.
Cortland
Unlike most apples, Cortlands don’t turn brown after they’re sliced, so you don’t have to worry about storing them in water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. That said, you’ll want to use these apples soon after they’re harvested because their super sweet, slightly tart flavour fades quickly.
Golden Delicious
These bright yellow apples certainly don’t stand out as an eating apple; they have a mealy texture and a not-too-sweet, not-too-tart flavour. The heat of the oven coaxes out their sweetness, though, and they take on honeyed notes. Golden Delicious will break down and lose their shape more than some of the apples on this list, so don’t reach for these if you’re hoping for firm chunks of apples.
Granny Smith
If you ask most chefs their pick for the best apples for apple pie, this will be it. Granny Smiths are available year-round, and you’ll immediately recognize them by their bright green skin and extra tart flavour. The high acidity contributes to the apple’s flavour as well as its ability to hold together as it bakes. If you like the texture but want a sweeter filling, try blending them with some of the sweeter apples on this list.
Jonagold
This apple is a cross between a Jonathan and Golden Delicious, giving it an appealing greenish-yellow colour with red splotches. It has the same honeyed flavour as Golden Delicious, but it’s sweeter with a bolder, more puckery finish. The firm-fleshed, crisp, acidic apple is a great choice for slow-cooked apple desserts.
Honeycrisp
These are one of our favourite snacking apples because they’re so intensely sweet. They have become wildly popular in the last few years, driving up the price tag, but they’re worth it. When baked, they don’t break down too much but their sweet flavour intensifies, becoming fun and complex.
McIntosh
McIntosh is a classic apple with bright red with green splotches. The early harvests tend to be more acidic, while late-season McIntosh are sweeter and juicier. They have an incredible warming spice flavour, but they do tend to break down as they cook. That makes them the ideal sweet apple to pair with something tart (like Granny Smith) for pies and baked goods.
Don’t be afraid to blend a few of these apples together, marrying tart apples with sweeter ones to create a flavour profile that’s unique to your kitchen.
Next, explore the tasty treats along Ontario’s Apple Pie Trail.
