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Best Apples for Baking, Pies, Sauces, Cider & More (With Apple Variety Chart)

apples on a wooden background, the best apples for baking, the best apples for cooking, applesauce, apple cider, and apple butter
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Hooray for apple season! Everyone loves a crisp apple fresh off the tree, but when it comes to cooking, not all apples are created the same. Here are some of our top choices for baking and cooking—including the best apples for apple pies, applesauce, apple cider, and apple butter. Plus, find a handy apple variety chart listing apples from sweet to tart.

Choosing the Right Apple Variety

Ever eaten a mushy apple pie? Often, this results from the baker using a soft apple variety that doesn’t hold up in the oven. When you use the right kinds of apples in your recipes, your dishes can go from good to delicious!

Amy Traverso, apple expert and author of the award-winning The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, breaks apples into categories.

  1. Firm or Soft
  2. Tart or Sweet

Firm apples are best for pies and crisps, as they hold their shape during cooking, while soft apples are best for applesauces, apple butter, drinks, and recipes where the apples need to be cooked down.

Apples also range from sweet to tart. It’s personal preference, but here is how we would rank some of the most common apple varieties …

The Best Apples for Cooking

Note: Some familiar apple varieties may be missing because they are best eaten fresh, not baked or cooked. If you have apple varieties in your region that aren’t listed here, please comment below and let us know what you prefer to use!

Best Apples for Pies and Crisps

For apple pies and crisps, use “firm” apples. Ideally, bake a pie with more than one apple—an equal amount of 1. “firm-tart” and 2. “firm-sweet” apples for depth of flavor. (See chart below.)

 
The Best Baking Apples for Pies and Crisps
NameBest UsesFlavor Characteristics, Appearance
Firm-Tart  
Arkansas BlackPieA favorite of many Southern cooks, with deep red skin that turns purple-black in storage. Aromatic, crisp, with a cherry-spice finish.
Calville Blanc d’HiverPie, TartsA French apple that dates back to the 16th century, it is the classic variety used in tarte tatin. 
Granny SmithPieClassic “green apple” is slightly sour and a favorite apple for pie. Available in supermarkets everywhere.
Newtown PippinPieSweet-tart flesh, crisp, greenish-yellow skin
Northern SpyPieOur favorite apple variety for pie-making
Rhode Island GreeningPieVery tart, distinctively flavored, grass-green skin, tending toward yellow/orange
Roxbury RussetPieAmerica’s oldest apple, it’s heavily russeted and tastes like honeyed lemonade. Flesh is dense and rather coarse. A great keeper. 
Sierra Beauty Stayman WinesapsPiePopular on the West Coast, Sierra Beauty is complex and tart-sweet with floral and spice flavors. 
Firm-Sweet  
BaldwinPieA New England favorite, this fruit is prized for both cooking and cider. Very aromatic, with spice and apricot flavors. 
Ginger Gold Pie, Muffins, CakesSweet and crisp. Great for pie and light baking.
Golden DeliciousPieFairly mild variety but easily found. Tastes best when paired with bolder apples.
GravensteinPieA California favorite, the Gravenstein ripens early. Sweet-tart with a hint of raspberry. Very juice and tender, but bakes well. 
HoneycrispPieCrisp, with balanced sweetness and acidity. Doesn’t brown quickly when sliced.
JazzPie, Raw snacksExceptional taste and found in supermarkets year-round.
JonagoldPieYellow top, red bottom. Tangy-tart-sweet combo. Cross between the Jonathan and Golden Delicious and could fill a pie on its own.
Pink LadyPie, Baking, SnackingBalance of sweet and sour undertones and widely available in supermarkets any time of the year.
York PieA great all-purpose apple popular in the mid-Atlantic region. Honey and vanilla flavors dominate and the flesh is juicy and fine-grained. 
infographic, the best apples for pies and tarts

Best Apples for Applesauce

Below is a list of apples that are best for sauces and fresh preparation. Softer apples tend to work best for sauces as well as baking dishes that cook quickly, like muffins. Use firmer apples (such as above) for dishes that cook for 45 minutes or more.

 
The Best Apples for Applesauce
NameBest UsesFlavor Characteristics, Appearance
CortlandApplesauceTender-sweet, these large purple-red apples with yellow streaks are moderately juicy and fairly sweet compared to McIntosh.
MacounApplesauceStriated green and red color, these tender apples have snow-white flesh and a sweet-tart flavor with a hint of strawberry and spice.
EmpireApplesauce, Fruit SaladDoesn’t brown quickly when sliced
Cox’s Orange PippinApplesauceLightly red-striped with an orange hue, this medium-sized apple has a spicy or nutty fragrance.
DaveyApplesauceRed with some light yellow striping and small dots, this Mac-type apple is sweet-tart, very juicy, and crunchy.
JonathanApplesauceTart flesh, crisp, juicy, bright red on yellow skin
McIntoshApplesauceJuicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh with two-toned red and green skin. Slightly tart, and the most aromatic of all apples.
LibertyApplesauceA popular apple for organic growers, it’s naturally resistant to disease and pests. Tender and sweet, great for sauces, with a wine-like flavor.
infographic the best apples for applesauce

Best Apples for Cider

 
The Best Apples for Cider
NameBest UsesFlavor Characteristics, Appearance
BaldwinCiderCrimson red with coppery green skin, Baldwin’s cream-white flesh is crisp and juicy with a spicy, sweet-tart flavor that’s great for cider.
GravensteinCiderHeirloom apple with a thin skin and a juicy, sweet flavor
Esopus SpizenburgCiderLarge, yellow-green apple with a sweet, slightly tart flavor.
McIntoshCiderJuicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh with two-toned red and green skin. Slightly tart, and the most aromatic of all apples.
Cox’s Orange PippinCiderLightly red-striped with an orange huge, this medium-sized apple has a spicy or nutty fragrance that’s great for cider.
Snow AppleCiderLarge, white apple with a sweet, mild flavor.
GoldrushCiderYellow-orange skin, juicy, sweet-tart flavor with a hint of spice.
Stayman WinesapCiderVery juicy, sweet-sour flavor, winey, aromatic, sturdy, red skin

Best Apples for Apple Butter

Soft apples work best for apple butter because they cook down faster. Use any mix of apples.

 
The Best Apples for Apple Butter
NameBest UsesFlavor Characteristics, Appearance
BraeburnApple ButterSweet-tart, complex flavor, firm texture, red skin with yellow undertones
CortlandApple ButterMild, sweet flavor, firm texture, red skin
FujiApple ButterSweet, juicy, crisp, white to pale yellow flesh, red blush
McIntoshApple ButterJuicy, sweet, pinkish-white flesh, red skin 
LibertyApple ButterSweet, slightly tart, firm texture, red skin
inforgraphic, the best apples for apple butter

The Apple Lover’s Cookbook

Are you an apple lover? Do you know an apple lover? We highly recommend The Apple Lover’s Cookbook by Amy Traverso, who quite literally wrote the book on cooking with apples. Winner of the IACP Cookbook Award (Best American Cookbook) and finalist for the Julia Child First Book Award, Traverso’s cookbook has been called “the perfect apple primer” by the Splendid Table. We call it a perfect and fantastic gift for any apple lover! 

Why an apple book? Click the cover below to look inside—and find out! Plus, find a brief history of the apple (Adam and Eve?), how to match an apple to a recipe, and 100 amazing apple recipes! Look inside the book to see ALL the apple recipes!

amy traverso's book, the apple lover's cookbook

Apple Cooking Measurements

When it comes to cooking with apples, it may be helpful to know the following:

  • 1 pound of apples = 2 large, 3 medium, or 4 to 5 small apples
  • 1 pound of apples = 3 cups peeled and sliced apples

Have you ever made apple cider before? Learn all about apple cider pressing.

Favorite Apple Recipes

Perfect Apple Pie

If you want straight-up, good ol’ classic apple pie, then this is the one that Mom used to make!

Perfect Apple Pie
Perfect Apple Pie

Caramel Apple Pie

Of all our apple pies, this Caramel Apple Crumb Pie is the winner! The cinnamon-spiced oat topping is wonderful. And the caramel sauce adds that special taste of fall! 

Caramel Apple Pie
Caramel Apple Pie

Cinnamon Applesauce

Our homemade Cinnamon Applesauce can be eaten straight from the jar or paired with grilled pork chops or potato pancakes.

Cinnamon Applesauce
Cinnamon Applesauce

How to Can Applesauce

Making homemade applesauce is a favorite fall tradition of ours. Here’s how to make applesauce—and how to can it for year-round deliciousness. 

How to Can Applesauce
How to Can Applesauce

Apple Butter

Make your own apple butter with this simple recipe. Apple butter is a delicious alternative to peanut butter and a great way to use fresh apples. 

Apple Butter
Apple Butter

→ See 10 of our best apple recipes!

More Related Content

Apple Recipes

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the digital home of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. She leads digital editorial strategy and publishing across a wide range of Almanac sub...

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Robert Brooks</span> Wed, 07/25/2018 - 07:51
Do Americans not like the Bramley apple as much as we do here in the UK? They grow very big, so you can use just one apple per pie. They store for ages and are quite tart and stew very well and you can sweeten to taste easily.
<span>Sarah</span> Mon, 09/16/2019 - 23:43
I'm a transplant in the US from the UK, and as far as I'm concerned, Bramleys are THE best cooking apple! I planted a Bramleys tree (mail order from a US supplier) about two years ago, so they are available. Very tart; up to 1lb per apple; waxy skin so they store very well; break down beautifully when cooked, so they're good for apple sauce, cobblers and pies etc. I haven't come across anything like them in the stores, here.
<span>Susan M Lundstedt</span> Tue, 09/11/2018 - 23:22
You won't find Bramleys here in the stores...I presume because they don't sell. I'm sure they must have been tried in the markets here, it's a fairly old variety. Americans (if it's really fair to lump such a diverse crowd all together) are like the French in this one thing...we like a cooking apple that will hold it's shape when cooked. It's my understanding that Bramleys tend to cook to a puree. In my part of the country (the Pacific Northwest) we are lucky enough to have Gravensteins, which in my opinion are much better than any other apple. Gravensteins have an intense tart/sweet flavor and hold up really well to cooking. However, you almost never find Gravensteins in the big stores. The trees, though vigorous, are prone to a number of diseases and tend to want to be alternate bearers so the orchards that produce apples for Safeway etc. don't find the economical to grow....there are a few orchards that produce them commercially in California and in Eastern Washington. The best way to get them is to plant a tree (or to know someone who has one).
<span>M. M. Sands</span> Tue, 09/04/2018 - 10:44
Bramley apples aren't commercially available in the U.S., although -- since it's possible to buy the trees from select nurseries -- presumably they are available somewhere. There are so many apple varieties that it's difficult to narrow the list down, but in most areas you'll only find about four to seven varieties. These will differ slithly from area to area, but within the same area the kinds that are available are fairly set. Once in a while a new kind will show up, and another will be retired. Good luck with finding the Bramley if you ever come here, though/
<span>Rosalind Marshall</span> Fri, 12/15/2017 - 19:11
Hi I am new to this, but I want you to know that this is my second year of making dutch apple pie. I have been using different apples. First year, I learned by mistake using Gala Apples, the pie was watery. So this year I bought my apples from the farmers market, The pies I hope come out better. I am learning. I am going to make my pies an annual.
<span>Laura Coburn</span> Mon, 09/18/2017 - 08:16
We live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, moved into a house with the remnants of a commercial orchard in the yard - 9 mature Summer Rambo apple trees. Thirty years later, only 2 still survive storms and old age, but we had bushels and bushels of apples that made fabulous applesauce and apple butter.
<span>Rise Briggs</span> Wed, 09/13/2017 - 17:37
How could you possibly leave out GRAVENSTEIN apples??? These are absolutely the best eaten fresh off the tree, in pies (I know, I make about 40 pies to freeze every year)....and applesauce - best ever!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 09/14/2020 - 10:25

We've added Gravenstein apples As you said, an excellent firm-sweet apple for pies and lighter baked desserts. 

 <span>Susan M Lundstedt</span> Tue, 09/11/2018 - 23:34
Gravensteins are THE BEST. And what's best of all? They're early! We had a lovely tree at our old house....I really miss it.
<span>Janet</span> Wed, 09/13/2017 - 13:03
For fried pies aka hand pies I prefer dehydrated Honeycrisp apple. Honeycrisp is an apple cultivar developed at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station's Horticultural Research Center at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Designated in 1974 with the MN 1711 test designation, patented in 1988, and released in 1991, the Honeycrisp, once slated to be discarded, has rapidly become a prized commercial commodity, as its sweetness, firmness, and tartness make it an ideal apple for eating raw. It has much larger cells than most apples, which rupture when bitten to fill the mouth with juice. The Honeycrisp also retains its pigment well and boasts a relatively long shelf life when stored in cool, dry conditions. The name Honeycrisp was trademarked by the University of Minnesota, but university officials were unsure of its protection status in 2007.