Apples are a classic fall flavor—and delicious year-round—whether you enjoy them raw, candied, or baked into a tasty dessert. With so many tasty apple varieties, it can be hard to know the best baking apples to make your apple pie or baked apple as delicious as possible. Here, a professional baker shares everything you need to know about apple types, which apples work best for your favorite baking recipes, and a few tips for prepping apples before use.

Apples for Baking vs. Eating

While many apples are great eaten raw and used in a pie, many varieties lean toward one extreme or the other. In general, the apples you eat are softer in texture and sweeter, while baking apples tend to be more firm, crisp, and tart.

“The most noticeable thing if you use a non-baking apple for a baking project will be the texture,” says baker Erin Jeanne McDowell. “A lot of eating-out-of-hand apples will turn to mush and juice only when cooked. They can even have a grainy or mealy texture, depending on the variety.”

“Flavor can also be impacted. A lot of good baking apples are on the tart side since sugar will be added to the recipe, whereas a lot of apples we eat out of hand are naturally sweeter,” McDowell adds.

The Best Baking Apples for Recipes

It can be fun to experiment with different apple varieties—and many bakers have their preferences. McDowell favors Honeycrisp or Cosmic Crisp apples (a cross of Honeycrisp and Enterprise): “They have a lot of juicy, tart flavor with the right amount of sweetness—and they retain their shape during baking, so they still have some bite.” But there are so many to choose from. These are a few of the most common and best apples for baking.

Baldwin

This classic New England apple is a baking favorite, with a sweet-tart flavor and a juicy, yet crisp texture. The Baldwin tends to hold its shape when cooked, making it an excellent choice for baking. (It’s also great for eating if you want an all-around apple.)

Braeburn

Braeburn apples have an even firmer texture than Baldwins but are slightly less juicy. They’re crisp and have a sweet-not-too-sweet taste, making them great for eating fresh or for recipes. Braeburns are perfect for baking into pies if you don’t want the filling to be too liquid.

Cortland

These baking apples are great for pies and pastries and tend not to brown as quickly as other apple types. Cortland apples feature a sweet and tangy taste with soft, juicy flesh. Like most apples used in baking, they retain their shape when cooked.

Fuji

Originating in Japan, Fuji apples are juicy and crisp with a refreshingly sweet taste. When cooked, they not only maintain their shape, but their flavor also deepens, making them perfect for baked goods. Try using Fujis in recipes like tarts or an apple crisp.

Gala

Galas are a bit of a controversial baking apple. Though they’re sweet and less tart than other apples, some experts recommend them more for salads and eating fresh due to their soft texture. However, McDowell and other pros love them for baking—a plus is you can use less sugar in your recipe due to the natural sweetness of Gala apples.

Golden Delicious

The name doesn’t lie: These are a delicious fruit with a sweet, buttery flavor that’s often a staple for use in apple pies. Golden Delicious apples are not tart and provide a juicy texture. We love using them in an old-fashioned apple pie.

Granny Smith

Crisp and tart, Granny Smith apples hold their shape well, and when used in recipes that call for sugar, ensure that your apple pie or crisp doesn’t become too sweet. Its sharp, acidic taste sweetens with storage time—and it can be a refreshing snack when chilled. Overall, their texture and flavor work better for baking than eating whole.

Honeycrisp

This ultra-popular apple variety is a bit softer than some traditional baking apples but still maintains enough crispness for baking cakes, pies, and crisps. The Honeycrisp apple has a sweet, honey-like flavor and packs more juice than other apples. Because of their sweet taste and crisp texture, Honeycrisp apples are good for baking or eating fresh.

Jonagold

A hybrid of the Golden Delicious and Jonathan varieties, Jonagold apples have a bittersweet taste—though leaning towards sweet. They’re good for eating uncooked, but consider this firm, crisp apple for baking, too. Jonagold apples hold their shape well when cooked and their balanced flavor profile is ideal for desserts.

Jonathan

These versatile apples are a happy medium, featuring a sweet-tart flavor and a texture that will break down a bit for a softer filling for pies and cakes. Jonathan apples can be frozen for use in future recipes, so it’s OK to buy them in bulk for batch baking. You can also eat them fresh or add them to salads.

Pink Lady

A cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams apples, Cripps Pink apples are commonly known as Pink Lady apples (their trademark brand name). This super-crisp, sweet-tart apple is another all-purpose apple, perfect for snacking or baking. (And like Cortlands, they tend not to brown as quickly as other apples.)

How to Prep Apples for Baking

It’s important to prep baking apples before adding them to your recipe. They will cook more evenly and add the perfect flavor to your dessert if you do. Here are a few things to do before baking with apples to ensure the best taste.

• Wash apples. Like all produce, you should wash apples before eating or cooking. Try soaking them in a baking soda or vinegar bath if rinsing with water isn’t enough.
• Peel apples. It’s best to peel apples before adding them to a recipe because the skin doesn’t break down when cooked (and actually gets tougher). Though peeling with a knife works fine, a vegetable peeler helps the process go faster.
• Toss with lemon juice. After removing the core and cutting your apples into the desired size, toss the pieces with lemon juice. This helps prevent browning and helps the visual aspect of your baked goods.

Tips for Baking With Apples

Now that you know how to pick and prep baking apples, follow these helpful tips to make the best apple recipes throughout the year. With them, your kitchen will smell like the perfect fall day.

Use Softer Apples for Sauce-Like Recipes

McDowell recommends leaning toward a softer, eating apple that’ll result in a smooth, creamy finish when not baking pies or similar baked goods. “If I’m making something like apple butter or applesauce, I’m looking for an apple more prone to breaking down. This could be really any apple that isn’t deemed a ‘good baking apple’—even flavorful, out-of-hand apples like McIntosh,” McDowell explains.

Avoid Mixing Too Many Apples

It can be tempting to throw in a few different kinds of apples to create a unique flavor profile for your pie. Many prefer this tactic, touting the benefits of mixing sweet and tart apples for a balanced taste. But McDowell says the best thing is to keep it simple.

“I typically use only one kind of apples—but if I do mix and match, I usually use just one or two apples that are more prone to breaking down. This way, I get the blend of crisp, toothsome baking apples that hold their shape, surrounded by some saucier mixture, also flavored and created by apples,” McDowell notes.

Slice Apples Accordingly

How an apple is sliced or cut affects the baking time of your dish—not to mention its look. Generally, the smaller the apple piece, the faster it cooks. While apple slices work best for apple pies and tarts, cubed apples may work better for applesauce. And if you’re making bread or muffins, consider grating the apples to better incorporate them into the batter.