Apple Recipes

Best apples for baking

You want apple variety that has a crisp and firm texture andwill hold their shape while baking, instead of cooking down into mush. Few of our favorite apples for baking include:

• Granny Smith - Granny Smith apples are a popular choice for baking due to their tart flavor and firm texture, which allows them to maintain their shape well when cooked. They excel in pies, tarts, and other baked desserts, providing a delightful contrast to sweeter ingredients.
• Honeycrisp - Honeycrisp apples are known for their crisp, juicy texture and balanced sweet-tart flavor. They maintain their shape reasonably well when baked, imparting a delightful sweetness to baked goods.
• Jonagold - They are a cross between Jonathan and Golden Delicious, boast a sweet-tart flavor and firm texture. They excel in pies, cakes, and crisps, offering a balance of sweetness and acidity.
• Braeburn - Braeburn apples are crisp with a sweet, tangy flavor that's classic and sharp. They maintain their shape well in baked goods and are perfect for baking whole, stuffed with ingredients like nuts and raisins.
• Fuji - Fuji apples are renowned for their sweet, juicy, and crisp texture when eaten fresh. However, they soften more than other varieties when baked, making them ideal for recipes like applesauce, muffins, and cakes that benefit from a softer texture.
• Pink Lady - Pink Lady apples offer a sweet-tart flavor and firm texture that holds up admirably in baking, making them a versatile choice for various baked desserts.

Do I need to peel apples for recipes?

Whether to peel apples or not, depends on the recipe. For instance, in apple pie filling for apple hand pies, apples are typically peeled to achieve a soft, cooked texture.

Conversely, in dishes where the appearance of the fruit is important, like apple slices in tarts, leaving the skin intact provides contrast in color and texture. Additionally, apples are not peeled in baked apples, as the skin helps maintain the shape of the fruit during cooking.