The Best Apple Pie Apples (10 Apples for Your Next Pie)
A great apple pie starts with the best apple pie apples. But how do you know which apple will work best in your apple pie?
Keep on reading and find out.
When I first started baking pies I would use whatever apple was on sale or the apples I had on hand to make pies.
As you can imagine some of those pies turned out great and some were a mushy soggy messy. I didn’t realize that which apple you use can make a big difference in how your pie turns out.
I’ve done a little research to discover which apples hold up to baking. I’ve found a mix of apples really make the best apple pie so don’t stick with just one of these mix them up a bit.
10 of the Best Apple Pie Apples
Jonagolds are a sweet and tangy apple. They are great for pies with their firm flesh and sweet tart taste.
Honeycrisp is a really crisp apple. It’s crisp enough that it doesn’t cook down. Honeycrisp apples are great apples to add to a pie with other apples to balance it out.
Granny Smiths are probably what most people think about when making a pie. They are tart, tangy and have a nice firm flesh. They hold up great in baking. To cut down the sugar pair them with a sweeter apple like a Honeycrisp.
Winesaps have thick skins and are good storing apples. They don’t break down so they are a great apple for cooking and baking in pies.
Braeburn is another good storing apple. It has a spicy sweet taste making it a good choice for pies. Braeburn apples also hold their shape when baked so they make an excellent pie apple.
Golden Delicious isn’t one you might think of first when making a pie but they have a thin skin so they can be used in pies without peeling, saving a step.
They are also really sweet which means you can reduce the sugar in the pie recipe and still get a nice sweet flavor from the pie. They do cook down some so the apples in the pie will be much softer. To combat this you can pair them with a crisper apple.
Northern Spy is another great cooking apple. They cook up nicely and have a yummy sweet and mildly tart flavor. They are harder than most apples making them a great cooking apple.
Gala is another sweeter apple so you can reduce the sugar in the pie filling recipe. But unlike Golden Delicious, they are crisp and crisp enough to hold their shape when baked.
Jazz apples are hard and crisp. But they are still juicy and sweet. They have a great flavor and are easily found year round. When baked they keep their shape so they make a great pie apple.
Pink Lady apples have a sweet and slightly sour taste. The crunchy juicy fresh really hold its texture and flavor when baked. Making them a great baking apple and they are available most of the year too.
The bonus to these 10 apples are most of them can be found at your local supermarket. They are also good eating apples so when you see them on sale you can stock up and have a some to enjoy and some to make a pie with too.
I think the best apple pie apples are a mix of apples to get the flavor and texture you want, whether it’s sweet and tangy or sour and sweet. When you combine a few different types of apples above you can really tailor your apple pie to your preferences.
I like a sweet pie with a little tart flavor. I also like a little softness to the apples but some apple slices that hold their shape too. To get this combination I’ll combine granny smith and Honeycrisp with one or two golden delicious. Slightly sweet and tart with a good bite of the apple in each bite of pie.
To get this combination I’ll combine granny smith and Honeycrisp with one or two golden delicious. Slightly sweet and tart with a good bite of the apple in each bite of pie.
Play around with different combinations the next time you are making apple pie and see if you can make your own perfect custom pie.
These 10 apples are the best apple pie apples. When you start with apples that are great for cooking you’ll definitely end up with a more delicious pie.
What’re your favorite apples to use in apple pie?
More Great Apple Recipes to Make…
Quick and Easy Baked Apples
Delicious Apple Cake
Freezer Apple Pie Filling
I usually just like to stick with granny smith, since I know they will work great in a pie. I never can remember the names of the other baking apples, but now that I’ve seen your list, I can try something new this fall 🙂
The best pie apple is an ida red apple. They are available at the beginning of October and usually don’t last long. My 2nd favorite is a Paula Red.
Kristin, I’ve never seen either of those in our area. I’ll have to look to see if I can find them and give them a try.