The 11 Best Apples for Cooking and Baking

Get ready for fall and find out which apples are best suited for a delicious dessert.

By: Debbie and Mark Wolfe

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How to Pick the Best Apple

Not all apples are great for cooking and baking. The best ones will have a balance of intense sweet-tart flavor and will not fall apart or turn into mush once cooked. Which apples are good for sauce, pies, cobbler, etc? Here are a few to consider.

Rome Apples

Romes are a mildly tart and crisp apple with thick skin. Although you can use them in baked goods, they can be a bit on the dry side. Romes dehydrate well due to the low moisture content. If using this one for pies or cobbler, you will have to add a bit of moisture.

Gala Apples

This popular fresh-eating apple is renowned for its mild, sweet and juicy flesh. Its natural sweetness complements any recipe and it holds its texture throughout baking, making it a good all around apple.

Braeburn Apples

These apples are tart, sweet and aromatic. They will work for pies and cobblers as well as applesauce.

Jonagold Apples

Jonagolds are a cross between Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples. They have the best of both parents: firm flesh and a sweet-tart taste. They are perfect for pies.

Cortland Apples

Cortlands are relatives of Macintosh apples. They are tart and crisp with a snowy white flesh. They are a versatile apple; perfect for eating, baking, sauces and fruit salad.

McIntosh Apple

These apples are sweet and juicy with a slightly pink flesh. McIntosh is good for sauce making or mixing with tart apples for a cobbler or pie.

Granny Smith Apples

This is the quintessential pie apple. They are inexpensive and available year round. It's a tart and tangy apple with a firm flesh. Granny Smiths are perfect in any type of cooked apple dish. To cut down on the tartness, try mixing them with a sweeter apple.

Melrose Apple

Another apple with famous parents: Red Delicious and Jonathan. The red delicious tames the tartness from the Jonathans resulting in a solid apple taste. Good for pies and cobblers.

Winesap Apple

A very juicy, sweet and sour apple that’s perfect for cider. Winesaps have thick skins which make this apple perfect for storage. They are delicious baked or cooked into applesauce as well.

Fuji Apple

This popular eating apple is sweet and juicy. It’s great for snacking on and baking into apple-inspired recipes. Fuji apples are especially great when mixed with tart apples like Granny Smiths.

Jonathan Apple

Tart and tangy is the best way to describe Jonathans. They are a classic red apple grown in many Midwestern states. They are crisp and juicy and delicious in pies.

Pick the Right Apple for the Best Dessert

No matter what type of apple dessert you plan to make, the right type of apples make all the difference in flavor and texture. The good news is, there’s plenty to choose from to satisfy all palettes.

The 11 Best Apples for Cooking and Baking

Related To:

Shop This Look

How to Pick the Best Apple

Rome Apples

Gala Apples

Braeburn Apples

Jonagold Apples

Cortland Apples

McIntosh Apple

Granny Smith Apples

Melrose Apple

Winesap Apple

Fuji Apple

Jonathan Apple

Pick the Right Apple for the Best Dessert

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