Which Are the Best Apples for Baking?
Would it surprise you to know that Canadians consume more apples than any other fruit? No? Me either. Seeing that they grow from coast to coast and are readily available at almost every supermarket, farmers’ market, and u-pick farm around, I’m not surprised by how much we love them — we all have our favourite apples for eating and apples for baking.
Not all apples are good for every type of cooking. In fact, some just aren’t meant to be baked with at all! (McIntosh, I’m looking at you.) So I thought I would put together a little guide outlining the more common apple varieties and what they are best used for.
Best Apples for Baking
Best Apples for Pies:
Northern Spy, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Russet, Fuji, Empire
- We’ve got an amazing, classic apple pie recipe + one for apple pie on a stick!
Best Apples for Baking in General:
Jonagold, Empire, Granny Smith, Gala, Braeburn, Nothern Spy, Cortland, Honeycrisp
Best Apples for Making Applesauce:
McIntosh, Cortland, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, Empire
- Here is a recipe for a delicious mango applesauce
Best Apples for Snacking:
Empire, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Fuji, Russet
Best Apples for Salads:
Cortland, Empire, Gala, Granny Smith, Ida Red, Russet
Tips for Baking with Apples:
When cooking and baking with apples, keep the following measures in mind:
- 3 medium apples are equal to approximately 1 pound of apple
- 1 medium apple yields about 1 cup of apple slices
- To make an apple pie you’ll need 8 to 9 medium-sized apples
- 1 bushel of apples is equal to 42-48 pounds
What is your family’s favourite apple variety? And how do you like to eat it? Do you have favourite apples for baking?
Here are the best places for Apple Picking in Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver.
