37 Autumnal Apple Recipes From Salads and Glazes to Pie (2024)

FAQs

What are the three best apples for apple pie? ›

The SweeTango is perfect for apple crisp, which is super easy to make, easier than pie or even a cobbler. It's the kind of thing that takes only minutes to prepare, then you can pop it in the oven after or even during dinner. The smell of apples, butter and cinnamon might be the best thing about autumn.

For the best pies, crisps, and other baked treats, apples need to be firm enough to hold their own during the cooking process. We call these apples “baking apples” and to namedrop, they include Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin.

The best apples for apple pie that are widely available include Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples. Others to look for at your local market that will be excellent in apple pie are Cortland, Crispin, Ida Reds, Jonagold, McIntosh, Northern Spy, Pink Lady, Rome and Winesap.

Granny Smith apples are considered by many to be the "pie apples." They are known for their snappy tartness and ability to maintain their shape and texture when cooked. These are, no doubt, a terrific choice for apple pie — especially when combined with a sweeter, softer apple like Braeberns or Crispins.

The Honeycrisp apple is one of the sweeter varieties, so it definitely is not lacking in the flavor department. They stay relatively firm, although less so than the Granny Smiths, and this makes them a great combination of flavor and texture for your pies.

The SweeTango is a cross between a Zestar apple and a Honeycrisp apple giving it a sweetness, firmness and bit of tartness along with a slight hint of brown sugar from the Zestar apple. The SweeTango apple is a great eating apple, but can also be used in pies and different baking applications as well.

SweeTango® (Minneiska variety) is a registered trademark owned by the Regents of the University of Minnesota.

While you may like Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, and McIntosh apples for snacking, these mealy apples run a higher risk of disintegrating in the oven. Instead, use these varieties to make applesauce, dried apples, or in raw applications like charoset, not apple pie.

Red Delicious and Gala are two apples that won't withstand cooking temperatures and should not be used for apple pie. Many new apple varieties, including Honeycrisp, have a flesh that fractures when you bite it. This is so appealing for snacking on an apple, but not the best feature for a good apple pie apple.

Which apple is the most delicious? ›

Cortlands are juicy and slightly tart, with bright red skin and snowy white flesh. They are a terrific baking apple: Great apples for pies, cobblers, and crisps. When sliced, Cortlands are a excellent for salads and cheese plates, as the flesh doesn't brown and discolor quickly.

uses: An excellent tasting apple for fresh eating. Also wonderful in pies and sauces. Often used for making cider. Does not brown when exposed to air.

Avoid using overripe apples to prevent your pie from becoming mushy and wet. Southern Living says choosing the perfect apple variety will be for naught if the fruit is overripe. Your pie will turn out very mushy and lack the flavor apple pie is known for.

Bright green Granny Smith apples are one of the most popular varieties for pie. Their puckery-tart flavor prevents fillings from tasting too sweet, they're easy to find year-round, and they hold their shape beautifully when baked.