12 Types of Apples Every Apple Lover Should Know About (From Tart to Sweet!)
The onset of fall means it’s time for perhaps the most quintessential of autumnal activities — apple picking. But once you get home with those bushels of apples, you’re faced with the inevitable question of what to do with all of them. Now there’s no lack of options for apple-centric dishes, from classic apple pie to a German apple pancake to a homemade applesauce. You could even go the savory route and caramelize them and serve them with pork chops, or toss them into a salad. Or maybe you just want to bite into one.
But which type of apple should you use when? There are over 6,000 varieties of apples grown in the U.S. alone, including my personal favorite, the Gravenstein (never had one, just obsessed with the name.) Here, we break down everything you need to know about 12 common types of apples so you’ll know which to reach for whether you’re at the supermarket, the farm stand, or an orchard.
Table of Contents
Golden Delicious
Originally discovered in West Virginia in the early 1900s, Golden Delicious apples have become both very popular on their own as well as sparking many hybrid varieties. Their thin yellow-green skin, subtly sweet flavor, and firm texture make them a very good choice for an all-around apple that’s just as delicious to bite into as it is baked into a pie.
Best for: Snacking, baking, cooking
Golden Delicious Apple Recipes:
Honeycrisp
In addition to being extremely versatile, honeycrisp is one of the most widely available apple varieties. Developed in the 1960s at the University of Minnesota, they have a sweet-tart flavor that — as the name implies — has a hint of honey. They have a crisp but juicy texture that’s just as good to eat raw as it is baked.
Best for: Snacking, baking, cooking
Honeycrisp Apple Recipes:
McIntosh
McIntosh apples were popularized by John McIntosh in the early 1800s and lent their name to the original Apple Macintosh computer (though with a different spelling). Their flavor is halfway between sweet and tart, and they’re softer than some other varieties, breaking down easily when cooked.
Best for: Snacking, sauces, soups, salads
McIntosh Apple Recipes:
Fuji
Fuji apples — a hybrid of Red Delicious and Virginia Ralls Janet varieties — were first grown in Fujisaki Japan in the 1930s, and are now one of the most popular varieties in the U.S. They have red-yellow skin and a firm texture with a very sweet flavor. Their firm flash makes them great for both raw and cooked applications, though they will take longer to break down when cooked or baked than other varieties.
Best for: Snacking, applesauce, salads
Fuji Apple Recipes:
Granny Smith
Granny Smiths were first grown in Australia in the late 1800s and are one of the most common varieties of apples available in the U.S. They have a firm texture and a strong, tart flavor, making them the perfect choice for sweet baked goods. Their bright green skin is a bit thicker than other varieties, though, so you might want to peel them before adding slices to a pie or cake.
Best for: Baking, cooking
Granny Smith Apple Recipes:
Gala
Gala apples were first grown in New Zealand in the 1930s as a hybrid of Golden Delicious and Kidd’s Orange Red apples. They are orange-red in color and tend to be a bit smaller and more oblong in shape than some other varieties. Their flesh has a firm texture and a sweet flavor, and they work in raw, cooked, and baked applications.
Best for: Snacking, salads, baking
Gala Apple Recipes:
Red Delicious
The Red Delicious apple as we know it today is very different from its origins as an heirloom variety called the Hawkeye that traces back to Iowa in the late 1800s. It took on the moniker “delicious” when the farm where it was originally grown changed ownership. The current iteration of the Red Delicious looks and tastes very different from the Hawkeye because, starting in the 1950s, it began to be optimized specifically for a bright red color, rather than flavor. Today’s Red Delicious is known for its thick deep red skin and slightly sweet flavor. They have a high moisture content, which makes them better candidates for eating raw than cooking or baking.
Best for: Snacking, raw preparations, salads
Red Delicious Apple Recipes:
Braeburn
Known for their distinct streaky red-orange skins and firm texture, Braeburns are great baking apples. Their flavor is similar to Granny Smith apples, but with a hint more sweetness, making them more appealing to eat raw.
Best for: Baking, snacking, raw preparations
Braeburn Apple Recipes:
Cortland
Named after the area it was first discovered — Cortland County, New York — this heirloom variety is notable for its smaller size and balanced sweet-tart flavor. While it is slightly softer than other baking apples, it will still hold its shape in your next pie, cake, or muffin.
Best for: Baking, cooking
Cortland Apple Recipes:
Pink Lady
The Pink Lady apple originally hails from Australia, where it was first grown in 1973 by a researcher named John Cripps who combined the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams varieties to make this distinctive hybrid known for its pinkish hue. Pink Ladies have firm flesh that’s still juicy with a flavor that’s halfway between tart and sweet. It’s a versatile apple that’s delicious raw as well as in cooked and baked applications.
Best for: Snacking, cooking, baking, salads
Pink Lady Apple Recipes:
Mutsu
Mutsu — or “Crispin” as they’re also known — apples were first grown in Japan as a hybrid of the Golden Delicious and Indo varieties. These large yellow-green apples have firm, juicy flesh and a flavor that lies in the middle of sweet and tart. A classic baking apple, they’re also great for snacking and salads.
Best for: Baking, snacking
Mutsu Apple Recipes:
Jonagold
Jonagolds are some of the largest varieties of apples you’ll find at the market. Developed in the 1940s, they’re a hybrid of the Golden Delicious and Jonathan varieties. They’re usually a mix of green and yellow, though can sometimes have red accents. Their sweet, crisp flesh is a bit on the softer side, great for enjoying raw, but it also holds its shape well for baking.
Best for: Baking, snacking, salads
Jonagold Apple Recipes:
Further Reading
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