If You Want the Best Pie Start with the Right Apples

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If you want to make a great pie, you’ve got to start with the right apples. After years of careful evaluation (basically, making, sharing, and eating delicious homemade apple pies), I have determined the best apples to choose for baking pies.

If you would like more, there are a variety of apple recipes here.

Homemade apple pies turn out the best when you choose the right apples! There's many different varieties and it's worthwhile to jot down the right types so your pie turns out perfectly (not too dry or too mushy). Happy baking!

What Makes an Apple Good for Pies

Taste is so subjective and personal (and I do not wish to write poetic descriptions about the various flavours and distinctions), but there are three essential traits for successful pies:

1) Not too juicy (or the pie goes mushy)
2) Apple pieces hold their shape after baking
3) Apple is still flavourful after baking

Best apples for baking pies | empressofdirt.net

Before you ask why I didn’t (perhaps) include your favourites on the list, know that there are over 7500 cultivars of apples.  And no, I haven’t tried them all though I do try as many varieties I can.

I’ve narrowed down my selections to apples grown here in Ontario.

Best Apples For Baking Pies

  • Cortland
  • Crispin
  • Golden Delicious
  • Idared
  • Jonagold
  • McIntosh
  • Northern Spy
  • Spartan

I like to combine 2-3 varieties in pies and apple sauce.


Apple peeler – Amazon.com

Best All-Round Apples

There are two varieties that work for everything: eating fresh, fruit salad, pies and other baking, apple butter, and apple sauce:

  • McIntosh
  • Jonagold

Many people choose Honeycrisps as their favourite fresh eating apple, but my vote goes to Jonagolds. They are perfection (subjectively speaking).

Best apples for baking pies | empressofdirt.net

Fresh, Healthy, Delicious Apple Recipes

I’ve never actually posted my favourite apple pie recipe, but here are other favourite apple dessert recipes—two with no added fat or sugar so they’re healthier choices than pie!

If you have any faves to share (or a must-try recipe), please let me know.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

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Comments

  1. Dusty says

    Thanks for the info on apples for pie making. My mom made the best apple pies out of Wolf River apples; they were a bit tart and firm. The pies held their form and weren’t sticky and sweet as most purchased pies. I’m going to try some of your suggested selections. Have a blessed day.

  2. Nora Pike says

    I’m looking for information on how to raise an apple tree. How do you know what to spray and when to spray and how to prune? An apple tree “wanna-bee.”

    • Melissa J. Will says

      Hi Nora,
      I have apple trees but I’m not a wealth of advice. I prune them in the very early spring and never spray. There are excellent pruning guidelines online–better than I can describe it here. Sorry I can’t be of more help. PS: I do get lots of lovely apples each year!

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