I Asked 4 Experts To Name the Best Apple for Apple Pie (It's Not Granny Smith)

For me, any season is a good season for apple pie. However, when fall hits, it’s time to turn on the oven and bake with plenty of sugar and spice, and without a doubt, apple pie should always be on the menu. 

Make the pie dough and slice the apples… it’s not as hard as it seems.  Even the ingredients list for the best apple pie is quite simple: flour, butter, sugar, and of course, apples. What’s the key to getting the best flavor and beautiful texture? It’s all in the apples you choose to bake with. 

Many bakers say that Granny Smith apples are the best for baking, from making apple coffee cake to apple fritter bread. Does the same go for apple pie? I turned to professional bakers, along with an apple grower, to find out which apple to choose for the best apple pie. Their pick is one you can find at the grocery store, especially in the fall. 

The 4 Apple Experts I Asked

• Erin Jeanne McDowell: Recipe developer, food stylist, and author of The Book on Pie
• Kait Thornton: Fourth-generation Washington apple farmer
• Trung Vu: Chef-instructor of Pastry & Baking Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education
• Erin Eberlein-Sage: Pastry chef at Screen Door Restaurant in Portland, Oregon

The Best Apple for Apple Pie

When it comes to apple pie, the choice of apple you bake with can truly make all the difference. Professional bakers and an apple grower all agree that Cosmic Crisp is the best apple for pie. 

According to Erin Jeanne McDowell, author of The Book on Pie, Cosmic Crisp is her go-to for both baking and eating out of hand. The apple is a hybrid of Honeycrisp and Enterprise, and it was specifically developed to pair the best qualities of both apples.

“It has a gorgeous red skin and a lovely white flesh that doesn’t oxidize when exposed to air, even for extended periods of time,” she says, noting that this helps to prevent browning. “It is super juicy but still retains its shape when cooked or baked.”

Trung Vu, chef-instructor of Pastry & Baking Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education, agrees that crisp apples are best for baking pie, noting that those with a crunchy texture can stand up to cooking and retain their structure. This is important because you don't want the inside of the pie to be apple sauce—you want to bite into cooked apples. Vu says that newer crisp varieties like Cosmic Crisp are an excellent choice.

“They are also slightly tart, providing a nice contrast and balance to the sweetness of an apple pie. Crisp apples stand up well to being baked but can also be sweeter than [other apples].” 

As a former bakery owner and recipe developer, I also use Cosmic Crisp for pies. For me, these apples provide the ideal blend of flavor and structure for the best baked goods.

Other Options if You Can’t Find Cosmic Crisp Apples

Cosmic Crisp apples are widely available in grocery stores. If you can’t find them, there are similar options. McDowell, Vu, and Thornton all note that Honeycrisp is a close second to Cosmic Crisp. After all, Cosmic Crisp is a hybrid apple that was developed to have the best qualities of Honeycrisp. 

Erin Eberlein-Sage, pastry chef at Screen Door Restaurant, says she loves to combine a tart apple that bakes well, such as Granny Smith, with something a bit sweeter that holds its shape like Honeycrisp.

According to Kait Thornton, an apple grower in Washington, the women in her family use Golden Delicious as a base for their pies, but they also add Cosmic Crisp because these apples have more flavor.

“Mixing a variety of apples can make a very unique and eclectic apple pie,” adds Vu. “When cooking multiple varieties, I like to cook each one separately as different types of apples can cook at different rates, before mixing them together for the final bake.” 

Tips and Tricks for Making the Best Apple Pie 

McDowell says precooking the filling will give you better control over the texture of the pie. Vu agrees, advising that precooking the apples helps to get rid of excess water, which will reduce the amount of unwanted steam while your pie is baking. No one likes a soggy crust.

McDowell also says to bake the pie for much longer than you think is necessary, sharing that she bakes her double-crust fruit pies for a minimum of one hour and 15 minutes. 

Eberlein-Sage says her favorite tip is to assemble the apple pie, freeze it, and then bake it from frozen. “That way the bottom crust has time to get fully baked while the filling thaws and gets bubbly,” she adds.

Lastly, Vu suggests giving your pie time to rest after baking. “If you slice your pie shortly after baking, it's likely to fall apart,” he says. “If you rest it for a few hours until it has completely cooled down, you're more likely to get a clean, professional cut that will hold together.”