The Best Apples for Snacking, According to Apple Farmers

With produce bins overflowing with apple varieties, choosing the right apple for snacking is far from easy. It shouldn't be complicated—you aren't comparing apples and oranges, after all—just apples to apples.

Unlike baking, where the wrong apple can spell soggy pie, picking a snacking apple is low stakes. Still, some apples are far better out of hand than others. To find out which, I asked the people who know best: apple farmers.

The Expert Panel of Apple Growers

• Andrew Vaugh: Farm Manager of Boa Vista Orchards in Placerville, California
• Josh Morgenthau: Farmer and owner of Fishkill Farms in Hopewell Junction, New York
• Rebekah Alstede Modery: Assistant Production Manager of Alstede Farms in Chester, New Jersey

Farmers Recommend These Apples for Snacking

University-based breeding programs drop new apple varieties as fast as Taylor Swift drops hit singles. Some are sweet and floral, others tart; some with thin skins for easy crunching, others more firm and sturdy. There’s an apple for every palate, as I learned after talking to experts.

Vaughn sheds some light on his customers' preferences for snacking, which lean towards crisp varieties like Pink Lady (Cripps Pinks), a sweet-tart apple that resists browning, and Fuji, known for its firm texture and super sweet flavor. 

Morgenthau finds it hard to choose just one favorite among the 80 varieties grown on his farm. He explains that "every season, the same varieties taste... quite a bit different. So to be honest, my favorite snacking apple changes with the seasons." He loves Golden Russet, Snapdragon, and Evercrisp. His pro tip: Pixie Crunch, a snack-sized cousin of the Honeycrisp, is the perfect size for lunchboxes.

For Alstede Modery, ripeness is everything: "Tree-ripened [apples]... develop all the necessary sugars for optimal taste." For a snacking apple, her go-tos from Alstede Farm include Honeycrisp, for its "perfect crunch [and] sweet and tart balance,"  plus Zestar, Crimson Crisp, and Pink Lady.

According to the experts, many apples you find at the supermarket are not tree-ripened. To allow for long-term storage or protection from pests, they’re often harvested early and held in controlled-atmosphere facilities—chilled rooms with low oxygen and high carbon dioxide that pause ripening.

This means the apples you see at the grocery store may be nine months to a year old. For the freshest flavor and best texture, enjoy apples from late summer through late fall, ideally straight from the farm.

4 Qualities of the Best Snacking Apple

1. Thin Peel: A thin, delicate skin is easier and more enjoyable to bite into. Thick, waxy, or fibrous peels are harder to chew through and have a bitter taste that overpowers the apple's cherished sweetness.

2. Crunch: Ripe apples with tightly packed cells deliver the most satisfying crunch. Apples like Granny Smith have that crisp bite because of their high cell density. Softer apples, like McIntosh, aren’t as crisp and can feel underwhelming in comparison.

3. Ripeness: Think of the cells in a ripe apple like full, taut water balloons. The water pressure inside the balloon pushes out against the cell walls, so when you take a bite, they burst and release that juicy crunch you love. Overripe apples lose moisture, like a deflated water balloon, and underripe apples are often mealy and soft because the cells haven’t fully developed.

Whatever variety you reach for, you’ll get the best flavor and texture when the apple is at peak ripeness. To check for ripeness at the store, look for a firm apple that feels heavy for their size, with a subtly sweet, fresh aroma, and vibrant color. The fruit should be free of major bruises or soft spots, never soft or mushy.

4. Flavor: Everyone’s got their own taste when it comes to apples—some go for sweet, others love tart. Apples can have a range of flavors, from honey and citrus to warm spices and floral undertones. Me? I am a sour candy fiend and all about the crunch, so I love the crispness and bracing tartness of a Granny Smith apple. However, it tends to have a thick, chewy skin, so I always slice before snacking.

Snack on Apples Like a Pro

A few small tricks can make your apple snacks shine:

• Prevent Browning: A quick dunk in salty water will keep your slices looking fresh for lunch boxes and cheese boards. As Vaughn explains, Pink Lady apples resist browning, making them ideal for slicing ahead of time.
• Consider Size: If you intend to toss an apple in a purse or lunchbox and eat it whole, follow Morgenthau's advice and opt for a smaller variety like Pixie Crunch.
• Caramel Apples, But Easier: Try these low-lift Caramel Apple Nachos for all the flavor of a caramel apple with none of the cleanup.