Apple Pie Recipes That Are Better Than Grandma's (2024)

FAQs

Is Granny Smith better than Honeycrisp for pie? ›

Granny Smiths have all the same qualities as Honeycrisps: juicy, crisp and great for baking. The only difference is that Granny Smiths are as tart as a Honeycrisps are sweet. You may need a bit more sugar in the mix when making a filling with Granny Smith apples.

Many pie fillings are made with a processed thickening agent that keeps the filling jelly-like and in place. But McDonald's uses a dehydrated apple powder. The powder not only thickens the filling, but it also adds that extra apple taste that you love.

Braeburn

As part Granny Smith, the Braeburn apple brings the same great qualities to a recipe, but it's slightly sweeter.

Using a combination of tart and sweet apple varieties will create the right flavor balance for the best apple pie. The 7 best apples for baking pie: Our favorite apple pie recipe calls for Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Golden Delicious apples, or a mix of all three.

Honeycrisp: As one of the most prized apples around, it's no surprise that Honeycrisps are popular for baking. This juicy and crisp apple is best for those who like a sweeter taste for their pies.

Home of the award-winning Apple Pie Baked in a Paper Bag, The Elegant Farmer is noted by Gourmet Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Food Network and Milwaukee Magazine as having “the best pie in America.” The award-winning Apple Pie Baked in a Paper Bag has been the farmer's signature item for decades, baking over a ...

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.

Like glass dishes, ceramic pie dishes conduct heat slowly and evenly, which helps yield uniformly golden crusts and thoroughly cooked fillings, even when making fruit pies, like apple, that require lengthy cooks to soften down.

Costco's apple pie is frequently praised for its pleasing crunchy texture and nice balance between sweetness and tanginess when it comes to the filling. In fact, lots of people claim that this pie tastes like it was made from scratch.

Why did McDonald's stop frying their apple pies? ›

And then there's the long forgotten fried apple pie at McDonald's, which made the switch to baked in 1992 due to health reasons and has tasted inferior ever since. Unless you're over 40 and/or live in Hawaii (more on that soon), you've probably never tasted a McDonald's fried apple pie.

The new version has fewer ingredients, a lattice crust, and sliced (not diced) apples. It's also healthier and is dusted with sugar on top rather than coated with brown sugar. Learn the secrets that make the McDonald's apple pie so tasty.

Honey Crisp apples can be very tart, they also stay firmer when cooking things like a pie or crumble. They will be sweeter than Granny Smith's though so if there's is any sugar in the recipe I'd cut it by a third to maybe a half of the original amount.

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.

While the debate on whether or not to peel your apples seems never-ending, it really comes down to a matter of personal choice. Unpeeled apples will add a bit of color and texture to your pie, but they may prevent the apples from melding together when baked.

Granny Smith Apples

This ubiquitous green variety is one of the most tart apples and a favorite apple among professional bakers. It boasts a bright, citrus-like aroma, with substantial acidity that complements the added sugar in pie recipes. The flesh is firm and crunchy and holds up well under long bake times.

What Makes A Good Apple For Apple Crisp? The best apples for baking keep their structure under heat, which prevents the chunks of fruit from turning into mush after baking. The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps.

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 pollinators for a 'Honeycrisp' apple tree are apple varieties that bloom at the same time and are not triploid. Good choices include 'McIntosh', 'Golden Delicious', 'Granny Smith', 'Empire', and 'Jonathan'.