The Best Apples for Apple Pie There are a few apples that don’t make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won’t hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.
This is not your average apple pie recipe, it’s the best apple pie ever!
Everyone in my family loves apple pie and they always ask me to make it for them. This is the best apple pie you’ll ever have! I’ve been using the same recipe that I’ve had since my high school cooking class and it’s simply the best!
I use Red Delicious apples and they always seem to work out perfectly. I’ve tried other apples but this recipe is the right one for Red Delicious apples.
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One of my best tips for making pie pastry is to not handle it too much. Once the dough is gently mixed (I add the liquid to the dry ingredients and blend with a fork), I place two pieces of plastic wrap on the counter, cut the pastry dough in half and put one half on each piece of plastic wrap. The dough will be formed just a little bit.
Then you wrap it up tightly and you can mix it a bit IN the plastic wrap and then chill for one hour in the fridge. That’s the other best tip. I know lots of people skip the chilling part as they just want to get on with making the pastry but it needs to happen (even just 20-30 minutes!). Once I pop the dough in the fridge, I make the pie filling so I’m not just waiting around.
I cut, peel and core apples using an apple peeler. It makes the pie making filling so easy!
Make sure to dot the inside of the pie with butter.
Note: You can tell by this photo that these apples were hand sliced. I find no difference in the way it’s baked whether you use an apple peeler or hand peeling, coring and slicing the apples.
Be sure vent the top for steam before popping in the oven.
You can print off the apple pie recipe below.
- 1 pie pastry recipe
- 7 large Red Delicious apples
- lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2-3 T flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 T butter
- Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
- Follow pie pastry recipe and line bottom of pie shell with pastry.
- Peel, core and slice apples.
- Sprinkle with lemon juice.
- Toss in dry ingredients.
- Dot butter on top of apples.
- Cover with top pastry, flute edges and cut vents for steam.
- Bake 45 min to 1 hour.
Make sure to pin it for later!
Are Red Delicious Apples Good For Baking?
FAQ
What are Red Delicious apples good for making?
Do delicious apples make good pies?
Can you use delicious apples for baking?
Are Red Delicious apples good for Apple Pie?
They are phenomenal for making applesauce. Red Delicious might be the worst apple to use for apple pie. It’s a fine snacking apple, with a lightly sweet and mild flavor, but it has a thick skin and naturally grainy texture that many find unpleasant. When it’s baked, it falls apart, making it a poor choice for any baked good.
What apples are good for pies?
Gala – Crisp and sweet and a great pick for baking. Honey Crisp – Sweet, crisp, and juicy. Holds its shape when baked. Red Delicious – Not good for pies. This apple is ideal for snacking but doesn’t hold up to heat. Here’s a complete guide to a wide variety of apples (some you may never have heard of) and how to best use them.
Are Golden Delicious apples good for pie?
Unlike Granny Smith apples, Golden Delicious apples tend to break down more when cooked, so they’re a good choice to combine with other firmer apples on this list. These large, round apples aren’t always readily available throughout the year, but when they are, they’re one of the very best for pie!
What apples make a good apple pie filling?
This guide was originally published as part of the column “The Food Lab.” For an apple pie filling of tender (but intact) chunks of fruit, balanced perfectly between tart and sweet, look for Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Gala, and Granny Smith apples.