Find the right one for snacking, baking and more.
Browse varietiesFind the right one for snacking, baking and more.
Browse varieties
The apples that make the best applesauce are often the ones bakers avoid. Instead of holding their shape, their flesh breaks down quickly into a soft, smooth sauce, with less cooking and less mashing.
Every apple here earns our top rating for sauce. They are listed in alphabetical order.
01
Bright white and slow to brown.
Sweet-tart with tender, juicy flesh.
02
America's most grown apple.
Sweet and gentle with almost no sharpness, plus a light floral, vanilla-like note.
03
The first golden apple of the season.
Sweet with a light tang and crisp, juicy, cream-colored flesh.
04
The all-purpose yellow apple.
Sweet and honeyed with a soft tang.
05
Large, juicy and great for baking.
Sweet and honeyed with a bright, tangy finish.
06
The tart heirloom pie apple.
Tart and spicy with a light sweetness and lots of juice.
07
The tangy, tender sauce apple.
Tangy and sweet with a strong apple aroma.
08
An heirloom pie apple.
Tart and aromatic with firm, juicy flesh that sweetens slightly in storage.
09
An early tart sauce apple.
Tart and tangy with tender, juicy flesh and a McIntosh-like aroma.
10
A tart, wine-like baking apple.
Tart and wine-like with juicy, firm flesh.
Mix two or three kinds. A tangy apple like McIntosh adds brightness, and a sweeter one like Golden Delicious means you need little or no added sugar.
Leave the peels on if you plan to use a food mill or blender. They add color and a little extra fiber, and red-skinned apples give the sauce a pretty pink tint.
Ready to cook? Try our homemade applesauce recipe.
