We cut through all of those delicious apple varieties to get to the cream of the crop.

Hint: They aren’t always the same ones you’d use for apple pie.

What Makes a Good Applesauce Apple?

apple sauce in a bowl next to two apples and cinnamon sticks

Photo:bhofack2/Getty Images

In which case, go ahead and opt for somegreat apple pie apples!)

You’ll also want to consider how sweet you want your applesauce to be.

Good apples for applesauce tend to be the more flavorful varieties.

Double cranberry apple sauce

Greg Dupree

Best Sweet-Tart Apples for Applesauce

Want a happy medium between sweet and tart?

These apple varieties will suit your applesauce just fine.

The flavor has a subtle sweetness with a touch of tart.

Slow Cooker Apple-and-Pear Sauce

Greg DuPree

It’s great for sauces.

Granny Smith

Granny Smith apples are one of the tartest apples around.

They are often considered one of the best apple pie apples, thanks to their firmness.

Ida Red

Ida red’s are on the sweeter side of the tart spectrum.

Their rosy pink flesh could help you make a pretty pink sauce.

McIntosh

On the tarter end of the sweet-tart spectrum, this classic apple softens beautifully for applesauce.

Swap out the maple syrup for a big dollop of applesauce.

(Warm up the applesauce for the best experience.)

You have a fabulous side dish that goes wonderfully with pork tenderloin or chops, sausages, andpotato pancakes.

Applesauce Recipes to Try

The hardest part of making applesauce is prepping the apples.

(you oughta wash, peel, core, and chop them.)

Maple syrup helps bring a touch of extra sweetness, alongside sweet red Gala or Honeycrisp apples.