These Apples are the Sweetest: 15 Sweetest Apples

One of the main qualities looked for in apples is the level of their sweetness. Because I’m always suggesting apples during my health coaching sessions, many of my clients ask, which apples are the sweetest?

The sweetest apples are the Fuji, Kiku, Ambrosia, Gala, Honeycrisp, Opal, Jazz, Sweetie, Envy, Pacific Rose, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Red Piñata, Braeburn and Pink Lady varieties. These sweetest varieties are naturally high in sugar resulting in their sweet flavor. 

This article will take a deeper look at each sweet apple and why they’re the sweetest varieties. In addition, I’ll inform you what use each one of them is best suited for.

I have purchased, tasted or used the sweet apples on this list prior to, during and sometimes after reading this article. Some were difficult to find and I had to have them shipped. 

The Sweetest Apples Starting With the Sweetest

Rank	Apple Variety From Sweet to Tart
1	Fuji
2	Kiku
3	Ambrosia
4	Gala
5	Honeycrisp
6	Opal
7	Jazz
8	Sweetie
9	Envy
10	Pacific Rose
11	Golden Delicious
12	Red Delicious
13	Piñata
14	Braeburn
15	Pink Lady

1. Fuji Apples

Fuji is the sweetest apple. They have a sharp, sugary taste. They have the best sweet-tart flavor. In addition, they have a nice crunch to it, unlike other sweet apples which have a grainier texture ¹.

Fuji apples have attractive red skin with specks of yellow and pink remind one of a beautiful painting. This apple was bred in Fujisaki, Japan. It is a cross between Virginia Ralls Janet and Red Delicious apples.

Fuji apples are good for the following:

1. Snacking
2. Salads
3. Garnish
4. Baking
5. Apple pie
6. Apple crisp
7. Smoothies

At one time Fuji were my favorite and is currently one of my backups when my current favorite sweetest apple isn’t available.

2. Kiku Apples

Fuji and Kiku are at the top of the list. Without a doubt one of the best sweetest apple you’ll taste. They are incredibly juicy and crispy with a firm flesh. Kiku are ruby red with light colored stripes. They resemble a Fuji but a brighter red.

They resulted from a natural mutation of the Fuji variety. Therefore, it’s not surprising to have them in a close second place behind their sweet apple parent.

Kiku are good for the following:

• Snacking
• Smoothies
• Fruit bowls
• Salads
• Garnish
• Baking

More unknown than others and difficult to locate but they’re definitely worth the taste.

3. Ambrosia Apples

The name ‘Ambrosia’ means ‘food of the Gods,’ and these are famous for their full-bodied, rich taste ². Low in acidity, their natural sugars can shine through.

Ambrosia appeared in nature, and so its parentage is unknown. This sweet apple is known for its distinctive, honey-sweet juiciness and complex floral aromas.

Ambrosia is good for the following:

1. Baking
2. Salads
3. Garnish
4. Smoothies
5. Apple sauce
6. Snacking

4. Gala Apples

Gala origin is the offspring of Kidd’s Orange Red and Golden Delicious, both of these varieties are known for their sweeter taste. They were first discovered in New Zealand back in 1934.

You can buy them from a supermarket or plant a Gala tree in your garden. They have a natural sweetness and are famous for their red coloring and yellow stripes ³.

Unlike many of the other sweet apples available, Gala apples keep their form well, and you can use them in various recipes.

Use Gala for the following:

1. Snacking
2. Salads
3. Garnish
4. Juicing
5. Baking
6. Apple pie
7. Apple crisp

Like empire, Gala is one of my favorite backups when my favorite is unavailable.

5. Honeycrisp Apples

Honeycrisp apples are high in natural sugars and are a little less sweet than Gala. Honeycrisp has a balanced sweeter taste. This complex, flavorful variety is always present at farmers’ markets during the fall.

As some of the biggest varieties in size, the form of the whole apple is appealing. The crispy-crunchy texture and honey-like aroma also enhance their flavor. They do not brown quickly once bitten into keeping them crunchy.

The Nova Scotia government in Canada spent over one million dollars to fund a Honeycrisp Apples Orchard Renewal Program between 2005 and 2010 ⁴. This initiative allowed producers to have older trees replaced with other apple trees more profitable, like the Honeycrisp.

What is Honeycrisp good for?

1. Snacking
2. Salads
3. Garnish
4. Juicing
5. Baking
6. Apple pie
7. Apple crisp

Honeycrisp is my current favorite. They cost more but for me it’s worth it for the taste and its non-browning flesh.

6. Opal Apples

The Opal is the offspring of the Golden Delicious and Topaz apple varieties. Opals have a sweet, floral flavor and a crisp texture.

They resemble Topaz apples in appearance but are better known for their golden yellow flesh ⁵. After all, they came from the Golden Delicious.

What makes Opals very appealing is how resistant they are to browning. This helps keep them crunchy and delicious for extended periods.

Opals are good for:

1. Cheese boards
2. Fruit salads
3. Salads
4. Apple pies
5. Muffins
6. Eating whole
7. Smoothies

7. Jazz Apples

Most people assume only old heritage apples have real taste and modern mass-market varieties filling supermarket shelves have no taste. Jazz apples is a testament to the fact modern apple development successfully holds its own against traditional heirloom varieties.

Jazz is a crisp, hard variety with a sweeter, delicious and sharp flavor and a noticeable fruity pear taste ⁶. The butter-yellow flesh is juicy, crisp and dense.

Jazz apples is good for the following:

• Eating whole as a snack
• Baking
• Cheese boards
• Pies
• Crisps
• Tarts

8. Sweetie Apples

Sweetie apples have a mild, sweet flavor. Their flesh is dense and crisp making for a great bite every time.

It’s a modern variety created to improve on the Gala variety. It’s a cross between Royal Gala and Braeburn apple varieties, both of which has made this list ⁷.

Sweetie combines the best features of its two parents. It receives its sugars from Gala and its crispiness from Braeburn resulting in a unique flavor of its own.

This variety is good to use for the following:

• Pies
• Tarts
• Cakes
• Baking
• Bread
• Muffins
• Snacking

9. Envy Apples

Envy apples have the perfect balance of flavor and refreshing tartness. Like Jazz, the flesh is dense, crisp and a creamy yellow ⁸.

Envy is a new variety from New Zealand which is becoming one of the top-selling fresh apples. It is closely related to Jazz. It remains more visually attractive, having a rounded shape and gorgeous red skin.

Envy is good for the following:

1. Eating whole
2. Snacking
3. Cakes
4. Pies
5. Crisps
6. Salads
7. Garnish

10. Pacific Rose Apples

Pacific Rose (Sciros) has a unique and refreshing flavor. Most of them are covered in a red blush or rose color. The flesh will provide a crispy bite every time.

They were bred in New Zealand and are a cross between the Gala and Splendor varieties ⁹. The apples get their name because the country is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and their rosy color.

Use Pacific Rose for the following:

• Snacking
• Baking
• Cheese boards
• Salads
• Fruit bowls
• Cakes
• Desserts

11. Golden Delicious Apples

Although they are mass-produced and often found on supermarket shelves, they are still delicious ¹⁰. When they are picked ripe, their authentic flavor is delightful and rich, like raw sugarcane.

The apples are characterized by their pale green colored skin. Due to its great flavor, it has been a parent to a large number of new varieties.

Golden Delicious are good for the following:

1. Eating whole
2. Salads
3. Sandwich garnish
4. Apple juice
5. Apple cider
6. Smoothies
7. Cheese platters
8. Baking

12. Red Delicious Apples

Red Delicious is mildly sweet, like the taste of an over-ripe melon. Although the Red Delicious’ flesh is juicy and lightly crisp, the skin is hard and waxy ¹¹.

You may be disappointed by this well-known apple variety if you pick them from supermarket shelves because they’re not the sweeter apple as the fresh types you pick straight from the orchard after ripening. Freshly picked has much more flavor.

Due to their color they used to be my go to apple when I was younger. I don’t purchase them anymore because so many others taste better.

What are they good for?

1. Eating whole
2. Salads
3. Sandwich garnish
4. Juices
5. Smoothies

Find out how Red Delicious compared to Empire in my article, Empire vs Red Delicious Apples: The Ultimate Comparison.

13. Piñata Apples

Piñata apples are a sharp-sweet, almost tropical-tasting apple variety. Bred in Europe, this descendent of the Golden Delicious is an apple-lovers treat ¹². Piñata has a crunchy texture rare among other types.

It has a unique taste and natural non-browning qualities.

Piñatas are good for the following:

1. Baking
2. Dishes
3. Salads
4. Snacking
5. Smoothies
6. Juices

The following video describes which are the sweetest apples.

14. Braeburn Apples

The Braeburn variety is known for its sweet-tart flavor with a hint of nutmeg. The flesh provides a dense, crispy texture with every bite. The skin is red with yellow to green undertones ¹³.

Braeburn are good for the following:

• Desserts
• Baking
• Snaking
• Smoothies
• Salads
• Pies

15. Pink Lady Apples

These apples have a sweet to tart flavor. Its flesh is dense and firm providing a crispy bite. This type is high in sugar and acids. The skin has a blush appearance with some hints of yellowish-green.

They are a cross between a Golden Delicious and Lady Williams ¹⁴.

Pink Lady is good for the following:

• Consuming whole
• Pies
• Apple sauce
• Baking
• Smoothies
• Snacking

The following video explains which are the top 5 most delicious apple trees.

Read Next – More Apple Varieties Articles

Fuji vs. Gala Apples – A Complete Comparison

Gala Vs Empire Apples – The Differences

Fuji Apple vs McIntosh – What’s The Difference?

A Guide to Choosing Apples

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1. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Comparing apples to apples[↩]
2. Michigan State University: Considerations for growers interested in production of the Ambrosia apple in Michigan[↩]
3. Cornell University: Apple expert explains the history of Gala vs. Red Delicious plus what to expect from the 2018 season[↩]
4. Nova Scotia: Orchard Renewer Program Receives Additional Funding[↩]
5. Washington State University: Opal[↩]
6. The Oxford Student: Jazz Apples: The Real Musical Fruit[↩]
7. Wikipedia: Sweetie (apple) [↩]
8. Wikipedia: Envy (apple) [↩]
9. Wikipedia: Sciros[↩]
10. Utah State University: Apple Varieties[↩]
11. Washington State University: Red Delicious[↩]
12. NPR: Want To Grow These Apples? You’ll Have To Join The Club[↩]
13. Wikipedia: Braeburn[↩]
14. Wikipedia: Cripps Pink[↩]