Which apple is the sweetest? If you guessed red and pink you're right. But which ones?
I have been to apple orchards and have a few of my own apple trees. I love the crisp flesh of apples. There is a wide variety of apples. Grocery stores seem to have a year-round supply of a variety of apples. But are you wondering which apples taste the sweetest? Look no further. In this post, we compare sweet apples with some other types of apples.
We focus on their sugar content, not just their sweet taste, to find out which are the sweetest. We cover popular apples like the Honeycrisp and lesser-known apples like the Bravo. There are several contenders for the sweet apple crown. Which red apples are the sweetest? The red apple with the most natural sugar is the Honeycrisp, followed by the Red Delicious.
Apples Ranked from Sweet to Tart
This list is based on sugar content. There is a table further down with more detail.
Pink Lady (Cripps Pink)
Bravo (Bravo de Esmolfe)
Fuji
Honeycrisp
Gala
Rhode Island Greening
Red Delicious
Golden Delicious
Mutsu (Crispin)
McIntosh
Pippin (Newtown)
Bramley
Granny Smith
A List of the Sweetest Red and Pink Apples
Honeycrisp
In the search to find the sweetest apple, you might also come across Honeycrisp apples. These apples are famous for their unique sweet-tart flavour and incredibly crisp bite. The balance of sweetness and subtle tartness in Honeycrisp apples provides a refreshing snack that's both sweet and satisfying. With their high sugar levels and juicy flesh, Honeycrisp apples are a great choice if you love a sweeter apple with a bit of acidity to balance the taste.
Honeycrisp apples are renowned for their sweet, crisp, and juicy flesh. They are often considered one of the sweetest apple varieties. Honeycrisp are American apples that were developed at the University of Minnesota and released in 1991. It's known for its crisp texture and balanced sweetness.
If you are in Australia and wondering what the heck is a Honeycrisp, you're not alone. I thought it was a made-up name. It is, in fact, real, and it will be coming to Australian shores in mid-2024.
Fuji
Fuki apples were originally developed in Japan. The apples are sweet, firm, and have a pleasant crunch. They are known for their sweet, honey-like flavour. Fuji apples are known for their super sweet and juicy texture.
Gala
Another variety known for its exceptional sweetness is the Gala apple. Gala apples are a popular choice in grocery stores because of their balanced flavour and firm, crisp flesh. These apples have a lovely apple aroma and a sweet taste that makes them ideal for fresh snacks or adding a sweet crunch to salads. Their appealing appearance and vibrant colour make them a favourite among apple lovers.
Gala apples were originally developed in New Zealand. They are sweet apples with a slightly tart undertone. They are crisp and make for a great snacking apple.
Red Delicious
Red Delicious apples are another American Apple. They tend to be sweet. Their classic apple shape and deep red colour are well-known. Gala apples are sweet but have a crisper texture and a floral aroma. Red Delicious apples are sweeter and softer. Against them, Red Delicious apples offer a more subtle sweetness and a firmer texture. Pink Lady apples balance sugar and acidity with a crisp bite. In comparison to Gala and Fuji, Red Delicious apples are sweeter apples, with less complex flavour.
Pink Lady (Cripps Pink)
Pink Lady or Cripps Pink apples have crisp flesh with a sweet and tart flavour. Their distinctive pinkish-red skin and crisp bite make them known. These apples are sweeter and less acidic than Granny Smith apples. Granny Smiths are sharp and firm. They are ideal for baking. In contrast, Pink Lady apples have balanced sweetness and good aroma. This makes them excellent for fresh eating.
Bravo
Bravo is an Australian apple variety. The Bravo is a deep red and is a cross between the Cripps Red and Gala apple varieties. Bravo apples were part of a breeding program initiated by the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia. The Bravo apple is known for its dark burgundy colour. It has a strong 'apple' flavour that is sweet with a hint of tartness. It's a new variety. It is gaining popularity for its crisp texture, white flesh and good looks. Some might even call it the perfect apple.
Factors such as ripeness and growing conditions can alter these results. Many apples bought in Australia are picked too early and put into cool storage. This means the apple's flavour does not have a chance to develop fully.
Which Apple is the Sweetest Based on Sugar?
Which apple has the least and most natural sugar? This is a table of apples and their sugar content per 100 grams.
Apple Variety | Sugar Content (grams per 100 grams) |
Red and Pink Apples | |
Fuji | 13-15 |
Red Delicious | 11-13 |
Gala | 11-14 |
Honeycrisp | 12-14 |
McIntosh | 10-12 |
Bravo (Bravo de Esmolfe) | 12-15 |
Pink Lady (Cripps Pink) | 14-17 |
Green and Yellow Apples | |
Granny Smith | 9-12 |
Golden Delicious | 11-13 |
Pippin (Newtown) | 10-12 |
Rhode Island Greening | 12-14 |
Bramley | 10-11 |
Mutsu (Crispin) | 10-13 |
Finding the Sweetest Apple
When you're searching for the sweetest apple, you might think about apples with high natural sugars and a delicious, sweet flavour. Among the many apple varieties, Fuji apples stand out as the sweetest.
These apples are known for their dense, white flesh and high sugar content, often reaching 16-18 Brix units, a measure of sweetness. If you have a sweet tooth and love apples with a juicy texture and firm textures, Fuji apples are perfect for you.
The sweetest apples based on sugar are Pink Lady, Bravo and Fuji. So the winner of the sweetest apple is not red or green, but pink! But if sugar is a concern maybe the sugar levels in these three are a deal breaker.
Which Apples Have the Least Sugar? Are They Tart?
If you want the sweet taste without the high sugar levels, by looking at the table, the red apples with the least amount of sugar are McIntosh, Red Delicious and Gala.
Granny Smith green apples are a good option if you want something with even less sugar and don't mind tart apples. Granny Smith are also great apples for baking. I recommend apple pie!
Green apples tend to be lower in sugar than red apples. So if lower sugar is a major point of selection green apples might be a better choice than sweet apple varieties. On the other hand, if you want your fruit to taste like candy, a Fuji, Red Delicious, or Honeycrisp is the way to go. I am looking forward to trying the Honeycrisp when it arrives.
Apples Ranked from Tart To Sweet
Granny Smith - Green
Bramley - Green
Pippin (Newtown) - Green
McIntosh - Red
Conclusion to the Sweet Apple Conversation
The exciting part about apples is that there are new apple varieties to explore all the time. If you're a gardener I recommend you buy some compatible apple trees. Why not start your own miniature apple orchard?
Your fruit bowl will never get boring. Try some of these sweet apple varieties. Do you agree with the list? For more click to read Are Red Apples Good for You? Happy apple crunching.
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