If you are baking or cooking with apples, read this guide Baking with Apples! This guide will explain to you which apples are best and why, as well as 14 delicious vegan apple recipes that you can make today!
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Baking with apples
I love baking with apples as well as eating them just raw, they are such a lovely fruit to have in your kitchen! Have you ever wondered which apples are best for what you are making? Like, apple pies? Me too! So many times I’ve lost count of it.
Apples are one of the most popular fruits, so it’s not surprising to see them used in many recipes. If you like eating apples or making different types of homemade foods with them like me, you might have wondered which apples are the best quality.
All apples are great for baking and cooking but in general, apples that have a higher sugar content are usually better for baking and cooking because they will caramelize nicely and give a natural sweetness to food. However, there’s more to apples than that so let’s take a look at the character of each apple!
Which apple should I use for baking and cooking?
Golden Delicious: This variety is known for its large size and its sweet, juicy flesh. It’s a great option if you’re looking for something on the sweeter side.
Granny Smith: A cross between an apple and a crabapple, this variety has a tart flavour but is still sweet enough to be eaten raw. It also has a crisp texture and holds its shape well while cooking.
Jonagold: This cross between Jonathan and Golden Delicious has a crisp texture and bright colour that makes it easy to find among other varieties in your grocery store or farmers’ market. It’s also perfect for baking because it holds its shape well during cooking.
Cortland: The Cortland apple is a great choice for making applesauce because it’s mild and sweet and has fairly firm flesh so it won’t turn mushy when cooking. You can use this apple in any recipe that calls for “any kind of apple.”
MacIntosh: This variety has firm flesh and sweet flavour that makes it ideal for making pies or other desserts. If you’re looking for something with less sugar than most apples, this would be a good choice for you!
Fuji: This sweet and crunchy apple is perfect for baking because it doesn’t brown as quickly as other varieties. It also makes a great addition to baked goods because it has a mellow flavour that won’t overpower the other ingredients in your dish!
Pink Lady: This is an Australian variety that is sweet and crisp, with a hint of tartness. It makes great applesauce that’s less sweet than other apples.
Red Delicious: This classic American apple is sweet and juicy, with a mild flavour that makes it easy to blend into your favourite sauces as well as great for baking!
Gala: The Gala apple has a sweet flavour with hints of honey and caramel, making it perfect for making homemade applesauce without sugar!
Should I leave the skin on or peel it off?
It totally depends on your preference and what you are using the apples for! I love the chunky texture that unpeeled apples give to my baked goods and I also love the smooth texture that peeled apples give to my applesauce.
Why leave the skin on:
Food made with unpeeled apples is a little bit healthier because you’re getting more fibre and other nutrients from the peel. It will retain more nutrients than food made with peeled apples. This is because peeling removes the peel and much of the skin — which is where most of the nutrients are stored.
Leaving the skin on is a great easy to add more texture to food. It also adds a lovely pink colour which I quite like!
And lastly, it saves time to peel the apples!
Why peel the skin off:
The texture of the apple will be much sofer in baked goods or cooked food. It’s also much easier to blend or mash them for baking and cooking.
The colour of the final product will have no pink colour compared to the ones made with unpeeled apples.
Baking with applesauce
Applesauce is one of the many things you can make with apples for baking. I love making applesauce. It’s a great way to use up some of the apples I have laying around, and it’s delicious on yoghurt or in baked goods. Applesauce is actually an amazing egg replacer too! 1/4 cup of it equals 1 egg.
As we talked about earlier, there are a lot of different types of apples, and they all have different properties. Because applesauce is essentially just a puree of apples, the best apples for homemade applesauce without sugar, which is perfect to use for baking, are those that have a high water content, but not too much acidity. That way, it’ll be easy to blend and won’t turn out too chunky.
Some of the best sweet varieties are Gala and Fuji. However, if you’re looking for a more tart taste, try Granny Smith or Pink Lady. These apples are perfect for cooking, baking, or adding to salads.
Generally speaking, sweet apples are better than tart ones to make homemade applesauce without sugar. If you are adding sweeteners and other spices to your applesauce, you can use tart ones to balance out the sweet and tart flavour. I wouldn’t use too sweet apples for applesauce with sugar in it because sweet apples + sugar can be too sweet, like apple candy rather than a naturally sweetened sauce. So use tart apples in your recipe if you are adding sweeteners!
This applesauce recipe I made is so easy to make, it’s crazy how a simple recipe like this can be so delicious! For this recipe, I used Fuji apples, but you can use any kind of apple you have on hand. Chop up the apples, add them to a pot with some water, and then cook them until they’re soft. Then all you have to do is blend the cooked apples until they’re smooth and creamy. That’s it! You can even add a little bit of maple syrup if you like it sweeter.
14 Delicious Vegan Apple Recipes!
Here are 14 delicious vegan apple recipes that you can make today!
Apple Crumble Cake
This is the most delicious apple crumble cake ever! It’s simple to make yet super soft, moist, and fluffy with lots of juicy chunks of apples topped with lovely crumbles and more apple chunks. It’s one of the best autumn and winter desserts and perfect for any festive occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as for enjoying over a weekend tea time!
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
These vegan apple cinnamon muffins are made with homemade applesauce and lots of juicy and chunky apples. Full of lovely flavour and warm and cosy aroma of cinnamon. They are easy to make, refined sugar-free, fluffy, juicy, soft, and of course, so delicious. Great as a healthier option for your breakfast and snack!
Applesauce
This simple unsweetened homemade applesauce recipe is made with only one ingredient, apple! It’s a healthy fruit puree you can have on porridge, yoghurt, or just by itself as a healthy snack. It’s easy to make and perfect to use in baking and cooking too!
Apple Crumble Bars
Great breakfast will kick start your day the right way, and these vegan apple crumble bars are perfect for it. They are healthy yet decadent, sweet and super delicious, it’s like having a dessert for breakfast. Of course, they are also great as a healthy dessert/snack, and lovely addition to a party table.
Apple Walnut Pastry Purses
These puff pastry apple purses are the perfect easy treats to make in celebration of apple season. They are adorable, fun, and everyone loves them! – By World of Vegan
Apple Cake
This Vegan Apple Cake is not only delicious but also gluten-free. It’s perfect for those with dietary restrictions or who are simply looking for a healthier alternative to traditional cake recipes. – By Our Plant-based World
Apple Walnut Bars
Easy to make with simple ingredients! Apples and walnuts are layered over a buttery crust then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and baked for a deliciously easy fall dessert or afternoon snack! – By This Wife Cooks
Healthy Apple Oatmeal Muffins
These mini muffins are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Fresh apples are grated with heart-healthy oats, whole wheat flour, and flax! – By Stef’s Eats and Sweets
Mini Vegan Apple Strudels
These mini apple strudels are the perfect vegan finger food for parties and gatherings. Plus they’re easy to make! – By World of Vegan
Apple Crumble Muffins
Quick and easy nut, egg and dairy-free apple crumble muffins. Featuring a delicious combination of apple and cinnamon in the muffins and the crunchy crumble topping. Just like an apple crumble dessert in a tasty muffin. Perfect for snacks or to serve warm with some dairy-free vanilla ice cream. This allergy-friendly and vegan recipe also has a gluten-free option. – By Allergy Spot
Air Fryer Apples
You don’t have to wait for hours to dehydrate apples. Let an air fryer do the job for a quick and healthy snack! Make air fryer apple chips or regular dehydrated apples in a matter of minutes using your air fryer. – By The Flavour Bells
Caramel Apples
Healthy homemade caramel apples? These are made with Medjool dates, coconut milk, vanilla extract and sea salt. That’s it! – By World of Vegan
Apple Coffee Cake
Apple coffee cake is the perfect treat to celebrate the start of fall. This vegan version is so tasty, you won’t miss the eggs or dairy!- By Ellie Likes Cooking
Apple Caramel Crumb Cake
A decadent vegan caramel apple crumb cake, featuring a fluffy spiced cake, juicy caramel apples, and buttery pecan streusel.- By Ellie Likes Cooking
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