Move aside, McIntosh! There's a whole bushel of new apples in town. With bold colors and flavors, apples like Smitten and Kenzi are perfect for snacking, cooking and baking.
15 New Types of Apples You Should Be Buying
Updated Feb. 06, 2024
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Smitten
The beautiful bi-color Smitten apple got started in New Zealand, but has found a home in Washington state. It has complex flavors and should be delicious when eaten raw. In other words, the perfect way to get your peanut butter fix! Smitten apples also have crisp and tender flesh that holds up in well in baked desserts.
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Jazz
Grown all over the world, Jazz is a cross between a Braeburn and a Royal Gala. This aptly-named varietal will jazz up your cooking, whether you prefer sweet or savory recipes. It has subtle pear undertones that work for lots of baked goods, as well as everything from roasted meat and vegetable dishes to burgers.
By the way, have you ever heard about crab apples? Find out if they’re safe to eat.
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Kanzi
Meet Jazz’s little sister! Effervescent but more subtle than its sibling, Kanzi was specifically bred as a dessert variety. The crunch makes it a delicious, sweet snack on its own, a perfect accompaniment to strong cheeses like gorgonzola or the ideal apple for baking a pie.
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Cosmic Crisp
Cosmic Crisp has the same fresh crunch and sweet-and-tart flavor as Honeycrisp. Its texture and flavor definitely make it worth snacking on. Easy to grow, the apple is now being planted by the millions in Washington and is expected to arrive at your supermarket by 2019.
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Opal
With dandelion-yellow skin, Opal apples look as beautiful as their namesake—and taste as good as they look! The crisp flesh has tropical flavors of coconut and banana and, since it doesn’t brown, makes the apple a delicious, sweet addition to salads (like this light chicken and apple salad). Opals can also be used for baked goods, but they’re an excellent option to slice up and eat raw.
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SnapDragon
The SnapDragon apple was ten years in the making at Cornell University. A descendant of Honeycrisp, SnapDragons go all-in when it comes to sweetness, and have unique flavors of spice and vanilla. Bred to maximize crunch, you’ll want to eat ’em fresh, bring to wine and cheese night or top with cheese and honey.
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RubyFrost
Like the SnapDragon, the RubyFrost was the result of apple research at Cornell. More delicate than its sibling, RubyFrost is a crisp apple that has both sweet and sour flavors. It doesn’t get mushy when baked, so it’s ideal for our Top 10 Apple Dessert recipes.
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Rave
This snappy, playful apple is meant to appeal to a variety of taste buds. Juicy and refreshing, it’s great eaten raw or tossed into a salad, like Wendy’s Apple Pomegranate recipe. The Rave has an earlier-than-usual harvest, meaning apple season is going to start arriving a little sooner!
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Pacific Rose
It’s almost too pretty to eat. But in the case of Pacific Rose, beauty is more than just skin deep, and the magenta variety is refreshing and sweet. You might even pick up subtle floral notes in the flavor, making this gorgeous apple ideal for snacking on raw–and for adding a pop of pink to your kitchen fruit bowl.
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Zestar!
Zestar! apples pair sweet and tart to meet all of your apple needs. Grab one for a snack, bake into pies and pastries (did someone say caramel apple strudel?) or cover with caramel sauce for the perfect caramel apple.
Keep in mind that it browns easily, so Zestar! may not be the apple to serve raw in salads.
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SweeTango
SweeTango doesn’t compromise when it comes to crunch (the Guinness Book reported it was the world’s loudest apple, its crunch equaling the ring of an alarm clock). Lots of people love SweeTango because its flavor dances between sweet and sour. You can put it into an apple crisp or pair it with pork chops—but we’re sure you’ll be devouring them fresh, too!
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Arctic Golden
Arctic Golden apples are a twist on the ol’ favorite, Golden Delicious. They don’t brown, making Arctic Golden a great variety for snacking or presliced treats in the kids’ lunch boxes. (The parent company has also released Arctic Granny and Arctic Fuji, non-browning options for Granny Smith and Fuji fans.)
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Dazzle
There is no aspect of the Dazzle apple that does not live up to its name. Large in size, vibrant in color and delectably sweet, this New Zealand variety is also spreading its roots in Washington. It took producers more than 20 years to capture the perfect balance of crispness and taste, but we’d say it’s worth the effort.
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Flash Gala
For those who like the finer things, this apple boasts a color as dark as a good Pinot. Recently launched in South Africa, the sweet and fragrant Flash Gala is an upgrade on the traditional Gala, and you’ll want to eat it raw or in a salad (like this Spinach, Apple & Pecan dish) to maximize its juicy crunch.
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Envy
Don’t be surprised if Envy apples start taking over stands at your farmers market! It’s best eaten raw or topped with cheese, but can also be blended in smoothies, braised with chicken thighs or even baked into a cake. (Treat yourself with these indulgent Caramel Apple Cupcakes.)
Originally Published: August 14, 2018
