17 Red Delicious Apple Recipes Even Granny Smith Can’t Resist 🍎

Most of us have been in the situation where we find our kitchen full of fresh apples but we don’t really know what to do with them. The good news is, there is A LOT you can do when it comes to red delicious apple recipes!

The beautiful deep red color paired with the mild taste makes it a great choice to stock up on while grocery shopping.

Not to mention their strong shelf life of three to five months!

Although it is not always the best choice to bake with red delicious apples since they tend to get softer and mushy, there is still a lot that can be done with this classic apple.

These apples are great for soft recipes such as Instant Pot Applesauce or Caramel Apple Butter.

They also incorporate just the right amount of sweetness when added in an Apple Salad or an Apple Pie Smoothie.

#15 includes my favorite candy bar as part of the recipe.

Even if you decide to bake with red delicious apples, there are a few options you can use that won’t distract with the softer texture that develops.

Here are 17 red delicious apple recipes to help you take advantage of the beautiful and tasty fruit you may have filling up space in your kitchen!

1. Apple Crumble

Even though many bakers will warn against using red delicious apples while baking, their sweet yet mild flavor makes it a great choice for a fool-proof Apple Crumble recipe.

The crisp topping of this baked dish gives you an almost oatmeal cookie-like flavor and texture which makes it even tastier.

This baked dish can easily be made a couple of days ahead of time so you can pop it in the oven the day you need it and save a ton of time!

2. Chicken Salad With Apples

Red delicious apples have a crisp texture when used fresh making it a great choice for a kick of sweetness in your homemade Chicken Salad.

Making your own Chicken Salad will only take about ten minutes and is a very straightforward, simple-to-follow process!

You get a lot of freshness in your Chicken Salad from not only the red delicious apples but also the celery and crushed pecan pieces.

3. Apple Cookie Snacks

Recipes using red delicious apples often play on the juiciness and slight crispness the apple present.

These Apple Cookies give you a sweet treat without making you feel guilty for indulging in your sweet tooth.

Slathering some peanut butter, nuts, and chocolate chips onto slices of red delicious apples gives you a nice balance between fresh fruit and your favorite cookie ingredients.

A guilt-free treat that kids and adults will all enjoy!

4. Apple Juice

Whether you want to give your little ones an unprocessed juice without unnecessary ingredients added in or you want to make yourself a refreshing drink to sip on, Apple Juice is a classic drink.

Red delicious apples give you a sweeter juice without needing to add too much extra sugar or sweetener.

There are so many methods for juicing your apples including using a juicer, blender, squeezing the juice, or even boiling it on the stove.

Throw in some extra ingredients like cinnamon, citrus fruit, or some greens for you to find your new go-to homemade Apple Juice recipe!

5. Baked Apple Chips

If you’re wondering what to make with red delicious apples, Baked Apple Chips should be at the top of your mind!

This is a great way to get a crispy snack that satisfies your sweet tooth without having you go towards cookies.

A light dusting of sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger can also add some extra zing to this light snack. 

You could try making apple chips in the air fryer if you’ve got one!

6. Apple Fritter Rings

Whether for breakfast or dessert, this apple fritter recipe will give you an apple-flavored donut-like confection!

Using pancake mix to coat your apples makes it a lot easier than combining all of the different powders and gives you a nice fluffy texture.

After frying your fritters, toss them in some confectioner’s sugar for an extra dash of sweetness for your sweet treat!

7. Baked Apples With Sausage Stuffing

Recipes with red apples make a great way to enjoy stuffing, aside from eating it with turkey on Thanksgiving.

Using the bright red color of red delicious apples makes a beautiful edible bowl for you to serve your sausage stuffing.

Some like to mix apples into their stuffing but filling the apples with stuffing gives a unique twist on your favorite stuffing recipe!

8. Apple Salad With Pecans And Raisins

If you are wondering, “What can I do with extra red delicious apples?” a quick salad is an excellent way to make use of the popular apple.

This recipe is a nice change from the classic Waldorf salad, giving you a fresh and crisp salad with small adjustments to balance out the new flavors of the salad.

While this salad is great enjoyed on top of some lettuce leaves, you can make this into a tasty dessert by switching out the mayo and celery for yogurt.

9. Instant Pot Applesauce

Since red delicious apples tend to get soft from cooking, they are a great pick for making applesauce.

Using an instant pot for your applesauce takes a lot of trouble out of the preparation!

Just combine your ingredients into the instant pot, let it cook, and mash it to your desired consistency once it is all done cooking!

The kids will love this homemade applesauce and you will find the adults snacking on it, too!

10. Shredded Apple Pie

When you are researching recipes for red apples, you will come across a lot of variations of apple pies but with red delicious apples, a lot of these may not work out well.

Fortunately, by shredding your red delicious apples you can still enjoy an apple pie with the familiar apple variety.

Shredding the apples makes it melt in your mouth and when your pie is served warm with caramel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, it will win over the stomachs of all who take a bite!

11. Apple Cider

The major difference between Apple Cider and Apple Juice is the presence of pulp in cider.

Red delicious apples add a great element to Apple Cider for their soft texture and their natural level of sweetness.

As the weather cools down, a warm mug of Apple Cider shared with friends and family is a good way to spend time together and bond over a delicious homemade drink.

12. Fried Apples

Red delicious apples are already delicious, hence the name.

So it doesn’t take very much to make them into an appetizing dish when frying them.

A bit of sugar and butter make them into a great-tasting side dish or light dessert.

This is so simple to prepare, even a beginner cook could give this recipe a try!

13. Taffy Apple Salad

Even though this is technically a salad, it is fitting to be a dessert!

Whipped cream, sugar, pineapple, and salted peanuts give this salad dish a creamy and crunchy texture with so many fruity flavors balancing out with your apples.

This salad has a caramel flavor but interestingly enough, there is no caramel in it!

The apple cider vinegar used in this recipe mixes with the other flavors in the dish to give you a creamy and sweet flavor.

14. Apple Pie Smoothie

If it is breakfast time and you’re thinking about what to do with red delicious apples that may be filling up your kitchen, spend five minutes to blend yourself a smoothie that tastes like an apple pie in drink form!

A pinch of cinnamon tossed into the Apple Pie Smoothie gives more pie flavors and complements the red delicious flavors so well.

Adding in some nonfat Greek yogurt and some old-fashioned oats will help keep you full and start your day with a bit more energy!

15. Snickers Apple Salad

This twist on traditional taffy salads is great for when you want a sweet dish to take along to a potluck but want something a little different from the classic taffy salad recipe.

You have a cheesecake mixture that your apples are folded into topped with bite-sized Snickers pieces and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Keep this chilled until you are ready to serve it to make sure it tastes its best!

A good portion of this Snickers Apple Salad can be made ahead of time so when the day comes, you just need to fold in the apples to the cheesecake mixture and add your toppings.

16. Caramel Apple Butter

Caramel Apple Butter goes great with toast, oatmeal, pancakes, pork, and so much more!

It’s an incredibly versatile item and making it yourself is so rewarding, especially because you know exactly what is going into it and you can make adjustments based on what you like.

By throwing your Caramel Apple Butter mixture into a crockpot, a lot of the work is taken out of the preparation.

Using red delicious apples makes this an inexpensive way to make a bulk batch of apple butter and increase the natural sweetness of the spread.

If you’re not a fan of caramel here’s an alternative Apple Butter recipe made from applesauce.

17. Cinnamon Apple Cake

When you have a ton of red delicious apples sitting around, try making them into a Cinnamon Apple Cake!

This is great for getting into the fall dessert mood and lets you use the apples you have piling up at home.

Cooking the apples in a skillet before baking helps avoid the mush that red delicious apples can become when cooked.

Add a dusting of powdered sugar to this cake and serve immediately!

The bottom line

Red delicious apples have so many uses which are great considering how accessible and affordable these apples are.

They are great when enjoyed raw but can also be baked or cooked when done so correctly.

When you have a ton of red delicious apples at home and are wondering what to do with them, think back to this list and try one of these delicious recipes!