Don't Sleep On This Sweet Honeycrisp Alternative You Can Find At Trader Joe's

If you ask around for people's favorite types of apples, chances are most will say Honeycrisp. They've got that juicy and tart flavor with an extra-crispy texture. But did you know there's a whole world of easily accessible Honeycrisp alternatives for snacking that are as good or even better? You just have to know where to look. While you have plenty of tasty substitutes like Cosmic Crisp, Fuji, or Gala apples, there's one variety that is woefully underrated: SugarBee apples. One bite and you'll get the hype. It's sweet and crunchy with notes of molasses, caramel, and honey. And up until recently, they were a seasonal treat, but as of early 2024, you can enjoy them year-round. Trader Joe's is offering them for a limited time, so grab them conveniently while you can, though take heart that they are sold elsewhere if your local shop is out. 

Developed by chance in the 1990s, an orchardist found that his Minnesota Honeycrisp orchard had a new variety growing in its midst. After a bit of digging, he discovered that bees nearby had pollinated his Honeycrisp blossoms with an unidentified tree, and that's how the SugarBee lineage began. Today, they're an increasingly popular variety that you can tell apart from Honeycrisp due to their adorable honeycomb sticker and deeper red color. SugarBee harvest season is in the fall, but with bigger harvests, better storage, and more growers across Washington, fans can now find that crisp, sweet honey flavor any time of year. Whether you snack on slices dipped in peanut butter or make a buttery apple pie, the SugarBee might just be your new favorite treat.

The easiest way to enjoy SugarBee apples, or any other type of apple for that matter, is to slice them up and then dip or top them off with your favorite ingredients to amplify the sweetness, crunch, and overall flavor. Spread or drizzle peanut or almond butter to pair that honey crunch with some creamy nuttiness. Or go savory with slices of cheese, such as white cheddar or gouda, which perfectly complement the apple with those sharp and smoky flavors. They also work well at any time of day. Add that signature SugarBee snap to your morning Greek yogurt or granola bowls and drizzle with honey. Then for lunch, you can whip up an easy apple grilled cheese or apple-filled quesadilla that will blow your mind. For dinner, these fruits make a great addition to a mustardy sheet pan sausage and apples dish to go over mashed potatoes or wild rice.

And as far as drinks go, SugarBees give you a lot to work with in terms of flavor. Apple and whiskey make a refreshing pair for a creative cocktail, where the fruit's honey and caramel sweetness complement the alcohol's oak and vanilla notes. Dessert is where this apple really shines. Pies, cookies, ice cream, cake, donuts, this apple does it all. For instance, you can't go wrong with SugarBee's pleasurable sweetness and the warm spices and caramel flavor of Speculoos ice cream. An easy and quick dessert is to scoop out your apple and sprinkle in some brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and agave syrup, air fry them for a few minutes, and then top them off with vanilla ice cream. Once you get a taste of SugarBee's signature texture and flavor, your mind will be racing with endless recipe possibilities.