Your Favorite Apple Is Getting Even More Expensive. Here's The Rising Star Taking Its Place

Honeycrisp apples are one of the most popular apple varieties in the United States. Literally both honey-sweet and refreshingly crisp as well as offering a balance of tartness, they combine the best properties of other types of apples into one covetable fruit. Unfortunately, honeycrisp supply is down and prices are up. What's a honeycrisp fan to do? Discover the very similar appeal of cosmic crisp apples, of course.

When you learn about the different popular varieties of apples, you quickly understand why you and everyone you know has been gravitating toward the honeycrisp basket in the produce aisle or at the farmer's market. Honeycrisp apples are, surprisingly, a modern creation, intentionally crossbred and cultivated at the University of Minnesota, fine-tuned for decades, and released to the public in 1991. Over time, consumers began trying and loving honeycrisps, and the variety became an American favorite in the 21st century.

How do you replace an apple variety specifically developed to boast a delicious flavor profile and texture? With another one just as painstakingly perfected. Cosmic crisp apples sound like a starry, space-age version of the honeycrisp, and they are indeed a contemporary update. They're the creation of Washington State University and only debuted in 2019. They're cross-bred between honeycrisp and enterprise apples, and contain satisfying sweetness pleasantly balanced by bright acidity as well as a nice, crisp bite. With more supply and subsequently lower prices, cosmic crisp are an ideal substitute if you're missing your honeycrisps.

The reason honeycrisp apples have gotten so expensive is because of dwindling supply and a delicate nature. The amount of apples being grown in the United States has dropped in recent years, and honeycrisp in particular took a nosedive in 2024 — between major growing regions like the state of Washington and the Midwest, crops shrunk by 32% to 40%, according to The Food Institute. That's driven the price up, and honeycrisps were already a pricier variety to begin with. That's because they're not exactly hardy. Honeycrisp apples demand certain conditions like full sunlight to grow well and don't fare the best in storage and shipment because they bruise easily. They have to be hand-picked, and not every picked apple will hold up long enough to be sold. 

Cosmic crisp, on the other hand, is like a new and improved honeycrisp. In addition to that intensely delicious flavor profile and crispy consistency, cosmic crisps are sturdier and can be stored and transported more easily. Growing in greater numbers and shipping without damage, this variety is cheaper and, therefore, more attractive to both stores and shoppers.

Some apple enthusiasts have noted that honeycrisp apples don't even taste as good as they used to. This, again, has to do with their delicate nature: Their thin skin makes them susceptible to issues from blight to rot. Cosmic crisps are hardier, arguably tastier, and cheaper. From snacking to classic apple strudel, this newer variety may take the cake.