How to Cut an Apple (4 Different Methods)

Sometimes recipe will call for apples to be cut in specific shapes and sizes to match your recipe. Baking a rustic apple pie? You’re going to want large chunks. Making apple crisp? We’re going to need smaller bits.

Or maybe you just want to know the fastest way to cut an apple up to have a snack. Read on to learn how to peel and cut apples in four different ways for any recipe and learn how to keep cut apples from browning too!

The Best Way to Peel Apples

The best way to peel an apple is using a fruit and vegetable peeler. While this is a single-use tool utensil, it’s helpful because it’s safer than a knife and comes with a curved top that removes the stem. Since its blade is semi-covered and set to peel at a specific depth, you can peel much faster than a knife without giving any thought about how hard to press or how deep to peel.

If you don’t have a peeler, you can use a paring knife to gently glide the knife under the skin and use your thumb as a guide. I like to move around the apple from the top to the bottom to move around the curves more easily. 

The Fastest Way To Cut Apples to Eat

If you want a quick way to cut apples to eat or recipes like protein overnight oats and frozen smoothie packs, we recommend using a knife to simply cut off all the flesh around the core. The pieces aren’t uniform, but it’s fast! 

1. Clean your apple, cut ½ inch from the stem, and slice through. 
2. Turn the apple 90° and cut another slice ½ inch away from the stem. Continue this step until you have four pieces of apple and a core. 
3. Discard the core.
4. Peel your apples if you want. 
5. Slice your apples by placing them flesh side down, cutting them into thin or thick pieces, or dice them based on your preference. 
6. Serve.

How to Cut An Apple Into Slices

If you want to cut an apple into slices, we like cutting them into eight wedges and then cutting the cores off each wedge. The pieces are more uniform so they look nice.

1. Clean your apple and cut your apple in half. 
2. Place the apple halves on the cutting board with the flesh side down and cut them in half. You should have four pieces now. 
3. Cut each piece in half again, making eight pieces. 
4. Take each wedge and cut off the core and seeds from the center. Repeat with all the pieces. 
5. Peel the wedges if you want. 
6. Serve. 

How to Cut Apples for Pie or Apple Crisp (Matchsticks or Diced)

To cut apples for a pie or apple crisp, we recommend peeling the apple first and then slicing off all the sides. This type of cut will give you pieces that are easy to cut into matchsticks or dice.  

1. Clean the apple. 
2. Use a peeler to remove all the peels from the apple.
3. Use a knife to locate ½ inch from the stem and slice through the apple. 
4. Turn the apple 90° and make another cut ½ inch from the stem. Continue until you are left with four pieces of apple and a core. 
5. Discard the core. 
6. Place the apple pieces flat side down on the cutting board.
7. Slice your apples into thin or thick cuts or dice them based on your preference. 
8. Serve. 

How to Thinly Slice An Apple (Rounds)

If you want apple rounds or circular apple slices, you need a knife and a ½-inch circular cookie cutter to remove the cores. 

1. Clean your apple and lay it on its side. 
2. Use a sharp knife to cut out ¼-inch thick slices through the apple. This may be a little difficult once you reach the core and will take a bit of strength to cut through. 
3. After you’ve made all your rounds, use a ½-inch circular cookie cutter (or something similar) to cut out the core on each round. 
4. Discard the cores and serve. 

How Can I Keep Cut Apples From Turning Brown?

After cutting apples, you can prevent them from browning (oxidizing) by submerging them in a water and lemon juice mixture. If you have extra slices you want to preserve, try freezing apples. 

1. Combine water and lemon juice until incorporated.
2. Add the cut apples into the mixture and let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the apples and rinse them if desired. 
4. Fridge the apples or serve immediately. 

How Do You Cut An Apple Without A Slicer?

An apple slicer is an appliance that creates apple wedges and removes the core in one swift motion. We recommend using a knife and cutting board to get apple wedges without a slicer. Cut the apple in half from the top down and slice them into eight wedges. For each wedge, slice the center of the core off.