Honeycrisp Vs Cosmic Crisp Apples: What's The Difference?

While both Honeycrisp and Cosmic Crisp varieties of apples are highly sweet, juicy, and crunchy, they differ in terms of origin, shape, skin color, and taste.

Honeycrisp apples are a cross between a Keepsake apple and an unnamed variety, while Cosmic Crisp is the result of breeding Honeycrisp with Enterprise apples.

Cosmic Crisp has a deeper red skin with white speckles reminiscent of a starry constellation. The Honeycrisp apple has a reddish-pink skin with green-yellow streaking.

With a medium to large size and a round shape, Cosmic Crisp has the classic red apple look, while Honeycrisp is almost always one of the biggest ones in the store.

The prominent tasting notes in a Honeycrisp are sweet and juicy with a subtle tanginess. The Cosmic Crisp has a balance of sweet and tart but with no mouth-puckering sourness.

Cosmic Crisp was developed to create a long-lasting apple. In cold storage, it can last up to a year and isn’t supposed to brown as quickly as other varieties when sliced.

The natural sweetness of a Honeycrisp is perfect for any apple dessert, while Cosmic Crisp turns slightly tart when cooked, so more sugar may be needed when baking it.