How Many Apples Are In a Cup?

Zoe Denenberg

When the weather starts cooling down, it’s time to fire up the oven (or the slow cooker) and get baking. A trip to the apple orchard is a fabulous fall activity for families—sip on hot cider, roam around the fields, and pick out some shiny red and green apples to take home with you. We’ll never leave a trip to the orchard without a basket full of farm-fresh apples—but what to do with all that ripe seasonal fruit? Of course, the natural answer would be to bake it into apple pie, but there are many more ways with fresh apples to explore. Whether you’re stewing up homemade apple butter, fresh apple bread, or a fruity fall dessert, it’s essential to know how many apples you’ll need for the task.

Recipes will typically call for cups of apples rather than a certain amount of apples. But how many apples are in a cup? A pound? Don’t worry: We’re breaking it down to simplify your fall baking task. Here’s just how many apples you’ll need for your fall recipes.

Let’s start with the basics. A general apple size guide:

  • Small apple = 2 1/4 inches across

  • Medium apple = 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 inches across

  • Large apple = 3 3/4 inches across

We’ll base our calculations off of an average medium apple. Apples come in many shapes and sizes, so the exact measurements will vary based on the size and variety of apple you’re using. Keep in mind that these proportions will change if you are using slightly smaller or larger apples. Here’s a general guide for how to translate those apples into measurements.

How Many Apples in a Cup?

1 medium apple =

  • about 1 1/3 cups sliced or cubed

  • about 1 1/4 cups diced

  • about 1 cup finely sliced, minced, or grated

  • about 3/4 cup sauce

How Many Apples in a Pound?

  • 4 medium apples = about 1 pound

  • 2 large apples = about 1 pound

  • 1 pound apples = about 1 1/3 cups applesauce

  • 1 pound of apples = about 3 cups sliced or cubed apples

WATCH: Buxton Hall Ultimate Apple Pie

From there, you’ll just need a little basic math to make your calculations. If the recipe calls for 6 cups of sliced apples, you’ll likely need about 8 medium-sized apples, or about 2 pounds of medium-sized apples. Now go fill your home with the scents of the season and bake the day away.