Apple
Here’s a list of fruits that resemble apples (pictured above) in their outer appearance (shape, color, texture).
1. Dungs (Jujube)
Also called Chinese dates, fresh jujubes are small, round to oval, with smooth, shiny red or green skin—much like mini apples. As they ripen, they darken and wrinkle, but when fresh, they have an apple-like crunch and appearance.
2. Pears
While pears typically have a tapered neck, many varieties (especially rounder ones like Bartlett) can resemble apples in size, color, and smooth skin. The green or red hues and similar texture make them easy to confuse from a distance.
3. Asian Pears
Also known as nashi pears, these fruits are often round, crisp, and apple-like in texture. Their golden-brown or pale green skin, along with their firm, juicy flesh, makes them nearly identical to apples at a glance.
4. Quinces
Quinces are typically yellow and round or oval, with fuzzy skin when unripe. Their firm flesh and apple-like scent add to the resemblance, though they are usually too hard and sour to eat raw like apples.
5. Nectarines
Smooth-skinned like apples, nectarines are round and red or yellow, similar to certain apple varieties in shape and sheen. Their lack of fuzz makes them look more apple-like than peaches.
6. Peach
Though fuzzier than apples, peaches can have a round, red-blushed appearance that mimics an apple’s shape and color. Some flatter or firmer varieties could easily pass for apples in a fruit bowl.
7. Medlar
When unripe, medlars are round, brownish-green, and apple-sized with a small dimple at the base. Their firm skin and size can resemble russet apples, though they soften and brown significantly when ripe.
8. Malay Apple (Syzygium malaccense)
Malay apples are large, shiny, and deep red, often shaped like elongated apples or bell peppers. Their crisp texture and polished skin make them look very apple-like, especially in markets.
9. Loquat
Loquats are small, round to oval, with smooth yellow-orange skin, resembling small golden apples. They have juicy, mildly sweet-tart flesh and are often mistaken for miniature apples in clusters.
10. Pomegranate
At first glance, pomegranates resemble red apples due to their round shape, shiny skin, and similar size. While the interior is very different (full of juicy seeds), the outside appearance can definitely cause confusion.
11. Persimmon
Persimmons—especially Fuyu varieties—are round, smooth, and orange-red, looking quite similar to apples. Their glossy skin and squat shape can easily mislead someone into thinking it’s an apple.
12. Hawthorn
Hawthorn berries are small, round, red fruits that grow in clusters and look like tiny crabapples. Their color, firmness, and texture can closely mimic miniature apples, especially certain cultivated varieties.