Apples are one of the most popular fruits around the world. They have a sweet and tart flavor that makes them perfect for eating raw or using in various recipes. Apples are also prominent in many stories, fairy tales, and riddles over the centuries. Their round shape, bright colors, and symbolic meaning make apples an icon of health, knowledge, sin, and more.
Riddles can be a fun way to challenge your brain and think creatively. Apple riddles in particular take a common item and make you look at it in new ways. Below are 59 riddles all about apples, spanning topics like science, the Bible, nursery rhymes, and more. Each riddle helps you appreciate the apple and its legacy across cultures and history.
Easy apple riddles
These relatively simple apple riddles are great for kids or as a riddle warmup:
- I’m round and red, with a leafy head. Take a big bite, what fruit am I? Apple
- I’m a piece of fruit, red and sweet. Monkeys love me, I’m a fun treat. What am I? Apple
- In the garden I happily grew, till you picked me and ate me – who am I? Apple
- My outside is red or maybe green, inside I’m white and oh so sweet. What am I? Apple
- I’m a fruit that’s oh so round, find me growing on the ground. Red or green my skin can be, take a bite and you will see. What am I? Apple
Science apple riddles
These riddles focus on apples from a scientific perspective:
- I have vitamin C and fiber inside, flavonoids and quercetin abide. I’ll boost your health, of that I’m proud,
Name me please, so good and round. What am I? Apple - Gravity brings me down from my tree, photosynthesis feeds me. Lycopene gives me redness true, phytonutrients make my colors anew. What am I? Apple
- With pectin and malic acid I’m rich, lots of potassium too in each niche. From my tree’s xylem I get hydration, the phloem gives me needed nutrition. What am I? Apple
- I’m a fruit named after a tree’s ovary, with seeds nestled in chambers that make up my core. Though I’m not truly a berry it’s true, I’m still classified as a pome like a pear or quince too. What am I? Apple
- A mutant allele formed me pink and bright, too much nitrogen made me doubly alight. An apple I surely am right from the start, just different in hue and appealing to tart. What am I? Pink Lady apple
Bible apple riddles
Apples show up in a few famous Biblical stories. Here are some apple riddles inspired by The Bible:
- In a famous garden I was the temptation, the forbidden fruit that caused the first devastation. Eve ate me first despite the clear warning, since then humans have focused on morning. What am I? The apple from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden
- With a slingshot I was shot down, smote in the forehead I hit the ground. Brought as a gift, I was up to no good, leading the way to spilled blood. What am I? The poisoned apple that David used his slingshot to knock off of Saul’s head
- Wisdom I’m said to impart upon those who bite me, knowledge and truth I willingly loan. But beware I’m for leaders alone to digest, consume me improperly you’ll end up suppressed. What am I? The apple of knowledge/wisdom
- Plucked from a tree I’m said to be, the teacher’s snack shared willingly. But beware this fruit comes with a toll, for with me in hand you’ll no longer be whole. What am I? The apple of knowledge
Nursery rhyme apple riddles
Apples show up in many classic nursery rhymes, as these riddles demonstrate:
- I shone with dew though the night was dark, you cut me down with your shining bark. We danced together, but alas I fell, and couldn’t get up to end the nursery rhyme well. What am I? The apple from “Humpty Dumpty”
- I rolled down the hill with Jack until we came to rest. Jack left me behind without contest. I was forgotten on the ground, but his head injury was eventually found. What am I? The apple from “Jack and Jill”
- Floating along I was snatched by a thief, though I put up quite an effort with only a leaf. He’d not let me go for his hunger was large, and into his belly I fell with great charge. What am I? The apple eaten by the fox in “A Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night”
- They danced round and round while I looked on, perched up high upon my tree withdrawn. The piper soon led them away, for they could not stand the bright light of day. Who am I? The apple tree from “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”
Religious apple riddles
Apples have religious and mythological significance across many faiths:
- In a garden of gods I was nurtured with care, till trouble found us to fill us with scare. Biting my flesh brought eternal unrest, removing mankind from paradise’s best. What am I? The apple from the Garden of Eden
- Eight of us grew in a sacred grove, granting immortality to those who strove. But one woman ate what she should not have tasted, mortality’s fate forever was then cemented. What are we? The golden apples of Idunn from Norse mythology
- Floating in water the solution did rise, creating a fruit between worldly ties. Opposite forces came into unity, yin and yang brought to harmony. What am I? The apple representing peace from the story of Atalanta and Hippomenes in Greek mythology
- In a contest of speed I was meant to distract, thrown down to slow the pace and detract. But love found its way into fortune’s design, stopping the race so two hearts could entwine. What am I? The golden apple used by Hippomenes in Greek myth to beat Atalanta in a footrace and win her hand in marriage
Fairy tale apple riddles
Apples are iconic in fairy tales from around the world:
- I’m forbidden to pick though I always look ripe, nestled high in a tree, spotted red and bright. Consuming me undid a spell quite in a snap, when you crave magic fruit you must beware the trap. What am I? The red apple eaten by Snow White
- A house stood above me, up in a tall tree. I grew ripe below, waiting patiently. When I fell down it caused quite a scene, breaking the skull of the one who had been so mean. What am I? The apple that hit the Evil Queen in Snow White
- Shot through with gold I was treasured and prized, guarded by a spirit angered and despised. When I was snuck away it caused discontent, leading to a story’s typical violent end. What am I? The golden life-giving apple stolen by Anja from Storm Wind in Slavic folklore
- I was offered up as a betrothal gift, shining and golden I gave the suitors no lift. For when they partook of the enchanted fruit, into oblivion they permanently took root. What am I? The golden apple from the Prince Lindworm story
Literature apple riddles
Apples have special meanings in these literary riddles:
- In the garden I hung low, red and waiting for my role. Forbidden to all, including me you see, except for ones who played pretend beneath my tree. What am I? The apple tree from Peter Pan
- My friend was hungry I could tell, his growling stomach rung out like a bell. When seeking a snack I showed him the way, to a perfect treat hidden beneath the hay. What am I? The mouse who led Clifford to the apples in Clifford the Big Red Dog
- Bouncing along we were chased by a man, hiking to see our dear Granny Ann. Over the river and through the woods we fled, dropping treats so our trail wasn’t easily read. What are we? Little Red Riding Hood and her apple treats
- Roadside I stood ripe, juicy and round, when two hungry travelers came whom I found. Picking me cost them dearly I fear, for duty and friendship soon became clear. What am I? The apple from the Robert Frost poem “After Apple Picking”
Rhyming apple riddles
These rhyming riddles add poetic flair:
- I start out as a flower then become a fruit,
My skin can be red, yellow, or green to suit.
Squirrels and birds are after my flesh,
Kids love to pick me fresh. What am I? Apple - I’m round and sweet, a healthy treat,
Though with seeds inside that you can’t eat.
If you guess pear or plum, you just aren’t right,
I’m red or green and so delicious and bright. What am I? Apple - Crunchy when I’m fresh, tasty in a pie,
Juice made from me is a popular buy.
I’m a fruit that’s oh so sweet,
A favorite treat for kids to eat. What am I? Apple - From a tree I hang upon a stem,
Peel me, core me, and share with a friend.
Red or green my colors be,
Bite in to find my sweet seeds three. What am I? Apple - I’m a fruit that’s oh so round,
Growing from trees I’m found.
Doc once said I’ll keep you healthy day by day,
So don’t forget to eat your fruits and veggies I say! What am I? Apple
Other fun apple riddles
Here are a few more fun apple riddles to ponder:
- We were once yellow and round, hanging high from the ground. Till Sir Isaac caused us dismay, making one slip and fall away. Now we’re more known for gravity, all because of one brave apple tree. What are we? The apples that inspired Newton’s theory of gravity
- Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily I nourish your regime. Fibrous and flavonoid-rich, vitamins fulfilled in every niche. What am I? Apple
- Over Hill and over Dale, as we hit the dusty trail. As you go in for a bite, I’ll give your health a boost of might. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, so have one now, don’t delay! What am I? Apple
- One bad bite brought trouble and sin, but consume me daily and wellness you’ll win. I keep doctors away, so you can play, when you eat an apple every day. What am I? Apple
- White flesh I may have instead of cream, green or red or sometimes in between. Applesauce and cider come from me, many a holiday treat with brown sugar or cinnamon be. What am I? Apple
Conclusion
Apples have inspired many riddles over time related to science, religion, nursery rhymes, and more. Their popularity worldwide makes apples the perfect subject for brainteasers. I hope you enjoyed these 59 apple riddles spanning many topics and genres. Riddles are a fun way to think outside the box and appreciate the stories behind our everyday foods.
