While Link is busy saving Hyrule in Tears of the Kingdom, he still needs to find time to eat. Food is an important part of the game. It can heal you, give you buffs, and make sure you are able to survive certain weather conditions. It is one of the most important aspects of the game.
One ingredient that can take your cooking to the next level is the Golden Apple. These fruits can increase the amount your meals heal by a lot. They can also ensure you are making the best food that you can.
Updated by Erin Rice on July 5, 2023: After exploring Hyrule for some time, it is evident that Golden Apples can be found in certain locations. This update adds these locations to the places to find Golden Apples. It also adds some additional information on how Golden Apples help recipes.
What Are Golden Apples?
Golden Apples are just regular Apples that are Golden. Their rarity makes them a perfect ingredient for food. They offer Link one and a half Hearts restored rather than the regular Apple's half a Heart.
However, you do not want to make the mistake of eating them raw. You want to cook them into meals, so you can get all you can out of them.
They will turn any regular dish into one that heals a ton of Hearts. Not only do they add plenty of Hearts, but they will also add an additional 20 seconds to the duration of any effects your meal may have.
Golden Apple Locations
Golden Apples are found on any apple tree in the Kingdom of Hyrule. They are extremely rare and difficult to find. Anytime you find an apple tree, check to make sure that it doesn't have a Golden Apple; you do not want to miss out on them. The best places to look for these are near forests. The Minshi Woods is close to the Lost Woods and Korok Forest.
Any of the trees there has a chance of being apple trees. You can also look at the many other woods and forests that dot the kingdom. Another place to look for these fruits is in the Sky Islands. While the golden color helps them stand out on the ground, it can cause them to blend in if you're on the Sky Islands. You'll want to pay extra attention to the apples growing on trees there.
Sonapan Shrine
Once again, the best places to look for Golden Apples are in forests. One of the best forests to look for Golden Apples in is the unnamed apple forest by Sonapan Shrine. This is a shrine located toward the eastern edge of Satori Mountain. All you need to do is teleport to the location, and you will see the forest beside it.
The sheer amount of apple trees in this area makes this the best place in the game to find Golden Apples. You can find upwards of 10 or more if you look hard enough. The apples on the tree will respawn every 2 days in-game.
Forests With Apple Trees
There are 11 forests scattered around Hyrule where players can find Golden Apples in.
- Applean Forest - East of Lookout Landing
- Bronas Forest - East of Faron Grasslands
- Bubinga Forest - East of Dueling Peaks
- Dalite Forest - South of Satori Mountain
- Damel Forest - Southwest of Dueling Peaks
- Ebara Forest - West of Lurelin Village
- Forest of Spirits - North of the Great Plateau
- Forest of Time - Northeast of the Great Plateau
- Giant's Forest - West of Lookout Landing
- Hyrule Forest - East of Hyrule Castle
- Retsam Forest - South of Mount Lanayru
Woods With Apple Trees
Woods are areas of trees that are smaller in area than forests. Still, these are great areas to hunt for Golden Apples. There are 10 in total scattered round the map.
- Faron Woods - North of Faron Grasslands
- Finra Woods - North of Faron Grasslands
- Ginner Woods - Southwest of Mount Lanayru (beside Midla Woods)
- Hickaly Woods - Southeast of Dueling Peaks
- Midla Woods - Southwest of Mount Lanayru (beside Ginner Woods)
- Minshi Woods - South of the Lost Woods
- Pagos Woods - North of Faron Grasslands
- Rok Woods - South of Skull Island
- Sarjon Woods - East of Faron Grasslands
- Tabahl Woods - Southwest of Zora's Domain
How To Use Golden Apples
While it is possible to just eat the Golden Apple, you want to cook it. These offer a large boost to the number of Hearts they restore. For example, adding the Golden Apple with only one Mushroom creates an amazing meal. The recipes you can make with these are unreal. They actually ensure that you get the Critical Cook bonus, a bonus that ensures that whatever you make has an increase to the buff it provides. Other than using Golden Apples, you can only obtain this Critical Cook Bonus during Blood Moons.
A Golden Apple and a Stamella Shroom cooked together can create an Energizing Fruit and Mushroom Mix. While it doesn't restore a lot of stamina (it can restore more if you add more Stamella Shrooms), it does restore 7 Hearts. That is a lot for just being a Golden Apple and a Stamella Mushroom.
They can easily beat some of the best recipes in the game that don't use Golden Apples. Truly, just using a Golden Apple in any recipe that requires a fruit will give you amazing bonuses. Adding the Golden Apple to any meal will make it a meal worthwhile.