Soursop vs Custard Apple: Differences, Benefits, and Taste Explained

Soursop vs custard apple starts with size and spines. Soursop is a large, spiny fruit with a tangy, citrus-edged flavor, while custard apple is a name for smaller relatives with softer, creamier pulp. Custard apple vs soursop is a close family comparison, because both belong to the Annona genus.

Soursop and custard apple: names and origins

Soursop (Annona muricata) is native to the tropical Americas and is also called guanabana and graviola. The tree is a small evergreen, and the fruit has been carried to India, Polynesia, and Southeast Asia.

Custard apple is trickier, because the name covers more than one fruit. Sugar apple (Annona squamosa), also called sweetsop, earned the name from its custard-like pulp. Bullock's heart (Annona reticulata) is another fruit called custard apple. A third relative, atemoya, is sometimes called custard apple too. This article sets sugar apple and bullock's heart side by side with soursop.

Sugar apple traces to the West Indies and South America, and bullock's heart spread from Central America through southern Mexico and northern South America.

How to tell the fruits apart

Soursop is the easiest to spot. The skin is dark green and leathery, covered in small, pliable spines. The fruit is oval to heart-shaped, and it can top 10 pounds. Inside, the flesh is cream-white and fibrous, divided into segments that break off easily.

Sugar apple looks like a cluster of knobby segments, rounder or more conical than soursop and closer to a raspberry in structure. The skin is thick and scaly, and the segments separate easily once the fruit is ripe. The pulp is white or cream with small black seeds, and a single fruit can hold 20 to 38 or more of them. The tree has long, green, smooth leaves and drops them in the cooler months.

Bullock's heart is the one with a true heart shape. The skin is thin, green while growing, and turns brown or yellow with a faint reddish blush and a netted look when ripe. The fruit measures 3 to 6.5 inches across. The flesh is thick and white around a fibrous core. The tree grows fast to 20 to 25 feet, with slender, pointed leaves 5 to 8 inches long, and it is semi-deciduous.

Soursop vs custard apple taste comparison

Soursop tastes sweet and tangy, with citrus notes. One description is a blend of mango, strawberry, and pineapple, and the aroma is often compared to pineapple. The least acidic fruits are peeled and eaten by hand, and some are so juicy that many think they are closer to a drink than a snack.

Sugar apple is sweet and juicy, and for most people it tastes distinctly creamy, like custard. Some find it refreshing, with a note of pineapple or banana. That puts it on the sweeter side of the pair, where soursop sits on the tangy side.

Bullock's heart also has a custard-like texture, with a slightly granular feel that is similar to a pear. It is less flavorful than sugar apple.

Soursop is ideal for juice and tang, and sugar apple is best for fresh eating. Bullock's heart provides a milder custard fruit. Everglades Farm carries soursop trees and sugar apple trees, as well as red custard apple trees.

Culinary uses

Soursop turns up most often in drinks. Juice and drink mixes are popular across the tropical Americas and the Caribbean, where the pulp is blended with water or milk and sweetened. It also goes into ice cream and custard, puddings and pies, and frozen treats such as popsicles. Smoothies and yogurt or oatmeal toppings work too. Leaves are steeped for about 10 minutes into a herbal tea, often with honey. In parts of Indonesia and Brazil, immature fruit is boiled or fried and eaten as a vegetable.

Sugar apple is mainly a fresh dessert fruit. Chill it for a few hours, break the skin open, and scoop out the flesh, leaving the seeds. It also works in cereal, frozen yogurt, and shakes. Bullock's heart is eaten plain or dried with sugar, strained for ice cream, or made into a sweet drink.

Nutrition comparison

One whole soursop, about 1.3 pounds, has roughly 412 calories, 21 grams of fiber, and 85 grams of sugar. It also supplies about 129 milligrams of vitamin C, which is above the daily recommendation. A whole fruit provides about one-third to one-half of the daily potassium target, along with B vitamins and minerals such as calcium and iron.

Sugar apple is a smaller fruit. It is rich in minerals such as iron and potassium, and it has slightly more vitamin C than grapefruit. It is also noted for manganese, vitamin A, and vitamin B6, and it contains fiber and antioxidants.

A whole soursop is far larger than a sugar apple, so per-fruit totals are not an even match. Soursop stands out for fiber and vitamin C, and sugar apple stands out for its mineral and vitamin range.

Health benefits

Soursop and custard apple are both nutrient-rich fruits, and each has real nutritional advantages.

Vitamin C is the standout. It supports the immune system, and a whole soursop supplies more than a full day's worth. Sugar apple has slightly more vitamin C than grapefruit. Both fruits also carry antioxidants, which help protect cells and may help keep inflammation down.

Fiber supports digestive health by making stool easier to pass and keeping things moving. A whole soursop has about 21 grams, which is close to a full day's recommendation.

Both fruits also bring minerals. Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen, which plays into daily energy levels, and calcium helps build and maintain strong bones. The natural sugars and carbohydrates in the fruit add a quick source of energy, so keep portions sensible, because a whole soursop has about 85 grams of sugar.

Soursop is often marketed for bigger health claims, but those haven't been proven in people, only animals. Eat it in moderation, skip the seeds, and check with a doctor first if you take blood pressure or diabetes medication or have Parkinson's disease.

Choosing a tree to grow

Soursop is slightly less cold hardy than sugar apple, so give it a site that does not freeze or stay below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for long. Annona trees can reach 15 to 30 feet at maturity, and growers usually prune them to 8 to 12 feet so the fruit stays within reach. Once the site is set, pick the tree by how you plan to use the fruit. 

• Buy soursop trees for juice and a tangy, citrus-edged fruit
• Buy sugar apple trees for sweet, creamy fruit eaten fresh
• Buy red custard apple trees (Annona reticulata, also called bullock's heart) for a milder, custard-textured fruit