There are endless ways to fire up flavor when you’re cooking BBQ, but it all starts with the wood. The type you toss in the smoker can change everything—from a bold, smoky punch to a mellow, sweet finish—and some woods just play nicer with certain proteins than others.

Fruit and nut woods bring a gentle touch of smoke and a hint of natural sweetness to your cook that makes it shine without overpowering it. Unlike bold woods such as hickory, mesquite or oak, these milder flavors are ideal for more delicate proteins like chicken, pork and seafood. They also pair wonderfully with grilled and smoked vegetables that can easily get overpowered by stronger wood flavors.

Bear Mountain BBQ offers a variety of fruit and nut wood pellets, chips and chunks, giving BBQers the freedom to use these types of woods no matter what grill they’re cooking on.

So what are the different types of fruit and nut woods that you can use for smoking meat? And how do you pair them when firing up your smoker? Let’s break it down.

Apple wood

Apple wood is by far the most popular fruit wood used for BBQ, and for good reason. It offers a sweet, balanced flavor that really shines through without overpowering the food with harsh smoke flavor. Apple wood is commonly paired with proteins like chicken and pork, as well as vegetables. It can also add wonderful flavor to heartier meats like beef and lamb.

Want to give apple wood a try? Bear Mountain BBQ offers Apple Wood Pellets, Apple Wood Chips and Apple Wood Chunks.

Cherry wood

Cherry wood is another popular fruit wood that adds a tart, sweet flavor to food. Cherry wood is also known for adding a dark, rich bark to smoked meats. It’s ideal for pairing with wild game, poultry and duck.

Ready to give cherry a try? Bear Mountain BBQ offers Cherry Wood Pellets, Cherry Wood Chips and Cherry Wood Chunks.

Pecan wood

Similar to fruit woods, nut woods like pecan offer a subtle sweetness, but they tend to be more robust in flavor. Pecan is a popular option because of its versatility. It pairs well with many different types of food and is the ideal choice when you want to add smoke flavor to food without overpowering. The most popular pairings for pecan are pork and chicken, but this nut wood can be paired with just about any type of protein or vegetable.

Want to try pecan? Bear Mountain BBQ offers Pecan Wood Pellets.

How to blend fruit woods

Fruit woods are excellent for smoking when combined with other types of wood to create richer flavors. Hardwoods like hickory, oak, and maple can be strong on their own, but adding a touch of fruit wood balances the intensity and brings a subtle sweetness to the smoke.

Try Bear Mountain BBQ’s Hickory Wood Pellets, Hickory Wood Chips or Hickory Wood Chunks. We also carry Oak Wood Pellets and Maple Wood Pellets.

One of my favorite combinations is a mixture of apple and oak wood. The oak provides a hearty smoke flavor, while the apple helps to balance it with a bit of sweetness. Another great way to blend fruit woods into a cook is to add chunks of fruit wood into a charcoal grill. Charcoal can be a bit harsh on its own, but a few chunks of fruit wood on top will add a subtle, sweet smoke flavor that can’t be beat.

Bear Mountain BBQ offers many pellet blends that incorporate fruit woods for a balanced flavor in everything you cook. Choosing pre-blended pellets takes the hassle and guesswork out of combining the flavors yourself.

Bear Mountain Gourmet BBQ Blend is a balanced combination of all-natural oak, hickory, maple and cherry wood. The robust flavors of the oak and hickory are balanced by the sweetness of the maple, and then a touch of tart is added by the cherry wood. These are my go-to pellets for the majority of my cooks. This blend is also available in wood chips.

Bear Mountain Sweet BBQ Blend is an ideal mix of oak, maple and cherry wood. The hearty oak flavor is balanced with a touch of sweetness from the maple wood and a nice punch of tart flavor from the cherry wood.

No matter what type of grill or smoker you’re cooking on, fruit and nut woods bring a depth of flavor that transforms good BBQ into unforgettable BBQ. Whether you let apple, cherry or pecan stand proudly on their own, or blend them with bolder hardwoods for a layered smoke profile, these woods add nuance that elevates every bite. Fire up the smoker, toss in some sweet wood and taste the difference for yourself.