Objective To explore the effect of high-voltage pulsed electric field (HPEF) treatment on the quality of frozen apples.Methods Apple samples are treated with HPEFs. Then, the freezing curve, freezing time, and microstructures of apple samples are observed to analyze the effect of HPEFs on the freezing process and cell structure of apple samples. Additionally, the texture parameters, drip loss rate, nutrient composition, and color of frozen apple samples after thawing are measured to analyze the effect of HPEFs on the quality of frozen apples and its mechanism.Results It is found that HPEF treatment can shorten the time to pass the maximum ice crystal formation zone. The pore space is relatively small in apple samples treated under the conditions of 1 000 V/cm, 60 μs, and 15 HPEFs, which slows down the cell structure damage by freezing. After thawing, the cohesiveness, resilience, as well as sugar and calcium content are significantly increased, while the drip loss rate is significantly reduced in the apple samples treated under the conditions of 1 000 V/cm, 60 μs, and 15 HPEFs, as well as 1 250 V/cm, 90 μs, and 30 HPEFs. After thawing, no brown stain occurs, and color remains bright in the apple samples treated under the conditions of 1 000 V/cm, 60 μs, and 15 HPEFs.Conclusion The results show that proper HPEF treatment can slow down the freezing damage on apples, improving the quality of frozen apples.