Caramel Apples

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on Last updated

15 Comments

5 from 3 votes
12 Servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
cool 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
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Caramel Apples are a quick fall treat made from Granny Smith apples, easy caramel sauce, and plenty of tasty toppings. 

The air is colder, the days are shorter, and fall is in full swing. It’s time for Pumpkin Pie, Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake, a little Pumpkin Chocolate Bread and, to take a little break from all the pumpkin, a batch of delicious homemade Caramel Apples.

Caramel apples with toppingsCARAMEL APPLES

This year, you should make a favorite fall dessert for your Halloween party. All you need are some apples, a few craft sticks, and some salted caramel to make a tasty, chewy treat. My Caramel Apple recipe can get a little bit messy, so I recommend putting down a baking sheet with a strip of parchment paper to keep the excess drips of hot caramel from getting everywhere.

If you’re wondering what kind of apples are best for this recipe, you will want to use Granny Smith apples. Granny Smiths tend to be a more tart apple, and that flavor goes really well with the rich, slightly salty taste of the caramel sauce, and lends itself to a wider variety of toppings. If you use other kinds of apples, you risk having sweet on sweet, and that can get overwhelming fast.

HOW TO MAKE CARAMEL APPLES

  • Twist the stem off each apple and push a craft stick ¾ of the way through the apple.
  • Freeze your apples for 20-30 minutes before dipping.
  • Microwave the caramels and milk in a microwave safe 4-cup glass measuring cup or bowl at half power in 30 second increments until smooth, stirring each time.
  • Let cool for 1 minute.
  • Dip and spin the apples to coat them, taking care not to leave the apples in the caramel for too long.
  • Allow excess caramel to drip away and dip or coat in preferred toppings and place on wax paper.
  • Harden in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.Caramel apple cut

VARIATIONS ON CARAMEL APPLES

  • Homemade Caramel: You can make your own sea salt caramel sauce at home and, if you’ve already made a batch of my Salted Caramels you can melt them down to dip your apples in or even drizzle it over the top.
  • Toppings: The sky is the limit for what toppings your want to use. Crush up some oreos, toffee, mini m&ms, chocolate chips, pecans, cashews, pretzels, or you can even dust the top with just a little sifted confectioners or brown sugar.

CARAMEL APPLES AROUND THE WORLD 

  • “Love Apples”: In Brazil, maçã-do-amor or “apples of love” are served up on feast days for specific saints, especially John the Apostle. They are usually served up with bright sprinkles or other toppings that make them bright and colorful. In France, they are called pommes d’amour (“apples of love”) and they are commonly found at street festivals and fairs.
  • Glasierter Apfel: In Germany, candy apples are served up specifically around Christmas as a sweet, sugary treat for children.
  • Toffee Apples: Across the UK and the United States, Caramel Apples are eaten as a Halloween treat.
  • Independence Day: Candy apples are a traditional treat for Israeli Independence Day during street celebrations.

THE “DO’S” AND “DON’TS” FOR CARAMEL APPLES

Do

  • Boil the apples for just a couple seconds then remove them, this removes the wax layer that is added to apples before they are sold.
  • Freeze your apples for at least 20 minutes before dipping, this helps the caramel set.
  • Prepare all the apples and have them ready to dip before getting the caramel ready.
  • Grease your wax paper you put the apples on.
  • Use a deep 4 cup measuring cup for dipping, this will cover the apples nicely.
  • Microwave your caramel at half power until smooth and creamy, then let it sit for 20-30 seconds before dipping.
  • Have any toppings you’ll be using ready to go before you microwave your caramel.

Don’t

  • Wrap these apples in any way.
  • Let them sit to harden at room temperature (the fridge is your friend).
  • Handle them too much or push them too deep into caramel, the stick may come out.
  • Re-microwave caramel over and over again, it will become too thick.
  • Use room temperature apples, the caramel will be a mess.
  • Try to dip using the stem of the apples.
  • Try to dip using a lollipop stick.

HOW LONG CAN YOU STORE CARAMEL APPLES?

  • Serve: You should always eat your Caramel Apples fresh. Once you’ve pierced the apple with the craft stick you’ve started the process of the apple rapidly spoiling when left outside.
  • Store: If you keep the Caramel Apples in an airtight container in a refrigerator, Caramel Apples will stay good for up to a week.
  • Freeze: I do not recommend freezing Caramel Apples. You should enjoy them as fresh as possible or straight out of the fridge.Caramel apples

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Dinner, then Dessert

Caramel Apples

Caramel Apples are an Autumn treat made from Granny Smith apples, hot caramel sauce, and plenty of tasty toppings.
Yield 12 Servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 6 apples
  • 14 ounces caramels , unwrapped
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1/4 cup peanuts , or any nuts of your choice, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  • Twist the stem off each apple and push a craft stick ¾ of the way through the apple.
  • Freeze your apples for 20-30 minutes before dipping.
  • Microwave the caramels and milk in a microwave safe 4-cup glass measuring cup or bowl at half power in 30 second increments until smooth, stirring each time.
  • Let cool for 1 minute.
  • Dip and spin the apples to coat them, taking care not to leave the apples in the caramel for too long, then allow excess caramel to drip away and dip or coat in preferred toppings and place on wax paper.
  • Harden in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg

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Caramel Apple

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. I have not made the caramel apples yet but planning for Halloween for grandchildren., sans the nuts. They aren’t fans, so sprinkles and maybe mini M & Ms. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

    1. It would probably depend on how thick they are. You want to make sure they are attached well so they are able to be dipped. Good luck!

      Reply

  6. Why have I never heard the tip to freeze your apples first, that it helps set the caramel?!! What a great tip, these apples come out perfect!

    Reply

  7. This is such a great recipe when you are feeling like a naughty treat but don’t want to break the calorie bank! Love it!

    Reply

  8. When I was a kid we’d go to the supermarket and buy those packaged caramel apples. I couldn’t wait until they were in store! I’ve always wanted to make my own so thanks for sharing!

    Reply