Caramel apples are such a quintessential fall treat which are perfect for halloween! I love cutting one up and sharing the pieces with my boys as a snack but making them is just as fun as eating them! You can enjoy them plain or add chopped nuts, a drizzle of chocolate or homemade sprinkles. If you’re in the mood for some other apple recipes then check out my classic apple pie or homemade apple fritters!
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
Apples: Granny Smith apples are the traditional choice. They’re tart and give a nice contrast to the sweet caramel. You can of course use any eating apple you enjoy for this recipe.
Light corn syrup: This is the secret ingredient that prevents your caramel from sliding off the apple.
Butter: I always use unsalted butter but if you want to use salted butter just halve the salt added to the caramel
How to Make Caramel Apples
1. Start off by prepping the apples. You want to wash them with very hot water to remove their wax coating then dry them well, remove the stem and skewer with an apple stick. You can buy apple sticks at the supermarket or online. Popsicle sticks are an easy to come by alternative to the apple sticks.
2. Add the brown sugar, light corn syrup, salt, and cream to a medium pot. It’s best to use a heavy bottomed, thick walled pot if you have one. They conduct the heat more evenly and will not scorch your caramel.
3. Place over medium heat and stir until the butter is melted. Then just let the caramel bubble away without stirring while checking the temperature with a candy thermometer. Occasionally brush the side down with a wet pastry brush, this will prevent crystallization and burning on the edge.
4. Once the Caramel reaches 235-240F, which is the softball stage for all you candy makers, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Your caramel will need to cool and thicken for about 7 minutes or so, it should be around 190F before you dip.
5. Once the caramel has cooled to about 190F you can dip your apples! Give the caramel a gentle stir to help release any bubbles left inside. You can always do a test apple to see if the caramel will set up correctly. If the caramel slides off just wait a bit and double dip. You can keep the caramel warm in a slow cooker if you plan on dipping later or setting up a dipping station at a party.
6. Place your caramels on a baking sheet lined with either silicone or parchment paper. Silicone sheets are basically magic, nothing will stick! You can store these in the fridge, enjoy immediately OR decorate with some melted chocolate, chopped nuts and or sprinkles!
Pro Tips for this Recipe
- Wash your apples well to remove the wax coating they come with. See below for my tips on that
- Don’t leave that caramel unattended while it’s on heat. You need to wash the sides down every once in a while and monitor the temperature.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir the caramel, it will not conduct heat well, which is great because it will not change the temperature of your caramel or burn your hand!
- This recipe makes enough for about 10 apples, it you have caramel left over because you’re dipping less apples just pour it onto parchment paper then cut and wrap after cooling for delicious caramels!
- Don’t double this recipe for a bigger batch of caramel apples, you’ll have an unwieldy mess on your hands. If you want a mega batch for a big party just make the first batch, transfer to a slow-cooker to keep warm then make the second batch and pour that in as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best apple for caramel apples?
Granny Smith apples are the most popular since their tartness pairs nicely with the sweet caramel but Honey crisp, Fuji and most other eating apples are great too!
Why does the caramel slide off apples?
Usually this happens because your caramel is too hot or not sticky enough. Using corn syrup helps with the sticky part and allowing the caramel time to cool helps with the consistency. If your apples are coated in wax this will also make them much more slippery when dipped.
How long do they last?
Your caramel apples will last about two weeks in the refrigerator
How do you get the wax off apples?
You have a few options for removing wax from apples. You can dip them in hot water for 30 seconds then wipe vigorously. Soak them in a mixture of hot water and vinegar then dry or rub the apples with a paste of baking soda and water then rinse and dry.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Caramel Apples recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Caramel Apples
Equipment
- Candy thermometer
- Apple sticks
- Silicone mats or parchment paper
- Medium pot
- Wooden spoon
- Brush
Ingredients
- 10 Granny Smith Apples
- 2 cups brown sugar 400g
- 1 cup light corn syrup 240mL
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 70g
- 1 1/2 cups cream 360mL
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 15mL
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Apple Prep:
- Remove all stems from apples and wash in hot water. You want to remove the wax coating so you can either dip in boiling water for a few seconds or wash with hot water then rub vigorously with a paper or kitchen towel
- Remove the stem and push an apple stick into core to create a handle.
For the Caramel:
- Combine brown sugar, cream, light corn syrup, salt, and butter in a small pot.
- Heat over medium-low heat while stirring until the butter has melted.
- Cook without stirring while occasionally washing the side down with a wet pastry brush until the temperature reaches between 235-240F.
- Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla then set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. The caramel is ready for dipping once it's about 190F. You can always dip a test apple to see if it looks right.
- Dip apple into the caramel, allow excess to drip off then place on a silicone sheet or piece of parchment paper to cool.
- If desired you can add a drizzle of chocolate or roll in chopped nuts or sprinkles.
Video
Notes
- Wash your apples well to remove the wax coating they come with. See below for my tips on that
- Don't leave that caramel unattended while it's on heat. You need to wash the sides down every once in a while and monitor the temperature.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir the caramel, it will not conduct heat well, which is great because it will not change the temperature of your caramel or burn your hand!
- This recipe makes enough for about 10 apples, it you have caramel left over because you're dipping less apple just pour it onto parchment paper then cut and wrap after cooling for delicious caramels!
- Don't double this recipe for a bigger batch, you'll have an unwieldy mess on your hands. If you want a mega batch for a big party just make the first batch, transfer to a slow-cooker to keep warm then make the second batch and pour that in as well.
Nutrition
My kids can’t handle a lot of dairy, so we tried this will full fat coconut milk in lieu of the cream and it worked like a dream. It did cool off much faster than expected, so putting the bowl in a warm place, or maybe leaving it in the pot snd turning the burner back to low while dipping could help. We managed to use a spatula to scrape the caramel over last few apples and once we dipped them in mini MMS, they look great. Thanks for sharing!
Hi John, we don’t have corn syrup in the UK but we have something called golden syrup. Would that work as a substitute?
Hey. Is there a full video for this recipe? Thanks!
No but I need to make one soon!
I love the chocolate and caramel combo!
Great for a party! Cute and festive!