Caramel from scratch is easy! And apples dipped in delicious homemade caramel sauce are perfect for Halloween!
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Caramel apples are one of those things that are just as fun as eating them! I made this batch with my goddaughter, Piper, using apples she picked at a nearby orchard.
This time we kept our homemade caramel apples simple and unadorned, but you could easily dress them up with chopped nuts, raisins, M&Ms, or sugar sprinkles.
What Kind of Apples Work Best?
For caramel apples, you want an apple that’s firm, tart, and crisp. Tart apples especially help balance the sweetness of the caramel. Granny Smith, Jonagold, Cortland, Fuji, and Empire apples all work well.
For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our guide to apples.
That means feel free to experiment! If you have a favorite apple that you think goes well with caramel, give it a try and let us know how it works for you in the comments.
Many caramel apple recipes simply take caramels and melt them to create the caramel coating. I prefer to make the caramel sauce myself. The flavor is phenomenal (don’t worry about what you do with the leftover sauce, it’ll be eaten up quickly) and it really isn’t difficult to make.
It’s just sugar, butter, cream, corn syrup, molasses, vanilla, and salt. It comes together right on the stove.
In addition to the basic ingredients, all you need is an accurate candy thermometer or an instant-read thermometer (although at least one reader — see comments — winged it without one).
A word about corn syrup and molasses
Why the corn syrup in the caramel? Corn syrup is an “invert sugar” that keeps the sugar in the caramel from crystallizing, and it also helps soften the caramel. Dark corn syrup has a stronger flavor than light corn syrup, with notes of molasses, so use it in place of light corn syrup whenever possible.
If you don’t have access to molasses, you can substitute 1 cup and 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed, for the sugar and molasses.
Tips and tricks for the best caramel apples
- Remove the wax coating: Store-bought apples often have a waxy coating that should be removed before attempting to caramelize them. To remove, dip the apples in boiling water with a dash of vinegar for a few seconds, remove and dry thoroughly.
- Make sure the apples are dry: Caramel adheres best to apples when the fruit is dry and at room temperature.
- Leave some space at the top: Don’t completely submerge your apples in the caramel. The apples will naturally outgas near the stem, and when covered in caramel, bubbles will form.
- Double this recipe: This recipe doubles easily. If you do, use a 4 quart saucepan to prepare the sauce.
Advance and save
You can easily prepare the caramel apples in advance. Caramel apples should not be stored at room temperature. Refrigerate and store refrigerated for up to two weeks. Let them come to room temperature to serve; The caramel will be more malleable at room temperature and the apples easier to eat.
More homemade candied treats!
- English toffee
- Pecan Chocolates
- candied kumquats
- Easy peanut butter fondant
- Caramel Corn
caramel apples
Store-bought apples often have a waxy coating that should be removed before attempting to caramelize them. To remove, you can dip the apples in boiling water with a dash of vinegar for a few seconds, remove and dry thoroughly.
ingredients
- For the caramel:
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1 cup white granulated sugar
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1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
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3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
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1/2 cup dark corn syrup
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1 tablespoon dark molasses
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
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6 medium apples (rinsed and patted dry, room temperature)
- For the toppings:
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Various decorations (e.g. chopped nuts, chopped raisins, mini M&Ms and sugar sprinkles)
special equipment
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candy thermometer
method
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Combine the caramel ingredients:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, heavy cream, corn syrup, molasses, vanilla, and salt (omit if using salted butter). Heat over medium-high heat, stirring slowly with a wooden spoon until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. If you see sugar crystals on the rim of the pan, brush them off with a wet pastry brush.
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Prepare caramel:
Allow the caramel mixture to come to a boil, adjusting the heat so the caramel doesn’t boil over the pan. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon in a slow figure eight pattern.
Monitor the temperature of the caramel with a candy thermometer. When it reaches 240°F (after about 15 minutes of cooking), remove from heat and pour into a metal bowl.
Let the hot caramel mixture sit in the bowl until the temperature has cooled to just under 200F, at which point you are ready to dip the apples.
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Prepare apples:
While the caramel sauce cooks and cools, line a baking sheet with either Silpat or buttered aluminum foil.
Insert the chopsticks (either lollipop sticks, thick wooden skewers, or chopsticks) through the stem end into the center of the apples.
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Dip apples:
The caramel sauce will thicken as it cools. When the cooling caramel sauce has thickened enough that the caramel forms a coating on the apples and won’t slide off easily, dip the apples one at a time into the caramel.
Swirl each apple around in the sauce so that the caramel sauce completely coats the apple except for the tip near the stem.
Pull the apple out of the sauce and gently drip the excess caramel back into the bowl.
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Cool:
Place the breaded apple on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Some caramel sauce forms a small puddle at the base of each apple. Repeat with the remaining apples, then place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
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Press caramel against the sides of the apples:
Once the caramel has chilled 15 minutes and is cool enough to handle but still malleable, remove it from the refrigerator and press the caramel that has pooled at the bottom of the apples against the side of the apples.
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Decorate:
If using toppings like sprinkles or chopped nuts, roll the caramel apples in them now. Then put the apples back in the fridge and chill for at least another hour.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Allow the apples to come to room temperature before eating. The caramel apples keep refrigerated for 2 weeks.
If you’re giving them away, wrap them in plastic wrap.
