Homemade Caramel Apples

Let’s start the weekend right with these delicious Homemade Caramel Apples! Crisp and sweet macintosh apples, coated in a thick layer of homemade caramel, dressed up with chocolate and nuts or simply served as-is for an easy but delicious treat! There’s no way to not love this childhood treat. Especially when the caramel is actually so easy to make! Made in one pot, with simple ingredients, cooked over low-heat until the perfect temperature is achieved, and finished off with a little splash of vanilla. From there, simply dip the apples of your choice and let set! They are truly the perfect Fall treat. Serve during Halloween, Thanksgiving, or just on the weekends with your friends and family. So. Good.

→ This post is also available as a Web Story: Caramel Apples

About The Recipe

There is nothing that can get you into the Fall spirit more than Caramel Apples! They’re the classic treat that everyone loves. Whether or not you’ve made them homemade or just enjoyed them store-bought, I promise this recipe will be everything you could want in a caramel apple!

The caramel is soft and sweet, with light vanilla undertones, and it perfectly sticks to the apple!

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When it comes to apples, you can pretty much use any kind that you like! Our two favorites are Macintosh and Honeycrisp. We also like using the small baby apples for fun and as a small treat for us to enjoy!

But the hardest part, the true hardest part, is deciding what toppings (if any) should go on them! Chocolate, nuts, salt, extra candy…the list goes on! They can be so much fun to decorate and they’ll always be delicious.

Equipement Needed

• Caramel Apple Sticks
• 4 Quart Pot
• Candy Thermometer
• Large Glass Bowl
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• Apples
• Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Heavy Cream
• Salted Butter
• Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Wash, dry, and poke the stick through the apples. Set aside.

In a medium size pot, combine sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves completely. Continue to cook, stirring often, until mixture until it reaches 245 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

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Stir in the vanilla.

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Pour the caramel into a large glass bowl and dip apples, one at a time, swirling them to fully coat. Set on parchment paper.

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Let the apples set before serving!

Decorating and Topping Ideas

The wonderful thing about caramel apples is, once you get them coated, you can do almost anything with them! We tend to like to keep things simple, but here’s a quick list of fun and delicious things you can do to decorate these caramel apples!

• Melted Chocolate (Dark, Milk, or White)
• Flaked Salt
• Chopped Nuts (Peanuts, Walnuts, or Pecans are our favorites!)
• Candies (such as M&M’s, chopped Snickers, etc)
• Flaked Coconut
• Sprinkles
• Mini Chocolate Chips

How To Store

Once these apples have been dipped and set, be sure to keep them in the refrigerator! They should keep for about 7-10 days.

Expert Tips

• The cook time of the caramel varies based on the size pot, amount of ingredients, and type of cooktop you are using. Be mindful and use a thermometer.
• Don’t let the thermometer sit at the bottom of the pot when you are cooking.
• Use a bigger pot than you think you need! The caramel bubbles up very high when you’re cooking.
• 245 degrees is firm ball stage.
• Make sure to store the caramel apples in refrigerator.

When you make these Homemade Caramel Apples, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.