Caramel apples are a seasonal treat that you typically find at carnivals and fall festivals. They’re sweet, crunchy, and can be customized in a variety of ways, which makes them a great recipe to whip up with the family at home.
Caramel apples can be drizzled with white chocolate, dark chocolate, covered in sprinkles, adorned with chopped peanuts, or even decorated with candy M&Ms. The variety of options and tasty choices makes caramel covered apples the perfect craft to create with your kids.
To make the base of this caramel apple recipe, you’ll need a handful of apples. While you can technically choose any kind of apple that you want, we think it’s best to go the classic route and use tart apples like the Granny Smith variety. The tartness of these green apples complements the sweetness of the caramel nicely.
The trick with any kind of caramel recipe is to make sure you heat your caramel sauce to the correct temperature. If you undercook your caramel, it will never truly set. If you overcook your caramel, well, be prepared for some very burnt and bitter-tasting caramel sauce!
A candy thermometer is vital to cooking your caramel sauce to the correct temperature. You’ll want to aim for 248°F on your thermometer. After that, these caramel apples are just a matter of you dipping the apples in the caramel sauce and then adorning them with whatever your heart desires.
Summary |
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Cook time: 20 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Idle time:
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Level
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Servings:
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cubed
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 oz.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 10 popsicle sticks
- 10 medium tart apples washed and dried
- 1 cup salted peanuts chopped (or any other toppings you desire)
Instructions
- To a large, heavy saucepan, add the butter. Place the saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Once melted, add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it comes to a boil; about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in the condensed milk and cook the sauce until a candy thermometer reads 248°F. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. If you're making these apples with your kids, allow the caramel sauce to slightly cool before continuing to the next step.
- Insert a popsicle stick into the top of each apple, then dip each apple into caramel sauce. Dip the apples into a bowl of the chopped peanuts then place on a sheet of greased wax paper to set.
Additional information
Recipe adapted from tasteofhome.com
