Easy Caramel Apple Recipe

It’s that time of year, friends! To kick off the fall / winter / holiday festivities that we are hoping to experience before the new baby gets here in January, we went apple picking up in North Georgia. We went last year before John could really walk good on his own, so this year was the first year that he was able to really enjoy it and have some fun. We ended up coming home with a ton of apples — and I just had to try my hand at making homemade caramel apples this year. Needless to say, these were so good that they’ll definitely be a tradition here from now on!

This recipe is super easy, even if you’ve never made homemade caramel apples before. Just make the caramel base from the recipe below and have your favorite toppings ready. I can’t wait for you to try it. You’re going to love it!

READ ALSO: 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Muffins

The Best Homemade Caramel Apples

Ingredients:

• Skewers or Popsicle Sticks
• Werther’s Original Chewy Caramel Candies (I used one little bag for three large apples.)
• Heavy Cream
• Baker’s Microwaveable Dipping Milk Chocolate
• Ice Cream Nut Topping
• Any other candy or toppings you wish to have on your caramel apples!

 

Instructions:

Prep your apples by washing them, drying them well, and sticking a skewer or popsicle stick into the center of the apple.

To make the caramel base for your caramel apples, you’ll want to start by unwrapping the caramel candies and placing them into a glass microwaveable bowl. Add about a tablespoon of heavy cream to start, and microwave for 30 seconds. Give it a good stir and microwave another 30 seconds if needed. (Mine was ready after 30 seconds + 20 more seconds in the microwave.) Be careful not to over heat the caramel.

While the caramel is hot (before it sets!), hold your apple by the skewer and dip it into the bowl. I found that if I held it at an angle and rolled the apple, I was able to coat the apple better. I also found taking a tiny silicone spatula and spreading the caramel up the sides as I turned helped me get a good and really even coverage.

Note: If your caramel hardens and sets while you’re working and you need to reheat your caramel or add more candies, make sure to add a tiny bit of heavy cream each time to avoid overheating/ burning!

If you are going to be layering your caramel apple into chocolate, place your caramel covered apple onto a small square of wax paper and place it directly into the freezer. If you are not going to be layering chocolate, immediately dip your caramel apple into your toppings. I found that having a glass plate next to my bowl with the nuts (or your other toppings) made it easiest to roll the apple into the toppings and coat it as much as I wanted.

To add a chocolate outer layer to your caramel apple, you’ll want to prep your chocolate while your caramel is setting up in the freezer. Take a container of microwavable melting chocolate and add about a tablespoon of heavy cream. (It doesn’t say to do this on the packaging, but I’ve found it helps it melt more evening without burning!) Microwave for 30 seconds, and give it a good stir. I only needed to microwave mine for 30 seconds, but if it’s still not quite melted, place it back in for another 15 seconds. Be super careful not to overheat / burn the chocolate. Once the chocolate starts separating, you’ve gone too far and won’t be able to use it.

Note: Same thing as the caramel, if your chocolate hardens and sets while you’re working and you need to reheat your caramel or add more candies, make sure to add a tiny bit of heavy cream each time to avoid overheating/ burning!

Once your caramel layer on your apple in the freezer is set and the chocolate is ready, you’ll dip your caramel coated apple into the melted chocolate. For larger apples, I took my tiny silicone spatula and spread it manually all around the apple to get a thick and even layer of chocolate. Then, immediately dip / roll your apple on your plate filled with toppings. Once you’ve got your toppings on, place the apple back on the wax paper and into the freezer for the chocolate layer to harden / set.

After your chocolate layer has set, you can enjoy your apple as is or complete it with a caramel or another type of chocolate drizzle!

These caramel apples were so easy and delicious that I can’t wait to make them every year as a tradition after apple picking with my family. I hope you and your family enjoys this recipe as much as we did. If you try it, make sure to leave a comment below with how it turned out!