You know those huge, fabulous gourmet caramel apples at Disneyland? Those stunning orbs of caramel & chocolate with nuts & candy never fail to lure me in when I’m walking past the candy shop on Main Street. The scent of that fresh caramel is possibly the most incredible aroma on earth. They are one of my favorite Disney treats along with the Jolly Holiday Raspberry Rose Macarons. When Paul and I were dating back in college, one of our favorite things to do was go to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and buy a caramel apple to share. It was a splurge for us because we were broke undergrads, but totally worth it! But even a delicious gourmet caramel apple is nothing compared to a fresh, made-from-scratch homemade caramel apple. Plus, you can make an entire batch of this easy caramel apples recipe for the price of just one apple from a candy shop! Love all things caramel? Be sure not to miss our Easy Caramel Pecan Brownies and Homemade Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns!
What are the best apples for caramel apples?
Since the caramel itself is so sweet, we think the best apple for caramel apples are tart, firm Granny Smith apples. Not only do tart apples have great flavor and texture, but the color makes for the prettiest presentation with the vibrant green peeking through robes of thick caramel. Envy and Honeycrisp apples are good second choices.
How to Make Caramel Apples
Before you start making your caramel, go ahead and get your apples set up by washing them well. Stick sturdy candy sticks (not the thin ones but the really substantial, thick ones), tongue depressors, popsicle or wooden craft sticks, or even sturdy, cleaned twigs for a really rustic look, into each apple, right down through the core. Then set your apples on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set them in the freezer to chill while you make the caramel. Using cold apples is super helpful because it will allow the hot caramel to set faster and adhere to the apple when you go to dip them. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk, then continue to cook and stir until combined. Cook, stirring frequently, until the caramel reaches 240°F on a candy thermometer (affiliate link). This is also known as “soft ball” stage. Remove the caramel from the heat and immediately stir in the vanilla extract. Then dip each cold apple into the hot caramel, rotating quickly to coat all sides and letting the excess caramel drip off before transferring the dipped apples to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The best technique for dipping is to plunge the apple in and out quickly, rolling it around if necessary but not letting it linger in the hot caramel. As the apple warms up from the heat of the caramel, it makes it so that the caramel has a harder time setting up and it tends to slump down the sides of the apple. A quick in-and-out approach works best because the apple stays cold, letting the caramel have a better grip to set up more quickly.
Tips for Success
Don’t use wax paper or aluminum foil. It has a tendency to melt from the heat of the caramel and stick to the bottom of the apple. Use parchment paper instead. Invest in an inexpensive candy thermometer (affiliate link). Yes, there are tests you can do by dropping small amounts of your cooked caramel in a bowl of water to determine what stage it is at, but it is so, so much easier and far more reliable to just use a thermometer. Stick close by your caramel while it is cooking. It is going to take about 12-15 minutes for the caramel to come up to temperature and you will want to stir it almost constantly to make sure it isn’t burning on the bottom and that the ingredients are combining well to create the caramel.
How to Store Caramel Apples
Refrigerate your caramel apples to keep them fresh. They will stay fresh weeks in the fridge (at least in theory – ours never make it that long because we eat them first!)
Decorating Caramel Apples
After dipping your apples into the caramel, you can top them with as many toppings as your heart desires! You can go as simple or crazy as you like. I tend to favor simpler caramel apple toppings like just pecans or toasted coconut. But Paul loves an apple pie version of a homemade caramel apple (I’ve included additional instructions in the recipe below on how to make those), and kids always seem to go for the Oreos, pretzels or M&Ms (or whatever spare Halloween candy you may still have around). And melting some dark or milk chocolate to drizzle over the apples makes for a really fancy (but super easy) presentation.
Here are some of our favorite caramel apple toppings:
chopped nuts (pecans, peanuts, or sliced almonds are always popular) mini M&M’s (the regular size ones are too big and will just pull the caramel off the apple) candy corn toasted coconut crushed cookies like Oreos, graham crackers, and Biscoff pretzels melted white, milk, or dark chocolate cinnamon sugar mixture crushed butterfingers, snickers, or other candy bars
More Caramel Recipes
Easy Homemade Cream Caramels Carmelitas (Oatmeal, Chocolate, Caramel Bars) Caramel Oreo Fudge Ripple Ice Cream Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars
This post was originally published in November, 2016. The photos and content were updated in September, 2022.
Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bark
Caramel Apple Pie
Caramel Cornflake Brownies
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see. This is my cute little witch at her Kindergarten class party with her Jack-O-Lantern caramel apple. I cannot believe she is in 8th grade now! Recipe originally from Jamie Cooks It Up.
