Caramel Apples

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Homemade caramel apples are surprisingly easy to make, and purely joyful.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: caramel apple recipe, how to make caramel apples

Servings: Apples

Calories: 157kcal

Author: Katie Workman

Ingredients

6 small apples , washed
1 (14-ounce) package caramels , unwrapped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
6 wooden popsicle sticks

For Decorating the Apples (Pick and Choose):

Sprinkles
Crushed cookies , such as chocolate wafers or graham crackers
Granola
Crushed nuts
Crushed candy , such as toffee or Halloween-colored candy canes
Shredded coconut
Crushed pretzels

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Twist the stem from each of the apples and insert a popsicle stick in the top of each apple, sticking it halfway up the apple for stability.
Place the desired toppings in separate bowls or containers large enough for the apples to fit inside.
If you have a double boiler, set that up with water in the bottom. If not, grab a skillet and a saucepan smaller than the width of the skillet by a few inches. Place the saucepan in the skillet and fill the skillet with water to come up about ½ inch up the sides of the saucepan nestled inside. Place the caramels and the cream in the top pan of the double boiler, or the saucepan in the skillet. Heat over medium heat, stirring often, until the caramels are melted and smooth, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the pot of melted caramel to a trivet or heatproof surface. Dip each apple, one at a time, into the hot caramel. You may choose to coat just the bottom half, or turn the apple to coat it all around with the caramel. Lift the apple up and twirl it gently to allow excess caramel to drip back into the pan.
Dip the apple into the toppings of your choice. You may use more than one topping for each apple; you do do this by leaning different sides of the coated apple into different toppings, or you can sprinkle some of the toppings over the apple, holding the apple over the toppings in their container.
If the caramel starts to firm up before you have dipped all of the apples, return it to the heat over simmering water, and stir frequently until it is liquidy again. You can also put it in the microwave (in a microwave safe container) and heat it for 15-second bursts, stirring in between each 15-second increment.
Place the decorated apples on the lined baking sheet, transfer the tray to the fridge, and let cool and set for at least 1 hour. Place in cupcake liners if desired.

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