Caramel Apple Recipe

I am so excited that fall is just around the corner. I love the smells, the holidays, and especially the food. One thing my mom use to make with us as kids was Caramel Apples. I finally got around to making some of our own. Here is the awesome Caramel Apple Recipe! 

Fall is the perfect time to make carmel apples because the new crop of apples just hit the stores. You will need:

• You favorite type of apple (tart apples work well with the sweetness of the carmel)
• Sticks
• Thermometer
• Brown Sugar
• Karo Syrup
• Butter
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Silicone Baking Mat or Wax Paper

Apple Prep

Wash the apples in warm water with a little dish soap. Not only are we washing to be sure the apples are clean, but the soap will hep remove the wax covering on the apples. Rinse the apples and dry them with a dish towel or paper towel, rubbing to remove the wax coating. I like to put the apples in the fridge to keep cool before dipping. The carmel seems to set up faster on cool apples.

Making Carmel

Add butter, Karo syrup, and brown sugar to a heavy pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and add the sweetened condensed milk. Return the pan to the heat and continue stirring. You’ll want to cook until it reaches 230º F. Remove the pan from the heat.

The carmel will need to drop in temperature before you begin dipping. Wait until the carmel is between 160-180º F. Stir and check the temperature until it is ready to use. Cold apples will drop the temperature while dipping, so I like to put the pan on low heat while we dip to keep the carmel warm. 

While the carmel is reducing in temperature you can take the apples out of the fridge. Remove the stems and insert the sticks into the apples. 

Dipping Carmel Apples

Holding the stick dip the apple into the carmel. I turn it on its side and roll the apple into the carmel, covering the sides of the apple. If you want carmel to cover up to the stick, you’ll use a spoon pour carmel on the top.

Let the carmel drip off. I use a silicone spatula to wipe off the bottom the apple to prevent a puddle of carmel from forming. Sit the apple on a silicone baking mat or wax paper to cool.

To make gourmet carmel apples you can dip the carmel apples in chocolate and add toppings. Our favorite is to dip in white chocolate and add cinnamon sugar. The chocolate coating prevents the carmel from sliding and also tastes delicious.

We used vanilla meltys, but you could use chocolate chips or any other form of chocolate. Dip the apple into the chocolate, leaving a little bit of carmel showing at the top. Let the chocolate drip off and clear chocolate off the bottom like we did with the carmel. Sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mixture while the chocolate is still warm. 

You can use milk chocolate and cover with crushed cookies, mini M&Ms, or nuts. The possibilities are endless!

More Apple Recipes

Apple Cobbler Dump Cake

Cream Caramel Apple Dip

Easy Caramel Corn