All you need is a few simple ingredients for Easy Caramel Apples topped with chopped nuts, sprinkles, chocolate drizzle and more.
Nothing says “Hello, fall!” quite like a caramel apple. Refreshing fruit + sticky caramel + endless toppings = a guaranteed dessert win in my book. And now it’s faster than ever to whip up a DIY version of these sweets on-a-stick with this recipe for Easy Caramel Apples.
The setup on this one couldn’t be simpler: Melt down store-bought caramels with a splash of heavy cream then dunk your apple-of-choice and coat it with a range of toppings, from chopped nuts and dried fruit to sprinkles and chocolate drizzle.
A few words of wisdom when it comes to perfecting fall’s most festive (read: Halloween!) and fruit-filled dessert:
- Wet = Mess: It’s important that the apples are washed and then thoroughly dried prior to plunging them into the hot caramel. Any trace of moisture on the apples will cause the caramel to slip and slide right off.
- Tiny Toppings: The smaller, more finely chopped your toppings, the better shot you have at them staying in place as the caramel cools.
- Cool Avoids a Pool: … of caramel, that is! If you’re opting for a second layer of deliciousness in the form of melted chocolate, always allow the first layer of caramel to cool completely before plunging your apple into a hot bath of chocolate.
Ready to get your dunk on? Grab your favorite apples and read on for this quick, easy and totally customizable recipe!
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Find more inspiration for fruit-filled favorites with additional apple recipes.
Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies: Get the Recipe
Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings: Get the Recipe
Easy Homemade Candy Apples: Get the Recipe
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Ingredients
- 8 Granny Smith apples (or any other variety)
- 4 (4.51-oz.) bags soft caramels (See Kelly's Note)
- 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
- Assorted toppings, such as chopped nuts, sprinkles or melted chocolate for drizzling
Equipment:
- 8 lollipop sticks or popsicle sticks
Instructions
- Wash and thoroughly dry the apples then press a lollipop stick firmly into the top of each apple. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Unwrap the caramels then place them in a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Add the heavy cream and cook the caramels, stirring occasionally, until they melt and the mixture is a smooth consistency. Reduce the heat to low.
- Dip each of the apples into the caramel mixture, shaking off any excess and scraping any caramel off the bottoms of the apples. Roll the apples in your preferred toppings then place them on the lined baking sheet. Refrigerate the apples for 15 minutes or until the caramel has firmed up. Serve the apples immediately or store them in the fridge until ready to serve.
Kelly's Note:
- Any store-bought soft caramels will work in this recipe, however my preferred brand is Werther's Original Soft Caramels.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Am I boiling this until a certain temperature with a candy thermometer? Or just heating the caramel?
Hi Larissa! You’ll just want to heat the caramel until melted and the mixture is a smooth consistency. :)
Hello Kelly,
I am planning to make the caramel apples for the first time. I am wondering if I can use condense milk because that is how I make the caramel for turtle cake once a year. Also, I would say that the condense milk is heavier than the heavy cream.
Do you think the condense milk will work okay?
Hi there! I haven’t tried this recipe with condensed milk so I’m not sure how it’d adhere to the apples.
Can I quarter the apples or cut into rings and candy them so they are smaller bites?
Hi Laure! I haven’t tried that so I can’t say with certainty what the results would be, but I think it *should* work!
The carmel seems runny, and thin. Is this right or did I do something wrong?
It shouldn’t be runny. What brand of soft caramels did you use?
Question: To dip the bottom of the caramel covered apple in melted chocolate, do I have to fully cool & refrigerate the apples with caramel on them then redip in hot chocolate? Thanks!
Yes, allow the first layer of caramel to cool completely before plunging your apple into a hot bath of chocolate. :)
I have 30oz of caramels how much cream should I use. Thank you
Hi Freda! I’d recommend ~5.5 Tablespoons of heavy cream.
Going to try this week for my grands. Ty
I hope everyone enjoys the recipe, Diane!
going to do this as a station at a children’s Halloween party
Can’t wait to read the results, Pat!
Can I please have the candy apple recipe and the Carmel apple to plz
Hi Karen! Here’s the link to my Easy Homemade Candy Apples recipe: https://www.justataste.com/candy-apples/ The caramel apple recipe is listed above. Enjoy! :)
Just tried it. I think the cream may have burnt because there were black specks throughout.
Hi Cia – It sounds like the caramel may have been overheated. Try using a lower temperature next time and don’t forget to stir occasionally :)
How much heavy cream do I put!
Hi Andrea – As noted in the recipe above, you’ll need 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. :)
Can i make these a day beforehand?
Sure!
I tried last night for our Halloween party, great and easy recipe! But I think we did something wrong because the caramel was more on the paper than the apple and Everytime We put the toppings on most of the caramel came off and the topping so I’m not sure what we did wrong there but we still ate them and still delicious!
Hi China! Is it humid where you are? Also, it’s important that the apples are washed and then thoroughly dried prior to plunging them into the hot caramel. Any trace of moisture on the apples will cause the caramel to slip and slide right off. Hope this helps!