His name is Frank.
Try these caramel-coated, chocolate-covered candy apples once, and you’ll love them forever.
The no-bake recipe yields a beautiful caramel apple perfect for fall bake sales, holiday gifting, or starting a new tradition with kids. An easy, festive, hugely-decadent sure-winner recipe during busy October? Yes, please.
Did I mention the recipe starts with fresh, tart, crisp apples? And that the apples are drenched in caramel? Then, the caramel apples are dunked in dark chocolate? And then, THEN, the caramel/chocolate apple is decorated with endless possibilities of edible accessories? Oh yes. I’m not even a little embarrassed by the shameless overuse of adjectives. They’re really good.
Halloween is our favorite time of year to bust out this recipe. My young sous chef thinks Granny Smith apples make the perfect little Frankensteins. We’ve also done mummies with white chocolate, and a monsterrific mish-mash with M&Ms and candy eyeballs. (Of course, I missed a photo of these as we whooshed the apples out the door as soon as they were wrapped up. Oh, October…you keep us moving.) Really, though, even if you’re not feeling like decorating the caramel apples are worth a go. If you ask us, there’s no better way to eat an apple. 😉
Our school has a bake sale every fall, and I always try to have a batch of these ready to share. It’s not the fastest recipe because the coatings take a while to cool, and the decorating at our house usually goes on forever. However, it’s a really easy recipe, and never fails to bring a smile.
How to make the caramel stick on the apple?
The first time we made these, the warm caramel slid right off the apples – not good. So, a few tips to get a great caramel coating on those perfectly crisp globes:
- Wash and dry the apples before you work with them. That should probably go without saying…but, we’re saying.
- Don’t add too much milk to the caramel. Adding a little bit of milk ensures the caramel stays soft, but too much will make the caramel thin. Start with the recipe suggestion, then adjust as needed.
- Get the caramel temperature right. If the caramel is too hot, it will be thin and run right off the apple. If the caramel is too cold, it will be too stiff and won’t spread. It might seem a little fussy, but after an apple or two you’ll have it down.
- Once dipped, let the caramel cool before adding the melted chocolate. If some of the caramel slumped to the bottom of the apple, use a knife to gently mold it back over the apple’s surface in a more even layer.
- Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. It’s getting covered in chocolate. 😛
Come on. Look at that caramel.
Chocolate fingerprints everywhere…! LOL.
(Psst…Wanna make it later? Pin it! Click on the Pinterest image below to save to your Pinterest board.)
Wicked-Good Caramel Apples
The easiest no-bake caramel apple recipe perfect for bake sales and holiday gifting!
Ingredients
- 6 (approx) Jumbo apples, clean and dry We like Granny Smith best
- 6 (approx) Cake pop sticks You’ll need one stick for each caramel apple
- 1 bag Caramels Can use wrapped caramels, but be sure to unwrap them first! 🙂
- 1 Tbs. Milk Add more as needed
- Chocolate, melted For dipping. Use a combo of dark and white chocolate for a great look
- Candies for decorating We like chocolate chips, nuts, candy eyeballs, sprinkles...anything goes!
Instructions
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Prepare a baking sheet with wax paper.
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Poke a stick into each apple, near the stem. Poke the stick far enough into the apple that it stays put, but don’t let the stick come out the other side. Set apples aside.
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In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the unwrapped caramels with the milk. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until caramel is melted and smooth. Caramel should be thick! If it's too thin, it will slide off the apple. If too thin, add more caramels or let it cool a bit to thicken.
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Dip each apple in caramel, then cool on the baking sheet. (If the caramel slides off the apple, it is too hot. Cooler caramel will yield a thicker caramel coating. You can always re-dip.
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When all caramel-coated apples are cool, begin melting the chocolate! Again, melt chocolate in 30sec intervals, mixing in between. When chocolate is melted and smooth, dip caramel-coated apples into the chocolate. Set apples on the wax paper to cool.
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When chocolate is set, decorate your apples! We like to decorate with mini M&Ms, coconut, nuts, sprinkles, chocolate drizzles, and mini chocolate chips. Anything goes!
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Allow caramel apples to cool/set completely before you wrap them up. Your friends will love these!
Recipe Notes
Depending on the size of your apples and how much caramel/chocolate coating you want, the ingredient amounts can really vary for this recipe. Use what you like, and adjust as needed!