Candy Apples Recipe

By
Elizabeth LaBau
Sweet Book of Candy Making Elizabeth LaBau
Elizabeth LaBau
A professional pastry chef, cookbook author, and writer, Elizabeth LaBau has published more than 600 articles on baking and candy making.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/26/21
Candy Apples

The Spruce / Julia Estrada

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
485 Calories
1g Fat
126g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 485
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 32mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 126g 46%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 116g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 19mg 94%
Calcium 20mg 2%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 242mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Candy apples are a fairground classic, but they're also surprisingly easy to make at home. Use this simple recipe for homemade cinnamon candy apples to make crisp, tart apples with a crunchy cinnamon coating.​

The secret to the authentic, spicy cinnamon taste? Using Red Hot candies in the coating. They form a crunchy candy shell with a bright red color and hot cinnamon flavor, no additional flavoring or food coloring required. The only special equipment you'll need is a good candy thermometer and eight wooden skewers.

Serve these festive candy apples at your next all-ages shindig. They're perfect for a Halloween party, back-to-school gathering, birthday party, autumn festival, and more. Wrapped in plastic and tied with a ribbon, they make great take-home favors, too.

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray

  • 8 large apples, preferably Granny Smith

  • 2 cups granulated sugar

  • 1 cup light corn syrup

  • 1/2 cup hot water

  • 1/2 cup red cinnamon candies (such as Red Hots)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Candy Apples ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lightly spraying with nonstick cooking spray.

    baking sheet lined with parchment paper

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  3. Wash and dry apples carefully. Make sure that no water remains on the apples.

    washed apple on top of a kitchen towel

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  4. Remove stems and firmly stick skewers in stem ends.

    green apples with sticks in the stem end

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  5. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and hot water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

    sugar, corn syrup, and hot water in a medium saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  6. Stir until sugar dissolves, then continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 250 F on a candy thermometer. 

    sugar mixture boiling in a pot, candy thermometer in a pot with sugar mixture

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  7. Wipe down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush occasionally to prevent crystallization.

    Wipe down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  8. Once candy reaches 250 F, add cinnamon candies and stir briefly until candies melt and incorporate into sugar syrup.

    add cinnamon candy to the sugar mixture in the pot

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  9. Continue to cook candy coating, occasionally washing down sides with wet pastry brush, until mixture reaches 285 F.

    cook the candy coating in the pot

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  10. Remove pan from heat and stir mixture so that it is smooth and even.

    candy coating mixture in a pot

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  11. Immediately start to dip apples. Hold an apple by skewer and dip in candy coating, tilting pan at an angle and rotating apple to cover it completely with a smooth, even layer of red candy.

    coat apples in candy coating mixture while holding on to the wood skewer

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  12. Pull apple out of pan and twirl it to remove any excess. Set it stick-side up on prepared baking sheet.

    candy coated apple

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  13. Repeat with remaining apples.

    candy coated apples on a parchment lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  14. Allow apples to cool at room temperature before serving. Candy apples are best enjoyed within 24 hours.

    Candy Apples on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

Tips

  • You can substitute chopsticks or Popsicle sticks for the skewers
  • The candy mixture will start to set almost as soon as you pull it off the heat, so if it begins to harden before you are done and is difficult to work with, return to the pan to the heat and warm it gently, over medium-low heat, just until it liquefies again.