Make Your Own Caramel Apples

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 07/5/21
Caramel apples

The Spruce / Nita West

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 7 mins
Total: 27 mins
Servings: 5 servings
Yield: 5 caramel apples
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
441 Calories
8g Fat
95g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5
Amount per serving
Calories 441
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 6mg 2%
Sodium 224mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 95g 35%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Total Sugars 78g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 9mg 44%
Calcium 136mg 10%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 389mg 8%
*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.)

If you are craving a carnival treat but there's no carnival in sight, don't worry. Caramel apples are easy to make at home. This recipe is fast and simple, so it's perfect to whip up when you're short on time, or for little kids to help with. Next time you go to the grocery store, stock up on wooden skewers or popsicle sticks. That way, you'll always have them on hand for the next time you want to make this sweet treat.

A fun fall party idea is to have a customized caramel apple bar. This could be a great activity after a day of apple picking. If you don't have apple picking in your plans, purchase enough apples for everyone. Set up a variety of apple toppings and then let your guests decorate their apple based on their favorite treats. Write each person's name on a popsicle stick and use that stick to identify each person's apple.

For this recipe, you will need five wooden skewers.

Ingredients

  • 5 ripe red apples 

  • 1 pound store-bought soft caramels 

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1/2 cup peanuts, chopped, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for caramel apples

    The Spruce / Nita West

  2. Begin by washing the apples and removing their stems.

    Begin by washing apples

    The Spruce / Nita West

  3. Stick the wooden skewers securely into the stem end of the apples.

    Stick skewers in

    The Spruce / Nita West

  4. If you are using them, place the chopped peanuts in a bowl large enough to hold an apple.

    Place chopped peanuts in bowl

    The Spruce / Nita West

  5. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

    Cover with foil

    The Spruce / Nita West

  6. Boil water in the bottom of the double boiler.

    Boil water

    The Spruce / Nita West

  7. Unwrap the caramels and place them in the top of the double boiler with the two tablespoons of water.

    Unwrap caramel

    The Spruce / Nita West

  8. Place the pan with the candies over the boiling water. Let them heat up, and stir them gently until they are completely heated and smooth.

    Place pan over water

    The Spruce / Nita West

  9. Remove the caramels from the heat. Dip the apples one at a time into the melted caramel and coat them.

    Remove apple

    The Spruce / Nita West

  10. Dip the bottoms of the apples into the chopped peanuts (or your selected topping), and place each apple onto the foil-lined baking sheet.

    Apple in bowl

    The Spruce / Nita West

  11. Chill the apples in the fridge until the caramel is set.

    Chill apples in fridge

    The Spruce / Nita West

  12. Serve and enjoy.

    Homemade Caramel Apples

    The Spruce / Nita West

Tip

  • This recipe calls for chopped peanuts as the topping. This is optional. Use any topping you like (or keep the apples plain with just caramel). Just remember to chop up any topping, so you aren't eating huge bites of your chosen topping.

Recipe Variations

  • Once you've learned the basic recipe, it's easy to customize the apples. There are so many ways to make unique caramel apples. You can dunk them in chocolate, dip them in peanuts, or top them with sprinkles, coconut, or your favorite chopped candy bars.
  • Try using different types of apples. As long as they are ripe and good for eating out of hand, the caramel apples will taste delicious. If the caramel apples are part of a dessert bar, you can use smaller or mini apples and just make a lot of them.