Caramel apples are my favorite fall dessert and these Easy Caramel Apples are no exception! You won’t believe how simple they are to make with a seriously delicious shortcut.
Caramel apples – one of my absolute favorites!
I am a classic caramel apple kinda gal. I require mine have an amazing tasting caramel and be covered in chopped peanuts. That’s all I ask! Nothing more, nothing less.
Those caramel apples you see at Disney or Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory that are fully loaded with Oreos, candies and stuff are so not my cup of tea, but I can see the appeal! The apple is the perfect vessel for layering on your favorite toppings. The apple is your oyster! Er, you know what I meant!
Anyway, these Easy Caramel Apples are the bomb diggity and are super simple to make. No need to prepare a fussy homemade caramel sauce because I tested the store-brand caramels and found one that tasted just as good as homemade without all the hassle and can be whipped up in minutes.
Making Caramel Apples
For caramel apples, you’ll need apples (of course!) – Granny Smith are my favorite here since they offer a nice tart balance to the sweetness of the caramel; caramel (today we’re using Werther’s Original Chewy Caramels); heavy cream (to help melt the caramels); and your toppings, if you’re using them! Super easy, I promise! You’ll also want some kind of lollipop stick, skewer, chopstick, or popsicle stick to pierce through the apple to help you dip them. I used chopsticks because I forgot lollipop sticks at the store and they totally worked!
So for the caramel apples, you’ll first wash your apples really well to remove any waxy build-up from the grocery store. This helps the caramel adhere better. Dry them and pierce the skewer or lollipop stick through where the stem was. Set aside.
Next, you’ll prepare the caramel sauce. Unwrap a couple packages of the Werther’s Original Chewy Caramels and add them to a microwave-safe bowl. Add in a couple Tablespoons of heavy whipping cream and microwave in increments until smooth, melted and thick.
You’ll dip the apples into the caramel and twirl the apple around in it, then allow any excess to drip off of the apple. I like to then hold the apple upside down to allow the caramel to kind of set around the apple. By holding it upside down for about 30 seconds after dipping, the caramel sets and hardens around the apple and is less likely to pool around the base of the apple. Therefore you’ll get a thicker caramel topping.
Lastly, sprinkle or dredge on your toppings and allow everything to set in the fridge until you’re ready to serve or package them up!
Toppings
As I said before, I love mine with chopped peanuts, but other topping choices could be:
- Crushed Oreos, Nutter Butters, or vanilla wafers
- Graham crackers and pumpkin pie or apple pie spice
- Chopped peanut butter cups, mini M&M’s, chopped Snickers bars, chopped Twix
- Mini chocolate chips
- Rainbow or chocolate sprinkles
- Drizzles of melted chocolate or white chocolate candy coating
- Other types of nuts like pecans, pistachios, or walnuts
Whatever you do, MAKE these delicious apples and enjoy!
Easiest Caramel Apples
These Caramel Apples are absolutely divine and SO simple to make! Only a few pantry ingredients and you’ll have buttery, gooey and delicious gourmet-style caramel apples in no time.
Servings: 6 apples
Ingredients
- 6-8 medium-size Granny Smith apples, washed thoroughly and dried to remove wax, stems removed
- Two (10.8 oz each) packages Werther’s CHEWY Caramels, unwrapped I recommend their chewy caramels and NOT the soft caramels as the soft ones didn’t dip as well
- 4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- Assorted toppings of your choice, such as chopped nuts, crushed cookies, rainbow sprinkles, chopped candies, etc. Measurements depend on how many apples get that topping in particular.
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spray the parchment paper with cooking spray or rub with butter. Set aside.
Pierce a lollipop stick or chopstick through washed and dried Granny Smith apples, careful not to pierce all the way through. Set aside.
Meanwhile, unwrap the caramels and place them in a large microwaveable bowl. Add the heavy cream and microwave on HIGH power for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for another 30 seconds, stopping to stir after each 30 second increment for a total of 2-3 minutes or until the caramel is melted, smooth, and thickened.
Dip each apple, one at a time, into the caramel and twirl it around to coat it completely. Allow excess caramel to drip off of the apple, then hold the apple almost upside down for about 20-30 seconds to allow any extra caramel to settle onto the apple itself, set and thicken the caramel layer, and prevent pooling. Then, dredge or sprinkle the caramel apple with your choice of toppings. You may have to press the toppings into the caramel to get them to stick better.
Place the caramel apples on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until set. Allow to come closer to room temperature before serving to take the chill off of the caramel some, but keep them stored in the fridge.
Notes
I found that Werther’s Chewy Caramels worked best for this and tasted the best in my testing. Werther’s Soft Caramels slid off of the apples and didn’t perform as well as I had thought. Thankfully you can find Werther’s Chewy Caramels just about anywhere!
Gourmet-style caramel apples in the comfort of your own kitchen? Sign me up!
Want more caramel apple goodness? Try this recipe…
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
