Caramel apples are a Fall favorite! Whitney shows us how to make the perfect caramel to coat these tasty treats.
Follow these tips to ensure your caramel comes out just right:
When cooking your caramel, remember to rely on your candy thermometer, not the time to know when it’s complete and watch carefully!
After removing heat and stirring in vanilla, don’t stir too much to avoid air bubbles
Thin caramel? Let it sit for 5-10 more minutes.
Use a silicone baking mat or buttered tray to cool your apples. Avoid parchment paper, as the caramel will stick.
Once the caramel’s complete, it’s time to customize. Top with chocolate, nuts, sprinkles, crushed candies or get creative! Or keep it classic, but switch up which type of apple you use.
Find the full recipe below:
Prep Time: Cook Time:
INGREDIENTS
8-9 cold apples
Caramel apple sticks or popsicle sticks
CARAMEL
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 cup light corn syrup
2 cups packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Rinse the apples with water, then wipe completely dry. Remove the stem and insert a caramel apple stick about halway down into the apple.
Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or grease the pan with butter (do not use parchment or wax paper as caramel sticks to these).
Combine the heavy cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Do not turn the temperature up or down – keep at medium the entire time the caramel cooks. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the butter is melted. Once melted, dip a pastry brush in water, then brush down the sides of the pan. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan, making sure the bulb is not touching the bottom of the pan.
Without stirring, let the mixture bubble until it reaches 235°F-240°F. This should take 15-20 minutes but may vary. Rely on the thermometer, not the time. The temperature will rise slowly at first and then will jump quickly, so watch carefully. When the temperature has reached 235°F-240°F, remove caramel from heat and stir in the vanilla. Avoid over-stirring which can create air bubbles. Allow caramel to cool for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened. If caramel is too thin to coat apples, let it cool and thicken for 5-10 minutes longer.
Holding the caramel apple stick, dip the apple into the warm caramel, tilting the pot as needed to coat all sides of the apple. Lift the apple and swirl it around or gently tap it against the side of the pot to allow excess caramel drip off. Place coated apple on prepared pan. Repeat with remaining apples. Enjoy immediately or allow caramel to set, about 45-60 minutes.
After caramel has completely set, loosely cover and store the leftover dipped apples in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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