Perfect Caramel Apples Recipe
Have you ever made Homemade Caramel Apples?
I’m not talking about Caramel Apples made with those cute little candy squares that you buy in packages.
I’m talking about REAL honest-to-God Caramel Apples that you make from scratch from REAL HOMEMADE Caramel. This is the Perfect Caramel Apples Recipe.
You absolutely need a candy thermometer for this recipe. A lot of recipes will give you visual cues, but using a thermometer will guarantee that you’ll get it right the first time (yep, I learned the hard way).
If you’re wondering what kind of apples to buy, get what you like to eat out of hand. Honey Crisps are delicious but HUGE! Granny Smiths are tart, but balance out the sweetness of the caramel. Red Delicious are pretty bland, but tend to be uniform in shape.
Decorate the apples or leave them plain… they’ll be delicious no matter what you do!
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Caramel Apples
prep: 15 minutes
cook: 1 hour
makes 6 caramel apples
you’ll need…
6 medium apples (about 2 pounds)
6 wooden craftsticks, chopsticks, or popsticks
1 cup sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
chopped nuts, candy sprinkles, cranberries, coconut for decorating
let’s get to it…
Line a baking sheet (or plate) that will fit into your refrigerator with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside. If you’re decorating your apples after dipping them in caramel, place the decorations on separate plates; set aside.
Place apples in a colander and poor boiling hot water over them. Let cool for a minute and dry completely. Insert a stick in stem end of each apple and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place in refrigerator.
Cook sugar, corn syrup, condensed milk and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over low heat stirring constantly with a silicone spatula or long wooden spoon until temperature reaches 240° (remember, sugar will continue cooking). Immediately remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool for 1 to 2 minutes.
Dip apples into caramel, using a spoon or ladle to coat completely. Let excess drip back into the pan. Return to parchment paper. As soon as you’ve finished dipping each of the apples (about 10 to 15 minutes), roll the apples in the decorations or use your palm to press the decorations onto the apples. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.
