- - Chicken Enchiladas I See how to make delicious chicken enchiladas the easy way! »
- - Summer Grilling Top recipes and ideas for casual outdoor cooking and entertaining. »
- - Healthy and Easy Recipes for low-cal chicken, smart snacks, and light desserts. »
- - Menu Planner Save time, save money, and eat healthier—for as little as $1/month. »

Add a Comment

Caramel Apples

Looking for a way to spice up this traditional Halloween treat? Here are eight recipes for taking caramel apples to the next level--plus an eighth for those who have classic taste.

Related Recipe Collections

Planning a Halloween Party?

Have we got some scary good menus for you!

Halloween Menus

Homemade Caramel

Make your own caramel (and avoid having to unwrap all those individual caramels!) with this recipe and Advice article.

Tricks and Advice

Use a combination of different colored apples: red, green and yellow.
Choose uniform-sized apples--small apples work best.
Substitute chocolate caramels for traditional.
Before dipping apples in caramel, set them on an even surface and cut half-inch slices in the top of each apple to ensure that the sticks poke straight up.
Dip apples in one quick motion; let excess caramel drip off. Holding apple upright, press toppings into caramel to hold them in place.
Use latex gloves (available at drugstores) when pressing on toppings.
Use a pastry bag with a small tip and melted chocolate to make polka dots.
Set dipped apples on wax squares or parchment paper.
And remember: caramel apples are always best eaten the same day they are made!

Create Your Own Flavors

Toppings:

Chopped nuts
Toasted coconut
Miniature chocolate morsels
Chopped candy bars
Hot cinnamon candies
Dried fruit
Licorice
Sprinkles
Popcorn
Crumbled crackers
Crushed cookies

Caramel Flavorings:

Mint or Peppermint
Banana
Orange Liqueur

Related Advice Collection

More Halloween How-Tos

Why let ice cream have all the fun?

Rocky Road Caramel Apples

Try this classic combo ... with caramel!

Peanut Butter Crunch Apples

A campfire favorite wrapped around an apple.

S'mores Apples

A Northwest-inspired twist on this Halloween treat.

Seattle Caramel Apples

Go ahead, spike the caramel apples!

Bourbon Candy Apples

... with a cherry on top.

Cherry Almond Caramel Apple Explosion

The best of both worlds come together.

Sweet and Salty Caramel Apples

Keeping with tradition.

Plain Caramel Apples

Comments

Add a comment

linda

Oct. 2, 2009 9:19 am

how you make the cinnamin candy apple

cassie

Oct. 14, 2009 5:31 pm

I once had a candy apple at a halloween party and it wasnt hard like the ones you buy at theme parks,the candied part was a carmel texture but it wasnt caramel. anyone know what im talking about?

Michele

Oct. 17, 2009 7:54 pm

Just make a soft ball stage candy. just like you would for caramel. you can use any flavor.

Raush

Oct. 25, 2009 5:35 pm

the wax papper always sticks to the caramel apple. Would it help if I butter the wax papper first??

Vicki B

Oct. 26, 2009 11:52 am

Raush - spray your wax paper with Pam and it will come off clean. You can wrap the apples individually in this sprayed wax paper too.

CIMMY

Oct. 26, 2009 8:01 pm

I ALWAYS SET MINE IN SUGAR OR SALTED PECANS AFTER DIPPING. STOPS THEM FROM STICKING

LadyOak

Oct. 27, 2009 2:30 pm

Has anyone attempted Caramel Apple Bites? Bite size versions, maybe with a pretzle as the stick?

alpha

Oct. 29, 2009 11:48 am

great recipes

Betsy

Oct. 29, 2009 5:50 pm

neato

AllrecipesElizabeth

Oct. 30, 2009 12:00 pm

Nice job! Thanks for the article!

Goodness

Nov. 10, 2009 4:27 am

The Tops Pics with the Darker caramel where is the recipe for it?

SDTJ1250

Nov. 29, 2009 9:30 am

Can you freeze caramel? I have a gallon can of caramel and can not use it all at once, hate to waste half of it. Can anyone help me?

drlaurancg

Mar. 5, 2010 5:50 pm

i like the recepi very much but i cant get the caramel to stick to the apples. once i put the caramel on them y slides of whata can i do

dustyfrog

Jul. 7, 2010 7:54 pm

A suggestion would be to use nitrile glove or vinyl gloves instead of laytex. ALLERGIES!!!!! FOR ANYONE

HKaz2010

Sep. 8, 2010 10:53 am

I really like the bite-size idea by LadyOak. I'm going to have to try that.

katie

Sep. 27, 2010 6:52 am

these apples look so good i am going to make them for my grandaughter

LittleMissLate

Oct. 14, 2010 7:36 pm

I made the Gourmet Caramel apples for Thanksgiving dinner instead of the traditional pumpkin pie for dessert....what a huge hit! Soooo yummy. The kids even took pictures of them and posted them on Facebook!

Bobbie

Oct. 18, 2010 9:55 pm

Cassie, I remember a red cinnamin like carmel texture candy apple, it had like a cookie crumb like sprinkled around it. They didn't have nuts. I hate nuts and now they have nuts on the at the store. I wish I knew how to make these. Can anyone help Cassie and I??...well not sure if this is like what cassie is talking about but it might be!! LOL!! Thank you, Bobbie

tjolly

Oct. 20, 2010 6:05 am

I was wondering if anyone knows how to make the Apple Pie Spice Carmel Apple? I went to the Chocolate Factory on a regular basis years ago to get them. mmmmmm

hmudy

Oct. 20, 2010 9:33 am

If you're looking for the cinnamon candy apples. Look up Candied Apples III. It uses melted red hot candies.

JAS

Oct. 20, 2010 11:11 pm

I have read to make your caramel stick to us a fine sand paper to rough up the waxy skin.

muttleyjo

Oct. 21, 2010 8:46 pm

tjolly - I also love the applepie spice apples ! They are sooo yummy, and easy ! Dip your apples (I prefer granny smith ) in caramel, then melted white chocolate chips, and roll in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar . ( Note : I let the caramel set up on the apples for a few minutes before dipping in the white chocolate.)Its making my mouth water just thinking about them !!! Also, to Cassie and Bobbie - I know exactly what you are talking about ! I wish I knew what they were too ! The coating is not cinnamon - it is just a sweet, gooey caramel - like coating that is red. I can't even describe the taste - lol ! But is definately not hot or cinnamon. The one i had did not have nuts, or cookie crumbs, it had a sprinkling of something more like the crumbly topping on a dutch apple pie. Delicious !! I hope someone knows how to make these, and hope you will all try the apple pie apples, what a treat !!

gsha7048

Oct. 23, 2010 8:37 am

How do you drizzle the cochalate over it? It would be great for my kids to have for a treat at school for there Halloween party:)

nota304

Oct. 24, 2010 3:40 pm

the peanut butter crunch lookz pretty good. but the plain caramel apples look pretty great too

Hanks Aunt

Oct. 25, 2010 4:41 am

When I was a kid on Aberdeen street in Chicago,we bought candied from a pushcart peddler. Of the many varieties sold, one had a crunchy red coating which you could get plain or with coconut. They were beyond delicious! Has anyone ever had those treats?

Hawaiian Honey

Oct. 25, 2010 4:42 pm

Bobbie and Cassie--- I seriously LOVE those caramel apples! I don't know how to make them but this is what they are!!!
www.daffyapple.com/p-45-red-candy-apples-with-crunch.aspx Hope that helps!!!

Brenda S

Oct. 28, 2010 3:00 pm

Raush, parchment paper is the best to set your caramel apples on or to wrap caramel in. It never sticks. I have made the mistake of using waxed paper in the past and ruined my candies and apples. I have never used waxed paper again. I always cut squares of parchment paper to wrap my Christmas caramels in and have never been disappointed.

rami66

Jun. 17, 2011 12:07 am

Im planning my own halloween wedding and one of the things me and my fiance are considering is a make your own candy apple station what all toppings would you suggest laying out for the guests?

sunset7435

Jun. 23, 2011 8:38 am

rami, we're also doing a caramel apple station as our favors for our wedding in October... Check out DaffyApples.com - they sell their caramel kits (caramel, sticks and topping) and cello bags dirt cheap, and they're easier too - just heat in microwave and set in a double boiler, crock pot or chaffing bowl. I'm not sure where you're located, but Cape May Wicker (no website) has these awesome oober cute apple baskets that will fit about a half or qtr bushel for only $7.50 each. Let me know if you want pics, i can always buy a few and list them on ebay as well, if you wanted. we're def going with coconut, cinnamon sugar, a mix of peanuts and mini choc chips, mini choc chips, mini reese's pieces, pecans, peanuts, and a crunch coating. We're also having extra chaffing dishes for the dark and white chocolate drizzle. Other toppings I've seen that i liked - crushed oreos, crushed graham crackers, and def pull out some blends like toasted coconut with chopped macadamia nuts, chopped w

sunset7435

Jul. 1, 2011 7:45 am

granola! completely forgot about granola... its like an apple crisp w it!

cprusha

Oct. 19, 2011 6:07 pm

My daughter and I are making gourmet caramel apples for a fundraiser for my son and daughter-in-law's adoption fund. We cover our apples from top to bottom and our toppings are much thicker than those pictured. We make our s'mores by dipping in caramel, spreading on marshmallow fluff and rolling in crushed grahams, then drizzling on chocolate. Peanuts and candy corn with drizzled white chocolate is a favorite as well as Almond Joy with toasted almonds and coconut and chocolate drizzle. We also make pretzel and chocolate, chopped Reese cup and chopped Oreo. Anxious to try the applepie spice!

AGAPE328

Oct. 20, 2011 5:13 am

Just made caramel apples last night with the kids. Trick for getting caramel to stick - it slides off because of the wax on the apple. To remove the wax, boil a pot of water and dip the apples in it, swirl them around a couple of times (no longer than a few seconds) and then dry with paper towels. Works like a charm!!

stacy

Oct. 20, 2011 9:40 am

I just made caramel apples and set them on parchment paper...worked great. In the past I have also dipped the bottom in chopped peanuts which also prevented them from sticking to what they were sitting on. My question is, what is the best apple to use. I would use Macintosh but the skins are too tough! I usually use gala!

Add a comment