Easy Homemade Caramel Apples

These Easy Homemade Caramel Apples taste a hundred times better than anything you can buy. Make a dozen apples in less than an hour!

If you haven't made caramel apples this fall, RUN to the store and pick up a bag of apples and a carton of cream. Then click on the recipe below for Easy Homemade Caramel Apples and start cooking! In less than an hour, you'll have a dozen of the prettiest, most delicious caramel apples you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting!

My daughter, Cait and her little herd of four visited us a few weekends ago. The day they arrived we spent a beautiful fall afternoon at one of the nearby mountain apple orchards, picking apples, wandering through a corn maze and enjoying warm cider donuts. The orchard stand also sold caramel apples but I had told my oldest granddaughter, Annie, that we would make our own caramel apples while they were visiting.

Annie was quick to remind me of my promise the following day, and that afternoon, we all gathered in the kitchen to make caramel apples. How wonderful to have so many helpers! 6-year-old, Luke was responsible for measuring the ingredients, Annie (12) faithfully stirred the pot, Elle (11) took care of monitoring the temperature and Lilly (8) made the whole thing fun!

The caramel apples were a huge success and didn't last long with that sweet-toothed crew! I've made them many times since and have tweaked the recipe (originally from Serious Eats), here and there to make it fail-proof and perfect for you!

The real deal...

Although there are numerous ways to make caramel apples, this is the REAL DEAL. Some recipes call for Kraft caramels, some for brown sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk. This recipe is simply sugar (which is caramelized), cream and butter. There's also vanilla and sea salt for flavoring, but the ingredient list is simple, short and the essence of real caramel flavor.

How does it work? Easy! Just combine sugar and water and boil till the sugar caramelizes (less time than it takes to unwrap a bag of caramels). Add cream, cook, and stir till a candy thermometer reaches 246˚F. Dip your apples and wipe the drool off your mouth as you wait 10 minutes for these beauties to set. The real deal! Soft, buttery caramel that thickly coats each apple and sets to a nonsticky finish.

But my sugar always crystalizes when I try to make caramel!

I get it! I spent many years frustrated with the process of trying to make real caramel. It seemed that no matter which recipe I tried - when it came to melting the sugar, I would often end up with a crystallized, grainy mess in the pan instead of caramel. A crystalized, grainy, stuck-in-the-pan mess that was a pain to clean up!

Why does sugar crystalize?

Sugar can be a temperamental ingredient. The crystallization problem occurs when sugar (sucrose) melts and (for a variety of complicated reasons) a chain reaction starts and the sugar re-forms into it's grainy, crystalline state. There are lots of variables such as the temperature of the heat source, stirring technique, utensils that aren't pristinely clean, sugar crystals on the sides on the pot, and on and on it goes.

Over the years, I've learned a few tricks that prevent the sugar from misbehaving and turning grainy and coarse. The easiest one is to add a tablespoon of corn syrup or a splash of lemon juice to the sugar as it melts. Somehow the sugar is confused with the addition of these ingredients and the crystallization problem is eliminated.

To be super cautious, I actually add a small amount of both corn syrup and lemon juice in this caramel apple recipe. I've made these delicious apples many times and never have had an issue with crystallization using these simple additions. Yay! I love easy solutions to pain-in-the-neck problems! And I love to share them with you even more!

Need a fun hostess gift or party favor? How about a delicious make-ahead dessert? These Easy Homemade Caramel apples also are a wonderful way to say, "Thanks", "I care" or "You're special" to friends, neighbors, teachers, postmen, etc. Got an hour? That's all it takes! You'll be sure to see lots of smiling faces and hear sighs of delight with each delicious bite.

Café Tips for making these Easy Homemade Caramel Apples

• Use a fairly large pot to make these caramel apples as the sugary mixture will bubble up as it cooks; especially when the cream is added. I like to use my medium-size soup pot.
• I like to use small or medium-size apples for my caramel apples. Large apples can be unwieldy to dip and eat.
• You will need a candy thermometer to make these caramel apples, as the temperature of the caramel needs to be carefully monitored so that it isn't too thick or too thin to coat the apples. Candy thermometers are not expensive. You can go with a super basic model or a more deluxe version (on sale right now) that can be to sound an alarm at a precise temperature. I've used both with good results. (Either of these would make a wonderful gift for a cooking friend!)
• There are lots of options for sticks for caramel apples. Popsicle sticks work well. I also really like these sturdy bamboo sticks. They're nice and long and have a sharp point that makes them easy to insert.
• Apples can be very firm, making the sticks difficult to insert. I've found that it helps to use a washcloth or dishcloth that's been folded into several thicknesses to push the sticks in.
• As mentioned above, the corn syrup and lemon juice will prevent sugar crystallization; but they don't change the delicious flavor of the caramel.
• Stirring the sugar and water mixture in the center of the pot with a fork is another trick that prevents crystallization which can occur when sugar crystal splatter onto the sides of the pan.
• Every stove is different. If you find the sugar mixture is taking too long to take on the amber hue, increase your temperature in small increments. Same is true after the cream is added - if it's taking longer than the recipe indicates for the mixture to reach 246˚F, again increase the burner temperature in small increments.
• Once the temperature gets to 240˚F, watch it very carefully, as it will rise quickly. Take the pot off of the burner as soon as it reaches 246˚F.
• If the caramel begins to thicken before you're finished dipping the apples, just put it back on the heat or in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. It will thin out nicely!
• If you have leftover caramel, add a little cream, half and half or milk to thin it out a little. Store in a jar in the fridge and use as a delicious caramel topping for ice cream and other desserts!
• I found these really fun caramel apple boxes on Amazon. Caramel apples can be a little difficult wrapping and/or packaging for gifts. These are perfect and look so pretty! They even have a little hole on the top for the stick to poke through.

Love to make sweet treats to give to family and friends? You might also like these 8-Minute Microwave Caramels. There's a video included in the post to demonstrate exactly how to make them!

P.S. I'm taking this batch of caramel apples to our local firemen to share our appreciation. We had some unanticipated excitement here at The Café a few weeks ago and had to call the fire department! Yikes! The fire department thinks that there was a gas line from one of the burners to the control knob that ruptured. My stove was destroyed and the house was a mess from the fine fire extinguisher particles; but we're super thankful there wasn't more damage and no one was hurt. And a new range is on the way, I can't wait!

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Homemade Caramel Apples

 These Easy Homemade Caramel Apples taste a hundred times better than anything you can buy. Make a dozen apples in less than an hour!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Caramel Apples

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 55 mins

Servings: 14

Calories: 381 kcal

Ingredients

• 12 medium Granny Smith or other tart/sweet apples
• 1 cup water
• 2 ⅔ cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup or 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (see Café Tips above)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 ¼ cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter I use salted
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ teaspoons flaky sea salt I love Maldon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Wash apples and dry them well. Skewer apples with popsicle sticks then refrigerate while preparing the caramel.
2. In a medium-large (at least 4 quarts), heavy duty pot, combine water, sugar, corn syrup and lemon juice over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally with a fork in the center of the pot (see Café Tips above) until sugar is fully dissolved and syrup comes to a rolling boil, 4-5 minutes.
3. Once mixture comes to a boil, continue cooking WITHOUT STIRRING until syrup takes on a medium amber hue (6-12 minutes). Once the mixture starts taking on color, gently swirl the pan occasionally if it seems to be browning too quickly in one area or another.
4. Once syrup mixture is a medium amber, add the cream (the mixture will sputter) and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir (very) frequently with a heat-resistant spatula, until caramel registers 246°F (121°C) on a digital thermometer, about 10-15 minutes. (Once the temperature gets above 240˚F., stir continually.)

5. Transfer to a small heat-resistant bowl. Add butter and vanilla and stir until smooth. Add sea salt and stir to combine. Dip cold apples in caramel, letting excess drip off before transferring to the prepared sheet pan. Allow to cool and set, then enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.

See Café Tips above for more detailed instructions and more tips.

Calories 381kcal

Fat 16g

Saturated fat 9g

Cholesterol 56mg

Sodium 281mg

Potassium 195mg

Carbohydrates 62g

Fiber 3g

Sugar 55g

Protein 1g

Vitamin A 695%

Vitamin C 7.5%

Calcium 34%

Iron 0.2%

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