With these Caramel Apple Recipes you can make gourmet apples at home! Get the family involved and let everyone add their favorite toppings.
One of the places we love to visit is Duluth, Minnesota. When we do one of the treats we enjoy getting is caramel apples from the candy shop. Those gourmet treats inspired these caramel apples recipes that can be made for a fraction of the cost.
Gourmet Caramel Apple Recipes
Start by coating your apples in caramel. You’ve got to try my caramel for apples recipe! Not only does it make the best caramel apples but the post also includes lots of tips for making the caramel apples.
Once the apple is coated in caramel roll it in your toppings of choice, place them on a parchment covered tray or rimmed baking sheet, and immediately place it in the refrigerator.
How do you get toppings to stick to caramel apples?
We made (and ate) a lot of caramel apples while testing these caramel apple recipes! And along the way, we came up with some great tips for getting toppings to stick to caramel apples.
- Caramel: Coat chilled, prepped apples with thick hot caramel. If the caramel is sticking well to the apples, you have a great chance of the toppings sticking as well. See my caramel for apples post for tips.
- Topping Size: Smaller sized bits will stick the best. So, if you are using nuts, candy bars, or cookies, chop them up first. When using things like M&M’s or chocolate chips, choose the mini ones when possible.
- Refrigeration: After adding the toppings place the caramel apple on a parchment covered tray or rimmed baking sheet, and immediately place it in the refrigerator. The caramel will start to set up and hold the toppings in place.
- Fill In Gaps: Once the caramel apple has chilled, the caramel is still soft enough that you can fill in any gaps by hand if you feel the need to. Simple press the toppings into the caramel where you see a gap.
- Chocolate Covered: When coating the caramel apples with chocolate (as shown further down in the post), start with a chilled caramel apple and refrigerate immediately after adding the toppings.
An M&M’s Caramel Apple is simple but so good! The colorful M&M’s look cheerful and the chocolate with a crunchy coating is an excellent complement to the creamy caramel.
This Chocolate Chip Caramel Apple features mini chocolate chips nestled in thick, gooey caramel. This one is perfect for caramel truffle lovers.
A Peanut Caramel Apple is a classic choice. There is something irresistible about that sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy combination.
What other easy caramel apple recipes could I make?
There are endless choices when it comes to caramel apple recipes! Here are some more ideas:
- Salted: Sprinkle sea salt over the caramel apple.
- Turtle: Coat with chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips.
- Rocky Road: Roll in chopped walnuts and mini marshmallows before drizzling with melted chocolate chips
- Candy Bar: Chop up your favorite candy bar to use a topping.
Chocolate Covered Caramel Apple Recipes
Another option is to dip the caramel apple in an additional candy coating because why not, we are making gourmet caramel apples here! For these caramel apple recipes, we chose white chocolate but semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, or colorful candy melts would work well too.
After melting the white chocolate melting wafers in the microwave, dip a chilled caramel apple into the white chocolate and allow the excess to drip off. Using a chilled caramel apple will help the chocolate coating stick and help keep the toppings from sliding off.
Then, coat it in the toppings of your choice, place it on a parchment covered tray or rimmed baking pan and immediately place it in the refrigerator to set.
Dirt ‘n Worms Caramel Apple: A crunchy apple coated with caramel and white chocolate dipped in crushed Oreos and topped with a gummy worm.
Apple Pie Cheesecake Caramel Apple: This apple is covered caramel and then dipped in white chocolate and coated with crushed graham crackers, brown sugar, and apple pie spices.
Sprinkles Caramel Apple: This one is for the kid in all of us! It is dipped in white chocolate and then covered with sprinkles of your choice.
Tiger Butter Caramel Apple: A granny smith apple that is first covered in caramel and then white chocolate with a chocolate and peanut butter swirl.
Want more caramel apple recipes? Give these a try:
- S’mores: Dip in melted milk chocolate. Coat with mini marshmallows and chopped graham crackers.
- Grasshopper: Coat with melted chocolate and drizzle with melted mint baking chips.
- Hot Chocolate: Coat with mini marshmallows and sprinkle with powdered hot chocolate mix.
- Peanut Butter Cup: Cover in melted chocolate and then coat with peanut butter chips.
Caramel Apple Recipes
With these Caramel Apple Recipes you can make gourmet apples at home! Get the family involved and let everyone add their favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Caramel Apple Toppings
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped peanuts
- 1 cup mini M&M's
- 1/2 cup sprinkles
Dirt 'n Worms Caramel Apples
- 1 cup crushed oreos
- 5 gummy worms
- 10 oz white chocolate melting wafers
Apple Pie Cheesecake Caramel Apples
- 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 10 oz white chocolate melting wafers
Tiger Butter Caramel Apples
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp shortening
- 10 oz white chocolate melting wafers
Instructions
Caramel Apple Toppings
- Start by coating your apples in caramel. (See my caramel for apples recipe that includes lots of tips and tricks.)
- Once the apple is coated in caramel roll it in your toppings of choice, set it on a parchment covered tray or rimmed baking sheet, and immediately place it in the refrigerator.
Dirt n' Worms Caramel Apples
- Melt the white chocolate melting wafers in the microwave according to the instructions on the package.
- Dip chilled caramel apples into the melted white chocolate and allow the excess to run off.
- Coat the white chocolate with crushed oreos and add a gummy worm to the top. Set it on a parchment covered tray or rimmed baking sheet and immediately place it in the refrigerator.
Apple Pie Cheesecake Caramel Apples
- In a small bowl, mix together the crushed graham crackers, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice. Set aside.
- Melt the white chocolate melting wafers in the microwave according to the instructions on the package.
- Dip chilled caramel apples into the melted white chocolate and allow the excess to run off.
- Coat the white chocolate with the graham cracker mixture. Set it on a parchment covered tray or rimmed baking sheet and immediately place it in the refrigerator.
Tiger Butter Caramel Apples
- Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave according to the instructions on the package. Stir in the creamy peanut butter and shortening. Return to the microwave for a few seconds if necessary. Set aside.
- Melt the white chocolate melting wafers in the microwave according to the instructions on the package.
- Dip chilled caramel apples into the melted white chocolate and allow the excess to run off.
- Drizzle the melted chocolate and peanut butter mixture over the white chocolate. Drag a toothpick through the chocolate to create stripes. Set it on a parchment covered tray or rimmed baking sheet and immediately place it in the refrigerator.
Notes
Each of the caramel apple recipes or topping options above is enough to make about five medium caramel apples. If you want to make multiple flavors, you won't use all of the toppings. Or if you want to make more caramel apples, you may need to increase the toppings amount.
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