How to Make Caramel Apples

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Learn the easy process of how to make caramel sauce with only four ingredients and less than 20 minutes! This sauce can be used as a dip, an ice cream topping, or a coating for caramel apples, and so much more!

Did you know that making caramel sauce is super simple? Like really, really simple. Like 4 ingredient simple? Seriously!

If you like unusual desserts, in which sweetness is combined with sourness, then apples in caramel will necessarily suit you to taste. In addition, the preparation of this delicacy at home is an interesting activity that the entire family, especially children, will like.

General tips
Recipe candy apple on a stick
apple slices in caramel
Dessert Chinese
Recipe in multivarka

baked candy apple
Dried apples in caramel
Apples in red caramel
Dessert caramelized apples
How to cook caramelfrom the toffee

Sauteed to perfection in butter and brown sugar with a dash of cinnamon this Caramelized Apple Topping is the easiest and most delicious recipe to try this Fall! It’s a versatile topping layered in warm comforting flavors that goes wonderfully on pancakes, waffles, crepes, and ice cream and can also be used in a variety of baked goods as well as savory dishes too.

The process of how to caramelize sugar is quite a simple one and is the start of many dessert sauces and candies. The technique may seem daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it it will open the door to many new recipes to master!

The process of caramelizing sugar feels like pure magic. Snowy white sugar granules are heated either solo or mixed with water and those crystals quickly become a liquid that starts to completely change in color and flavor. Caramelized sugar resembles nothing of its original state and the final result opens the doors to endless uses.

Caramelized sugar is used in everything from caramel sauces, candies, topping flan, ice creams, frostings, and so many more things! It’s even used for savory preparations such as the sweet and sour gastrique sauce.

The process for how to caramelize sugar can seem daunting, but I promise you it really isn’t. There is all kind of chemistry and science happening during the process, but I’m going to break it down for you and keep it really simple so you can approach this process with confidence!

There is nothing more quintessential of fall than making a big batch of homemade caramel. And what to do with all of that caramel? Homemade caramel apples!

OVERVIEW

Skill Level: Beginner
Components Used: Homemade Caramel Sauce

To make caramel apples, you could use a jarred caramel sauce from the grocery but did you know that making homemade caramel sauce is super simple? With only 4 ingredients!

A basic caramel sauce can be made in under 20 minutes and only requires granulated sugar, water, heavy cream, and salt! This is the real deal caramel sauce and you are going to want to make it all the time. The best part of this recipe is adding your own favorite toppings. I love to coat my caramel dipped apple with crushed candy pieces and salty nuts.

Why I love this recipe

I love a recipe that is customizable! Do you like sprinkles? Do you like peanut butter cups? Coat them in caramel!
This recipe is the perfect treat to make with kids as a Halloween or other fall-themed activity.
Not only are these fun to make and fun to eat but they make great gifts for friends, neighbors, or even gifted to trick-or-treaters.

The Best Apples and Toppings to Use for Caramel Apples

The best type of apple to use for caramel apples is the one that you enjoy the most! Since the apples aren’t baked, it truly only depends on your apple preference. Grannny Smith’s are popular because they’re tart which pairs nicely with the sweet caramel. Honeycrisp is another great favorite of mine.

When it comes to toppings, you really can’t go wrong! Some of my favorites include peanut butter cups, chopped hazelnuts, toffee bits, and sprinkles. I like a crunchy texture to go with the smooth caramel.

Ingredients

6 apples (any variety like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith)
6 wooden skewers
Toppings (see ideas list below)
400 grams (2 cups) granulated sugar
227 grams (1 cup, 240 milliliters) water
470 grams (2 cups, 480 milliliters) heavy cream
2 teaspoons morton kosher salt (use 4 teaspoons if using diamond kosher salt)

Instructions

PREP THE APPLES: prepare your apples (6) by giving them a rinse and drying them thoroughly. Remove the stems and insert a skewer into the area where the stem was. Make sure the skewer goes at least halfway through the apple.
PREP THE TOPPINGS: gather any toppings you want to use. For larger items like candies, cookies, and nuts chop them to a fine to medium chop. Larger pieces will have trouble staying on the apple.
PREP THE CARAMEL SAUCE: Before starting this recipe measure out all of your ingredients and gather anything you need so that once the sugar starts caramelizing you are ready to go. It moves quickly. It would also be wise to have a bowl of ice water nearby just in case the sugar spatters.
In a heavy gauge saucepan at least 3 quarts in size (you can use a bigger pan, but do not use a smaller pan) add the sugar (400 grams) and the water (227 grams).
Gently stir to completely saturate the sugar, being careful not to splash sugar granules up the side of the pan.
Turn the heat on to medium. The sugar will start to dissolve in the water and will come to a boil. As the mixture boils, the water will begin to evaporate off and the liquid sugar will start caramelizing. Stay close by because when the caramelization process happens it moves very quickly. Do not stir during this process or you risk re-crystallizing the sugar resulting in a gritty texture. If the sugar is caramelizing unevenly, gently swirl the pan to even out the color.
Once the sugar smells nutty and is a deep golden brown, carefully pour all of the heavy cream (470 grams) into the pan and stir vigorously. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit, so a long handled spoon or spatula is your best tool here.
Use a candy thermometer to reach 250°F (121°C). This will take at least 20 minutes.
WITHOUT TOPPINGS: Place coated apple on a piece of wax or parchment paper and let set.
WITH TOPPINGS: after dipping, immediately dip the apple into your toppings. Place on a piece of wax or parchment paper and let set.
STORE: loosely cover coated apples and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

To Reheat: Put the sauce in a heat proof bowl and set over a pan of boiling water (this is called a double boiler). Make sure the water is not touching the bowl. Stir until the sauce is warmed through. Alternatively, heat in the microwave at 50% power in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring in between.

Salted Caramel: Use up to 4 teaspoons of Morton Kosher Salt
Vanilla Cinnamon Caramel Sauce: After the sauce has reached the desired texture, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Vegan Caramel Sauce (aka Coconut Caramel Sauce): Replace the heavy cream with full fat coconut milk.
Bourbon Caramel Sauce: After the sauce has reached the desired texture, stir in 2 tablespoons bourbon off the heat.

Candies: M&Ms, Reese’s, white or dark chocolate chips, butterscotch chips
Cookies: Oreos
Nuts: peanuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts
Shredded coconut
Sprinkles
Pretzels

This is a terrific quick and easy dessert for assembling ahead then popping in the oven while you’re eating dinner. Just don’t forget the ice cream!

Today’s recipe is brought into this world courtesy of Modi Apples, bright red balls with a hint of yellow full of crisp juiciness with fabulous apple flavour!

Baked Apples recipe

I’ve been munching on Modi Apples obsessively since I discovered them which, admittedly, was only a couple of months ago when I was asked to try them.

I feel bad saying this, but I must confess I was a wee bit dubious because for as long as I can remember, I’ve approached store bought apples with caution, knowing that it’s actually quite hard to get really great eating ones here in Australia – or at least, here in Sydney.

How wrong I was.

To everyone who’s bitten into promising looking apples only to be sorely disappointed, meet your new favourite apple – Modi.

They get full marks on my Apple Score Card: super juicy, crisp but not hard, and most importantly for me, they have great flavour, something that most of the main stream apples lack.

Added bonus: it’s a good snacking size, a bit smaller than most apples. If you’re looking at my hand for size context, remember what my friends call me – Baby Hands. 😂

With apples this good, I wanted to make something real quick ‘n easy and so sinfully delicious, you’ll want to make this over and over again.

So this is what I came up with – Baked Apples.

But these are not your usual Baked Apples. 🙂 These are self saucing. As in –when you pull this out of the oven, those apples are sitting in a pool of bubbling caramel.

How to make Caramel Baked Apples

Cut apples in half and scoop out core. Fill with a sugar, butter, walnut spiced mixture, piling it high to make a nice mound of the filling. Mix together cornflour/cornstarch and water, then pour this into the pan.

Want extra caramel sauce? Make some Salted Caramel Sauce!

What kind of apples are best for baked apples?

Any apples are suitable for making baked apples, it comes down to personal taste. I like to use red apples – any type. If you want a bit of tang, use Granny Smith Apples.

PS If you’re wondering if baked apples are healthy, well, let’s put it this way. The apple part is healthy. Everything else is not. 😂 But it’s much healthier to have Baked Apples for dessert than a giant slice of Chocolate Fudge Cake or Strawberry Cheesecake!

And remember, everything in moderation right? Good food, good life!

More apple recipes

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

https://youtube.com/watch?v=WmvfMwdRtHI%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26fs%3D1%26hl%3Den-US%26autohide%3D2%26vq%3Dhd720%26wmode%3Dtransparent

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Sweet, plump, juicy Baked Apples that makes its own caramel sauce!! This is a terrific quick and easy dessert for assembling ahead then popping in the oven while you’re eating dinner. Just don’t forget the ice cream! Recipe video below.

Filling/Sauce

walnuts or pecans , chopped (or sub with oats)
(or honey or golden syrup)
75 g / 5 tbsp

Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Mix Filling ingredients together then set aside while you prep the apples – it will firm up and become scoopable (pop in fridge if its super hot where you are).
Cut the apples in half through the core then use an ice cream scooper, spoon or small knife to scoop out the core (see video).
Place apples in a baking dish so they are reasonably snug – you don’t want heaps of space around them. Pile Filling on the apples – I use an ice cream scoop.
Mix cornflour with a splash of the water, mix to dissolve, then add remaining water. Pour around the apples.
Cover with foil, bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, then bake a further 20 minutes until the crumb is deep golden and the apples are tender (but not sloppy soft) and there’s a syrupy caramel in the pan (it thickens a bit more when serving).
To serve, spoon over caramel sauce, then top with ice cream and serve with more sauce!

1. You need to use juicy apples for this recipe as juices from the apples leach out while baking, forming part of the sauce. So if your apples aren’t that juicy, you’ll be disappointed with dry baked apples. 🙁 I created this recipe for Modi Apples which are ideal – super juicy, great apple flavour, nice size. They’re only available at Coles here in Australia (at this stage!)

2. The thickness of the sauce at the end will be affected by how large your apples are. It’s an easy fix – if too thick, add a spoonful of hot water, if too thin, take apples out, give it a mix, pop back in oven for a minute or two to thicken.

3. Make ahead: Rub cut side of apples with lemon (stops from browning), top with Filling then set aside until ready to bake. You can even leave it overnight – but pour the cornflour water mixture around just before baking because the cornflour settles if you leave it out for ages.

4. Servings: In all honesty, I’m happy with one piece as a dessert with ice cream, but if you’re a dessert monster, you might want 2 pieces! Nutrition is for 1 piece, assuming all sauce used, ice cream not included.

LIFE OF DOZER

Modi Apple boy!

General advice

We have this dessert is not very popular, in contrast to baked apples. But in American and European cuisine, caramelized apples are a traditional dish, without which holidays, celebrations and even weekends are rarely enough. But since we love to get acquainted with something new in cooking, then mastering this recipe is simply necessary.

Preparing apples in caramel is a simple and fascinating task. You can delight guests with this dessert at a party, kids on a matinee in the garden or school. Prepare it traditionally in the fall, when apples ripen, and throughout the winter. You can make caramel apples to our traditional holiday – the Apple Spa.

Apples in caramel – a treat that everyone will like

The most suitable varieties of apples for this dish are firm and sourish, small in size. They can be Granny Smith, Ranetki Sokh, Antonovka, Cox or Golden Delicious. There are a lot of ways of making caramel, for every taste, from simple to fancy. If you make apples on sticks, the children will be happy with such improvised “candies”.

Please note! Serve this dessert with baked goods, mulled wine, lemonade and tea. And in combination with ice cream, caramelized apples are simply gorgeous!

🍎 More Apple dessert recipes

Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers (VIDEO)
Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling (VIDEO)
Cinnamon Apple Babka
Baileys Apple Pie
Apple Pie Choux au craquelin
Apple Hand Pies
Apple Pie Cupcakes
Spiced Apple Cake

Recipe for cooking in the multivariate

Well, can you miss the opportunity to use this wonderful appliance for making delicacies? Moreover, the multivarker will greatly facilitate our task.

Take these products:

2-4 apples;
200 ml of hot water;
3 tablespoons of sugar;
2 tablespoons butter butter;
sprig of mint for decoration.

Set the Multivar mode to “Multi-Cook” mode with a temperature of 160 degrees. In a cold bowl, pour the sugar and reheat it until it melts completely, becoming caramel. Put the butter pieces cut into pieces and mix thoroughly until completely dissolved. Melt the sugar and butter in the multivark
Peel the washed apples from the peel and core, cut into 2 pieces.
Fold the apples halves down into the multivarquet with caramel, carefully pour in the water. Cover, cook 5 minutes in the same mode. Multivark helps you to cook apples in caramel
faster Turn the apples over to the other side, again cover the bowl of the multivarquet. Cook another 5 minutes. These caramel apples are particularly juicy
Turn off the appliance, remove the lid and allow the apples to cool to room temperature.

For this dish you will definitely need an oven. In it, you bake apples to water them with caramel.

You will need:

4 apples;
2/3 cups of apple juice( natural);
3 tablespoons butter butter;
1 cup of sugar;
1/3 cup of water;
½ cup of milk;
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Prepare caramel sauce. To do this, mix in a large frying pan water and sugar, cook over medium heat for no more than 15 minutes without stirring. If necessary, then you will scrape the candied crystals from the walls of the dishes. In a deep frying pan prepare the caramel
Remove the frying pan from the fire. After 1 minute, add a spoonful of oil to the caramel and mix thoroughly until completely dissolved.
Continue stirring, gently enter the milk. Put the frying pan on the fire, cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Caramel mass to a thick consistency, remove from heat and add vanilla extract.
Turn the oven on for 170 degrees, and while it is warming up, prepare the apples. Wash and cut each fruit into 5 slices horizontally. Collect whole apples from the slices, place in a bowl that is resistant to high temperatures.
Mix apple juice with 2 tablespoons of softened butter, pour a mixture of apples. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. At the same time, do not forget to pour apples with downward juice every 15 minutes. Baked apples in caramel – soft and tender
Put each apple in a separate deep dish, in the middle of each pour a quarter cup of caramel sauce. Immediately serve dessert on the table.

Dessert in Chinese

Sour-sweet tastes are a highlight of the eastern, in particular Chinese cuisine. Naturally, we can not ignore the caramelized apples from the chefs of this exotic country. You will need:

4 solid apple;
2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice;
300 ml peanut or corn oil for deep frying;
300 ml of cold water with ice.

200 g of flour;
180 g of water;
1 egg;
1 tablespoon peanut or corn oil.

150 g of sugar;
6 tablespoons peanut or sesame oil;
2 tablespoons sesame seeds.

When the dissolved sugar has a light brown tint, fold all the apple slices into the frying pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, quickly mix so that caramel is evenly distributed on the surface of the lobules. Prepare caramel from butter and sugar
Fry again to make the apples crisp and golden, put on a plate and allow to drain off the fat. Wait until the grease is draining
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or in a wok. Fry the apple slices in batter until ruddy. Dip the lobules into the clay.
Sprinkle the wedges with flour.
Make a claret caramelize: mix the egg with water, pour in the flour. Add the oil. Mix thoroughly. Prepare eggs from eggs, flour and water
Wash and peel the apples: cut the peel, remove the core. Cut the apples into slices and place for a while in a bowl with lemon juice. Sprinkle wedges with flour
Each slice dip into the batter. Fry apple slices
Remove the lobules and leave for 5 minutes to allow fat to grow. Once again fry the apples
Heat 6 tablespoons of butter, corn or peanut oil in a skillet. Melt sugar in it, while constantly mixing. Fire should be of medium intensity. Dip apples in caramel and sprinkle with sesame
Put the finished slices on a dish and serve to the table. Before there is a dessert, the lobules should be taken with chopsticks or a fork and lowered into cold water with ice, so that caramel hardens. Serve with cold water and ice

Video recipe

Can I use this topping to fill an apple pie?

Can I make this recipe sugar-free?

Yes, you do not have to use any sugar and can make healthy caramelized apples. Just know that a sugar-free version will have less of a glaze-like texture.

Can I make caramelized apples in the oven?

Yes, it is possible to caramelize apples in the oven. After you’ve prepped your apples, melt butter with spices. Then toss the cut apples with the melted butter and sugar. Now, put them in a greased baking dish, cover them with foil, and then bake in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 30 minutes, stirring them every 10 minutes.

Can I use pears instead of apples?

Yes, pears can be used in place of apples. Yet, the consistency will likely be more liquid.

How to store?

Caramelized apple topping can be stored for up to one week in an airtight container in the fridge.

How to freeze?

Cooked apples don’t freeze all that well. If necessary, you can put them in an airtight container or sealed bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months but expect the texture to become more mushy.

📝 Ingredient notes

Butter: To help control the amount of salt always use unsalted butter for all baking unless a recipe indicates otherwise. And I also use European-style 82% fat content butter in all my recipes.
Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice prevents the apples from turning brown as well as balances out the sweetness.
Apples: Ideally, use a type of apple that is firm and crisp in texture such as Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp. However, any kind of apple can work. Just keep in mind that softer apples can sometimes fall apart while cooking.
Spices: Cinnamon is almost always used to add a touch of spice to cooked apples. Yet, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, or pumpkin pie spice are also wonderful additions and go beautifully with apples. And a pinch of thyme or oregano adds a wonderful dash of savory flavor when serving cooked apples with meat or cheese.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

Dessert caramelized apples

A little imagination and dexterity – and on your table a real festive dessert with nuts, honey and sour cream. You will need:

2 apples;
150 g of butter;
100 g of liquid honey;
150 g of sour cream;
1 tablespoon of sugar;
100 g of walnut kernels;
salt – to taste. Nuts, sour cream and honey – an excellent addition to apples in caramel

Grind walnuts, fry them on hot oil.
Peel and cut apples in a pan with a cut down.
In another dish, melt the butter, add a little sugar, honey, mix thoroughly until completely dissolved. With this mixture, pour the apples. Fry for 5 minutes, then put the frying pan in a preheated oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
Put the remainder of sugar on a thick frying pan, add a pinch of salt and bring to a state of viscosity.
When sugar and salt reach the state of caramel, remove the frying pan from the plate and mix the mass with fried walnuts.
100 ml of milk;
700 g of toffee;
1 teaspoon of vanillin;
a pinch of salt.
Wash the apples and remove the tails. Prepare the apples
Put the toffee on the water bath, add the milk. Stir thoroughly until the candies dissolve completely, after which add salt and vanillin. Melt the toffee on the water bath
Where the apple had a ponytail, stick the wand. Turn off the fire on the stove, but do not remove the caramel from the bath. Dip into the mixture of apples. Place apples on sticks and dip into caramel
Roll apples in powder, fold on parchment paper and refrigerate. Use to decorate various

Caramelizing Sugar

When high heat is applied to sugar it begins to discompose and become a liquid. When sugar is heated even further it begins to turn darker in color and tastes nuttier in flavor. This process is called caramelization and is the basic process used to start many candy recipes and dessert sauces.

There are two basic methods used for caramelizing sugar: The Dry Method and The Wet Method. If done properly, both methods achieve the same end result, but both have their advantages and disadvantages. It really is a matter of preference.

The Wet Method

The wet method is what I recommend for those who are brand new to the caramel making process. The benefit of the wet method is that it slows down the caramelization process and makes it more difficult to burn the sugar. The disadvantage of the wet method is that you are more at risk of re-crystallizing the sugar and you must be much more careful to not agitate the mixture too much.

The process of making wet caramelized sugar is very simple. Sugar is combined with water and heated. The mixture should be stirred together until the sugar is completely saturated and beginning to dissolve. Once the sugar/water mixture comes to a boil it is then left alone to cook, without stirring it. The mixture will go through all of the sugar syrup stages listed above and then will move further into caramelization. As the water continues to evaporate off and the heat of the sugar rises, the sugar begins to caramelize.

The Dry Method for Caramelizing Sugar

The dry method for making caramelized sugar is also very simple, but has its advantages and disadvantages. The major advantage to the dry method is that the caramelization process happens very quickly. The major disadvantage to the dry method is, well, the caramelization process happens very quickly, meaning it can also burn quickly. The other advantage of the dry method is that it is not quite as at risk for re-crystallizing as it is with the wet method.

The process of making dry caramelized sugar requires just one ingredient: sugar! In a heavy bottom sauce pan, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over the bottom and turn on medium heat. You do not want to dump all of your sugar in at once, just start with a thin layer. As the sugar starts to melt, sprinkle more sugar over the layer that is melting. Using a spoon or a spatula, gently drag the un-melted sugar into the melted sugar. You are at less risk of re-crystallizing the sugar with this method but you still do not want to stir aggressively.

The Stages of Caramelized Sugar

Once most all of the water is evaporated off (even if you use the dry method sugar does contain some water that will evaporate off), the sugar moves into the caramelization stages. A candy thermometer can be used to measure the exact temperature of the caramelized sugar, but your eyes and nose are your best tools to judge when it is ready. Stay close by and watch the process of your sugar caramelizing very closely. Once it starts to brown it can move from nutty and rich to black and bitter very quickly.

Baking Science Fact: Granulated sugar is a very simple bond of glucose and fructose. As heat is applied to the sugar this bond breaks and the two molecules separate out. As even more heat is applied, these molecules begin forming bonds with countless other molecules and the ending result is the complex flavored brown liquid known as caramelized sugar.

Caramel Sauce made with medium/dark caramelized sugar

🌟 Why this is the best recipe

Simple recipe – No fancy ingredients are needed to make this easy Caramelized Apple Topping recipe. The steps are very simple and it all comes together in just a matter of minutes. It’s a great recipe even if you are just a beginner in the kitchen.
Super delicious – The butter and brown sugar meld together beautifully with the apples and cinnamon as the mixture cooks together. It’s a delicious apple cinnamon topping that is layered in lovely caramel flavor. Looking for the best apple caramel sauce? You found it!
No special equipment is needed – To make this recipe all you need is a saute pan! Not even an oven in this case. And if you don’t have a saute pan you can even just use a saucepan.
Super versatile topping – This is hands down the best caramelized apple topping for pancakes, waffles, crepes, cakes, ice cream, pork, and even cheese. The sauteed apples can also be used as pie filling, a topper for cupcakes, and mixed into a cake batter or bread dough. You can even turn the recipe into a more healthy apple topping for pancakes by adding honey instead of sugar or skipping the sweeter all together

caramelized apples are perfect to fill choux pastry

Apples in red caramel

It was in this form that this delicacy became very popular at fairs and entertainment centers for children. What is the secret of this dessert? It’s very simple: food color and thick pointed tips, which will make the apple look like a caramel “Chupa-Chups”.

Spiked chopsticks for apples in caramel

So, you need:

1 kilogram of apples;
1 cup of water;
3 cups of sugar;
¾ cup corn syrup;
1 packet of food coloring.

Instead of corn syrup, you can take the same amount of starch diluted in water.

Wash the apples, dry and puncture with chopsticks. Pierce the apples with chopsticks
Prepare the caramel: pour the sugar into the saucepan, add the corn syrup and water. Mix in water, corn syrup and sugar
Immediately add food coloring red. Put the sauté pan on the fire. Add food coloring
In the meantime, prepare a baking sheet: cover with parchment and grease with butter. You can use a silicone rug for baking. Cover the baking sheet with parchment and oil
The sugar in the sauté pan will completely dissolve and the caramel will begin to boil strongly. Caramel begins to boil
Remove the caramel from the plate, immerse the apple in it completely. Twist, so that the caramel is laid evenly. Dip apples in caramel
Do the same with all apples, then lay on parchment and allow to cool. Then you can serve dessert to the table. Dried apples in caramel on a baking sheet

This delicacy will please your guests not only on a holiday, but every day. And if you use the ink of cuttlefish as a dye( yes, they can also be bought at the grocery store easily), your apples will be an excellent thematic addition to the Halloween party!

Great idea for a party in the style of Halloween

Video instruction

Use high-quality 82% fat content European style unsalted butter for the best flavor.
Use a type of apple that is both firm and crisp in texture like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Softer apples can fall apart and turn to mush.
For a deeper flavor use dark brown sugar. It has a little more molasses in it than light brown sugar.
The caramelized apple topping must be chilled before being added to any kind of dough. Warm apples will melt and ruin the dough.
To create a firmer texture, which works well in pie, you will need to add a bit of cornstarch to thicken the glaze.
If you decide to add less butter and sugar, do not forget stirring constantly the mixture while cooking
Move the apples around the pan as they cook so that they not only cook evenly, but also so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan or burn.
Add more butter and sugar for a saucier consistency and less for a drier consistency.
Be as creative as you like by adding herbs and spices. This versatile topping is very easy to customize.

What is Sugar?

The white granulated sugar most common in baking is a molecule known as sucrose. Sucrose is contained in all plants and is found in very high quantities in sugar cane and sugar beets. Therefore, these are the plants where most of our granulated sugar is derived from.

Sucrose is actually made up of two different kinds of simple sugars, fructose and glucose, that are bonded together. This bond is very stable and is what forms the sugar crystals.

Apple slices in caramel

This recipe is also very simple, but will require a little more time and attention. For him you will need such ingredients:

500 g of sour apples, for example, antonovki;
1 cup sugar;
150 g of potato( rice) starch;
1 glass of refined sunflower oil( for frying);
1 cup sesame oil( for caramel). Products for the preparation of apple slices in caramel

If desired, you can add a couple of tablespoons of sesame oil when serving. So, let’s get started.

Clean carefully washed apples by cutting the peel and taking out the core. Cut each fruit into 4 parts, each part into slices. Peel the apples and cut into slices
Roll the pieces in 100 grams of starch. Roll slices in starch
Mix the remaining 50 grams of starch with cool water so that the consistency is close to sour cream. Mix starch with water
Dip the apple slices into this mixture so that it evenly covers them. Dip apple slices in water with starch
In a deep frying pan, heat 1 cup of vegetable oil to 170 degrees. Place the apple slices and fry for 3 minutes on each side on low heat. Fry segments in oil on both sides
Fold the toasted slices in a bowl. Fold slices in a plate
In another pan, heat sesame oil to make caramel. Gradually pour sugar into it and wait until it melts, stirring constantly. Prepare the caramel
When the caramel turns golden, put the toasted apple slices into it, mix it very quickly and remove it. Dip the apple slices into the caramel
Put the finished slices in the caramel onto a nice plate and sprinkle with a little sesame oil. Dessert is ready, you can treat your relatives and friends. Serve by lightly sprinkling with sesame oil

Safety Tips

When cooking sugar you are working with very high temperatures and a substance that is very sticky and can easily cling to skin. Please use caution. I’m not here to scare you into not trying to work with sugar, because honestly it is not a scary process! But I do want to urge you to use caution. As someone who tends to lick the spoon when cooking, I urge you to use restraint during the cooked sugar process!

Here are a few easy safety tips to put your mind at ease when working with cooked sugar:

Keep a large bowl of ice water nearby. If by some chance you happen to get sugar splattered on your hand, you can quickly dunk it in the ice water.
Use a spoon or spatula with a long handle. You do not want to use anything with a short handle here, especially if you are going to be adding cream or another liquid to your caramelized sugar. The addition of a cooler liquid to your boiling sugar will cause an increased amount of bubbling and steam once it is added to the pan.
Stay close-by and mentally present. When working with molten hot sugar it is best not to wander away or be distracted by your phone. The process can happen quickly so continue to be mentally present so you can be aware of what is happening and do not feel frantic when the sugar begins caramelizing.

🍎 More frosting & filling recipes

Have you tried this recipe?

Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your dessert turned out and your feedback also helps other Readers!

Apple cinnamon Filling

eg. Granny Smith. Measured after peeled, cut into identical pieces
Freshly squeezed lemon juice Sprinkle the apples straight after cutting
half of it or all of it can be replaced with granulated sugar
or a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and other spices

US customary cup measurement is an indicative figure only. Measure the ingredients with a digital scale by weight (gram). Baking is art but also science which requires precision and accuracy.

Peel and cut apples into identical pieces and sprinkle the apple with some freshly squeezed lemon juice to avoid browning
Only cook the apples until they slightly soften, make sure you do not overcook the mixture.
Use it hot as a pancake or waffle topping, or cold as a cake filling, cupcake topping, greek yogurt topping, etc.

Use a type of apple that is both firm and crisp in texture like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Softer apples can fall apart and turn to mush.
For a deeper flavor use dark brown sugar. It has a little more molasses in it than light brown sugar.
The caramelized apple topping must be chilled before being added to any kind of dough. Warm apples will melt and ruin the dough.
To create a firmer texture, which works well in pie, you will need to add a bit of cornstarch to thicken the glaze.
Move the apples around the pan as they cook so that they not only cook evenly but also so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan or burn.
Add more butter and sugar for a saucier consistency and less for a drier consistency.
Be as creative as you like by adding herbs and spices. This versatile topping is very easy to customize.

The Stages of Sugar Syrup

When sugar is combined with water and heat is applied a solution known as a simple syrup is formed. As the temperature of the sugar rises, more water evaporates off resulting in a higher concentration of sugar in the solution. The higher the concentration of sugar, the more brittle the cooled syrup is. This is important knowledge in candy making, as certain sugar concentrations are needed for various final products.

Below is a chart mapping out the various stages sugar syrup goes through before it reaches caramelization.

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

When cooking apples you should ideally use a type of apple that is both firm and crisp in texture such as Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp. Firmer types of apples tend to hold their shape well. However, you can caramelize any type of apple, but do keep in mind that softer varieties can turn to mush.

The most popular type of apples used in baking are Granny Smith apples. Not only do they have a nice firm texture, but they also have a lovely tart flavor that melds wonderfully with brown sugar and butter. By using firm apples you will be able to cook the best crispy caramelized apples!

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💡Top Tip: Choose a type of apple that is firm in texture for the best consistency and tart in taste for the best flavor.

Step-by-step preparation process

How to make caramelized apples? It is a super simple process that only takes about 15 minutes. It’s also a relatively flexible cooking method so you can cook them longer if you want to brown the apples more or less if want them to stay a bit more firm.

You can also modify the consistency of the caramelized apple topping by the amount of butter and sugar used making it drier or juicier. For example, if only a little bit of butter and sugar is used then the apples will caramelize but will be less juicy with less sauce. However, if more is used the topping will be saucier and have a deep caramel apple taste.

Yet regardless of what type of apples you choose to use, how much butter and sugar, or spices, the steps are exactly the same when caramelizing apples.

💡Top Tip: Make sure not to overheat the mixture while cooking as that would result in the butter separating. If that happens, switch to a hand whisk and whisk the mixture vigorously until butter and sugar come back together

How to use

This Caramelized Apple Topping recipe is incredibly versatile. It pairs really well with so many different types of dishes ranging from breakfast, brunch, and dessert to savory foods like meats and cheeses. Consider if you want to make your caramelized apples savory or sweet before adding the sugar and spices.

Here are a few ways to use this delicious caramel apple topping:

Breakfast: You can use it to make caramelized apple pancakes or add it on top of greek yogurt! Top waffles, air fryer pancakes, and French Toast to add a bit of warm apple yumminess. Or, twist the sweet topping into some dough and make a delicious Cinnamon Apple Babka that goes wonderful with a simple coffee in the morning.
Dessert: Ice cream, yogurt, pound cake, and crepes are all super yummy topped with cooked apples. You can also use them in baking too to make a caramelized apple dessert recipe like apple crumble or Apple Pie Cupcakes. You can even fill cake layers or choux party like this Apple Cream puff
Savory: Pork and sauteed apples are a popular culinary match. They are also delicious when served with soft cheeses like warm brie or goat cheese.

💡Top Tip: The temperature of the apple topping impacts its texture and consistency. Hot caramelized apples are runnier; whereas, cold cooked apples are firm and the sauce thickens slightly. So you may want to keep this in mind when choosing how to serve the apple topping.

Babka twisted around delicious cinnamon apple filling

Tips for Caramel Sauce Making Success!

Gather all of your ingredients and equipment before you start! You know me and how I believe in Mise en Place for baking, meaning you have everything ready before you start! This practice is extremely important in the process of making caramel sauce. Once you get going, the whole affair moves very quickly so you want absolutely everything you need nearby.
Keep a bowl of ice water nearby. Working with boiling hot sugar should not scare you, but you definitely want to be cautious! In case molten sugar should splash up on you at any point in time, a bowl of ice water is handy to dunk a hand into!
Stay nearby and mentally present! As stated, this whole process moves very quickly, so definitely stay nearby your pan and watch it closely. The caramelized sugar can go from a beautiful dark golden brown to burnt in a flash! Thankfully, a cup of sugar is a fairly cheap thing to need to start over with, but nobody wants to clean that out of a pan!

Dried apples in caramel

If this summer your garden has pleased you with a big harvest of apples, then surely you dried it for the winter. So why not combine sour dried wedges with sweet crispy caramel?

You can also make a delicious dessert from dried apples

If the pieces of apples are too dry, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes.properly dried slices do not need softening.

For this recipe, you will need:

500 g dried apples;
50 g of butter;
5 tablespoons of sugar;
0.5 teaspoon cinnamon.

Step by step instruction:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Lubricate the baking tray with butter( 1 tablespoon), lay out the dried apples with a uniform layer.
Sugar mix with cinnamon, sprinkle with this mixture of apples. Top with the remaining oil, sliced in small flakes.
Put the pan in the oven and bake the apples for 15-20 minutes. During this time, the sugar will melt and become a golden brown caramel.

Such apples are very tasty, crunchy, like candies, and fragrant. By the way, you can cook dried apples on the above recipe “apple slices in caramel”, eliminating the collapse in the starch and roasting in vegetable oil.

📚 Flavor variations

Cooked apples can be added to both sweet and savory dishes. So you may want to alter the flavor profile depending on how you want to use them. And because this caramelized apple recipe is so simple this is quite easy to do.

By adding more or less sugar you can easily modify the level of sweetness making it easy to use more sugar in dessert recipes and less in breakfast and savory dishes. It’s also possible to make caramelized apple topping with no sugar at all or use an all-natural sugar like honey in place of the brown sugar. But do keep in mind that how much sugar you use will impact the final texture of the sauce.

You can also use different spices like nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to boost the warm caramelized flavor. Cardamon is one of my favorites when used with cinnamon on apples as it adds the slightest hint of sweet floral flavor. And herbs like thyme, rosemary, and oregano with a pinch of salt are a fantastic addition to cooked apples when serving them alongside grilled or roasted pork.

💡Top Tip: When using herbs to customize the flavor profile start with just a pinch and then taste before adding more.

apple pie cupcakes filled with this apple topping

Required Equipment

The process of cooking sugar is quite simple and depending on what you are making exactly, you may or may not need certain equipment. Below is a list of equipment you definitely need when cooking sugar for any use as well as additional equipment you may need depending on what the sugar will be used for.

Heavy Gauge Metal Pot, Required: Required for any of the cooked sugar uses. The heavier the pot, the more evenly the sugar will cook. If you are making something that requires adding liquid into caramelized sugar, such as caramel sauce, than you need it to be much larger than the amount you are making because it will bubble quite a bit once the liquid is added. Non-stick or coated pans are not recommended for cooking sugar as the sugar can pull the coating off the pan.

Candy Thermometer, Highly Recommended: If you are cooking sugar syrup for candies, a candy thermometer is extremely useful for accurate temperature. Various kinds of candies call for the syrup to be at different stages and the thermometer is setting you up for success. If you are simply making caramel sauce, you can get away without using a thermometer. You can rely on your eyes and nose as well as approximate timing to get it right. However, certain caramel creations such as soft caramel candy as well as caramel to coat apples require more accuracy with the final temperature.

Long Handled Spoon or Spatula, Highly Recommended: A spoon or spatula with a long handle is highly recommended, especially if you are going to be stirring liquid into your caramelized sugar to make caramel sauce. If you do not have a utensil with a long handle, consider wearing long sleeves and an oven mitt or gloves while working with the sugar to be extra safe.

Pastry Brush, Optional: Many cooked sugar recipes swear by the fact that you MUST brush down the side of the pan with a pastry brush. I would argue that I have never once done this with any of the caramelization endeavors and have not had any problems. Instead, simply take care to keep the sugar in the bottom of the pan. If you are using the wet method of caramelizing your sugar than know that you CAN stir it before the sugar is dissolved. Do not be scared to do that. Many recipes harp that you can not ever stir it and this is simply not true. Make sure all of the crystals are off of the side of the pan and dissolving in the water. This eliminates the need for the pastry brush.

Now that you understand all the basics of caramelizing sugar, come back Thursday for my tutorial on making Caramel Sauce for dipping and coating apples! Caramelizing sugar leads to really wonderful things!

1 cup (7 oz, 196 gr) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (4 fl oz, 118 ml) water
1 cup (7 oz, 198 gr) granulated sugar

For the Wet Caramelized Sugar MethodIn a heavy gauge metal pot, at least 3 quarts in size, combine the sugar and the water and stir. Make sure there are no sugar granules on the side of the pot. If desired, you can use a damp pastry brush to brush down the sides of the pot to get all of the sugar crystals into the mixture.
Turn the burner on to medium heat. Stir some at the beginning to make sure that all of the sugar is dissolving. Once the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is beginning to bubble, stop stirring.
Let the sugar and water cook together. The syrup will move through the various sugar stages as the water evaporates and will eventually begin to caramelize. You can gently swirl the pan to achieve even caramelization.
Watch the pan closely as the process moves quickly. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as your caramelized sugar has reached its desired color.
For the Dry MethodIn a heavy gauge metal pot, at least 3 quarts in size, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over the bottom of the pan.
Turn the burner on to medium heat. Watching very closely, allow the sugar begin to melt. As it becomes liquid, sprinkle more granulated sugar over the melting sugar until it has all been added.
Use a rubber spatula to gently drag the granules of sugar into the liquid sugar. Do not aggressively stir but gently move the sugar around to achieve even cooking.
The sugar will begin to caramelize very quickly once it melts. You can turn the heat down to slow the process down.
Remove the pan from the heat as soon as your caramelized sugar has reached its desired color.

Use your caramelized sugar in your desired recipe. Pure caramelized sugar, like this, will harden very quickly so work quickly to use it in your recipe.

Light Caramel (For Syrups, Light Caramel Color): 340°F/170°C
Medium Caramel (For Spun Sugar, Sugar Cages, Medium Caramel Syrup): 355-360°F/180-182°C
Dark Caramel (For Ice Creams, Caramel Sauce, Caramel Candies): 375-380°F/188-190°C
Black Caramel (Used as Caramel Coloring): 392°F/200°C
Burnt Caramel (Not usable, throw out and start over): Anything over 392°F/200°C

Advantages of The Wet Method: Easier to control the caramelization process, less chance of burning. Disadvantages of The Wet Method: Takes longer to caramelize, more risk of re-crystallization Advantages of The Dry Method: Very quick process, less risk of re-crystallization Disadvantages of The Dry Method: More difficult to control, more risk of burning

Amount Per Serving:

Don’t miss a recipe!

The recipe for apples in caramel on a stick

This is the easiest way to prepare, for which a minimum of products and effort is used. Nevertheless, you will be pleasantly surprised by the result. You will need:

8 apples;
1 cup of milk;
2.5 cups of sugar( preferably reed).

Also stock skewers or chopsticks on which you need to plant apples. These can be sticks for sushi, ice cream or just peeled branches. If you want dessert to be not only tasty, but also beautiful, use powdered sugar, grated chocolate or confectionery powder.

Put a small pot on a quiet fire, pour the milk, pour the sugar. Start warming up. Heat milk in a saucepan with sugar
Stir the mixture continuously until it boils. Sugar should be completely dissolved before caramel mass. Wait for the mixture to boil
. We approached the most difficult stage. Pour cold water into the bowl, put the ice. Type a little caramel with a teaspoon, pour it into the water. Wait until the mass cools down, and try to roll a ball out of it. Check the caramel’s readiness with cold water
If it does, then the required consistency is achieved. Otherwise, proceed according to the situation: in a too thick mass add a little milk, and in liquid – pour out the sugar. If it turned out to roll the ball – caramel ready
Remove the pan with caramel from the fire and, while it cools down, put the apples on the sticks. Prepare the apples by inserting the
chopsticks into them. Now you need to dip the apples into a mass of caramel, slightly “roll”, so that the layer becomes uniform. After this, put the dessert on a flat dry surface and wait until the caramel completely solidifies. Immerse the apples in caramel and wait for it to set.

Here’s a simple recipe for an unusual and very tasty dish. A little time and patience, and you can treat yourself to a pleasant treat.

I think all caramel sauces need some amount of salt. Without it, they just taste completely flat. This recipe calls for a moderate amount of salt. However, more can be added to make it have a more distinctly salted caramel flavor.

Vanilla Cinnamon Caramel Sauce

Any number of extracts or spices can be added to your caramel sauce to make various flavors! One of my favorite combinations is to add a splash of vanilla and a hint of cinnamon! This makes an amazing addition to your coffee!

Vegan Caramel Sauce, aka Coconut Caramel Sauce

This sauce works really well with full-fat coconut milk (the kind you find in a can). If you want to make this vegan, this is your best substitution because the fat content is necessary for the final texture. The coconut flavor is also delicious!

Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Once the sauce is finished cooking, a big splash of bourbon (or spiced rum or any liquor you might like) is a pretty excellent idea! Possibly my favorite ice cream topping ever!

200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
113 grams (½ cup, 120 milliliters) water
235 grams (1 cup, 240 milliliters) heavy cream, see notes for substitution
1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt, use 2 teaspoons if using Diamond kosher salt

InstructionsBefore starting this recipe measure out all of your ingredients and gather anything you need so that once the sugar starts caramelizing you are ready to go. It moves quickly. It would also be wise to have a bowl of ice water nearby just in case the sugar spatters.In a heavy gauge saucepan at least 3 quarts in size (you can use a bigger pan, but do not use a smaller pan) add the sugar(200 grams, 1 cup) and the water(113 grams, ½ cup). Gently stir to completely saturate the sugar, being careful not to splash sugar granules up the side of the pan.Turn the heat on to medium. The sugar will start to dissolve in the water and will come to a boil. As the mixture boils, the water will begin to evaporate off and the liquid sugar will start caramelizing. Stay close by because when the caramelization process happens it moves very quickly. Do not stir during this process or you risk re-crystallizing the sugar resulting in a gritty texture. If the sugar is caramelizing unevenly, gently swirl the pan to even out the color.Once the sugar smells nutty and is a deep golden brown, carefully pour all of the heavy cream(235 grams, 1 cup) into the pan and stir vigorously. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit, so a long handled spoon or spatula is your best tool here.Add the salt(1 teaspoon) and continue cooking and stirring the mixture until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes. If you are using this as a warm sauce, a thermometer is not needed. Cook until thickened. However, a candy thermometer can help you reach a more accurate final texture. As the caramel reaches higher heat, it will become more hard in texture once cooled. At 210-215°F/ 99-101°C the mixture will be liquid right out of the refrigerator and very thin when warm. At 225°F/ 107°C it will be runny when warm and thick when cooled. Cooking the mixture to 250°F/ 121°C will give you a soft chewy caramel texture once cooled that is perfect for covering apples.Remove the sauce from the heat and pour into a heat resistant container. A mason jar is perfect. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. If making caramel apples, pour into a bowl and allow the caramel to cool to about 215°F/ 101°C before dipping your apples.

NotesTo Reheat: Put the sauce in a heat proof bowl and set over a pan of boiling water (this is called a double boiler). Make sure the water is not touching the bowl. Stir until the sauce is warmed through. Alternatively, heat in the microwave at 50% power in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring in between.Salted Caramel: Use up to 2 teaspoons of Morton Kosher SaltVanilla Cinnamon Caramel Sauce: After the sauce has reached the desired texture, add 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon.Vegan Caramel Sauce (aka Coconut Caramel Sauce): Replace the heavy cream with full fat coconut milk.Bourbon Caramel Sauce: After the sauce has reached the desired texture, stir in 1 TBSP bourbon off the heat.

How to Make Caramel Sauce

On Tuesday, I went over all of the details about How to Caramelize Sugar. This is the first step in the caramel sauce making process. There are two methods for caramelizing sugar: The Dry Method where only sugar goes into a pan and is cooked, and The Wet Method where the sugar is cooked with water. For better control during this process, the caramel sauce starts with the wet method of caramelizing sugar.

Melting the Sugar with Water

Add sugar and water into a heavy gauge saucepan and turn on medium heat. At this point you can stir. In fact, you should stir to make sure all of the sugar is coated with the water and none of it is hanging out on the sides of the pan.

The sugar will dissolve into the water as it heats up and starts boiling. At this point you have what is called a simple syrup.

Caramelizing the Sugar

Once the mixture starts boiling, the water begins to evaporate off and the sugar begins caramelizing. This process happens extremely quickly so you definitely don’t want to wander off from the pot.

Do not stir during this part of the process as you risk re-crystallization of your sugar which would result in a gritty texture in your sauce. Let it bubble away on the stove and watch it start to turn brown. If you notice that some parts of the mixture are browning more quickly than others, you can gently swirl the pan to even out the process.

Use your eyes and nose to tell you when your sugar is at the proper caramelization state. It should smell nutty and be a deep golden brown. A lighter color is going to give you a more mild flavor while a darker color will taste more complex in flavor. Be careful though! If you move towards a black color your sugar is burnt and will be inedible! This can happen quickly!

Adding Cream

Once your sugar is right at the perfect caramelization state, carefully pour all of your heavy cream into the pan and stir vigorously! The mixture is going to bubble up three times in volume and you want to be careful here! A spoon or a spatula with a long handle is perfect for this part so you don’t risk burning yourself. At this point, you can also add your salt.

Note: Once the cream hits the pan it will completely halt the caramelization process. You want to make sure you do this before the sugar is burnt, but you also don’t want to do it too soon when your sugar is only a light brown color because your sauce will taste weak.

Heating to the Desired Temperature

If you are going to be using this as a warm sauce, a thermometer isn’t absolutely necessary. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens. However, a candy thermometer can give you a much more accurate final texture.

The temperature your caramel sauce reaches is directly related to the final texture of your caramel because it is also an indicator of how much liquid is left in the sauce. If you want a sauce that is at a dippable texture at room temperature, heat to 225F (107C). If you are going to use this for covering caramel apples, heat the mixture to 245F (118C). This will give you a soft chewy caramel texture at room temperature.