Our Homemade Candied Apple Recipe is complete with rich caramel, drizzles of white chocolate, and sprinkles. The toppings are limitless for these Autumn gems and are absolutely perfect for holiday gatherings and gift-giving.
Below we will be sharing which types of apples are best for today's recipe as well as various toppings!
Apple Guide - What's the best variety to use for candied apples?
This boils down to preference some people love a sour apple to balance out the sweetness, while others enjoy a slightly sweeter apple to compliment the toppings. Either way, you want to make sure you're using the freshest and most crisp apples. Here are some of our favorite recommendations:
- Granny Smith - The beloved sour green apple that is most preferred amongst bakers. The crisp bitterness offsets the sugar content when cooked down but in cases like today's recipe where there is no cooking involved, it's the sweet-and-sour combo that many love.
- Jazz Apples - These offer a delicious crunch to your candied apple and they have a tangy-sweetness which also makes them a good choice.
- Fuji - If you are a fan of those bright red candied apples, then Fuji is the perfect pick. They're firm, crisp, and juicy!
- Gala - I love Gala apples and that's what I chose to use for today's recipe. Gala tend to be on the sweeter side so if you have a real sweet tooth, you'll love this option as well.
- Honeycrisp - Also on the sweeter side of the scale, Honeycrisp holds up well for candied apples.
Recipe Overview - What to Expect
- Gala Apples
- Read my notes above for apple varieties depending on what flavor profile you want for your candied apples. I love the sweetness of Gala so I chose those for today's recipe.
- Lollipop sticks
- These just make the whole treat feel like you're actually eating candy, plus it's also easier for dipping, drizzling, and serving. You want to make sure you're using a thick and durable skewer for your apples since you'll be dipping them in caramel.
- Muffin tin liners
- These make clean-up a breeze and ensure that whatever drizzles off, stays in place.
- Homemade salted caramel sauce
- You can use jarred caramel, or melt-down caramel candies for this recipe if you're pressed for time or want fewer steps. I love having homemade caramel on hand during the holiday season because it always gets used up!
- 1/2 white chocolate melting candies
- For a festive touch, I melted down white chocolate and dyed it. Dying the chocolate is optional and of course, you can use milk or dark chocolate if you don't have white on hand.
- Green food coloring (optional)
- I don't often use dyes when baking but I do think it's fun for a holiday treat. I do encourage finding all-natural food dyes which should be at your local grocer.
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes
- You can use dehydrated fruit bits, nuts, or seeds in place of coconut flakes.
- 1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles
- Mainly for decorative purposes, but I just love sprinkles on these.
- 1/4 cup black sugar crystals
- Like sprinkles, the sugar crystals are mainly for decorative purposes. I love going all out with these candied apples!
Homemade Candied Apple Recipe
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 candy apples 1x
Ingredients
- 6 Gala apples
- lollipop sticks
- muffin tin liners
- Homemade salted caramel sauce
- 1/2 white chocolate melting candies
- Green food coloring (optional)
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles
- 1/4 cup black sugar crystals
Instructions
- Wash apples then insert a lollipop stick at the stem of each. Set aside on a baking sheet with muffin tin liners.
- Prepare your desired toppings by setting each up in their own bowl.
- Prepare the homemade salted caramel sauce as directed or in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt down your caramel candies in a double-boiler with ¼ cup milk. Stir regularly until the caramel is smooth.
- Dip each apple in the caramel sauce then in your desired toppings. I alternated dipping the apples in chocolate sprinkles and the coconut flakes. The sprinkle with sugar crystals.
- Place the apples in the muffin liner cups and let the caramel set.
- In the meantime, melt down the white chocolate and if desired add a few drops of green food coloring or orange for a festive Halloween touch.
- Drizzle the melted chocolate over each apple and if desired, sprinkle again with extra sugar crystals or sprinkles.
- Let the apples set before serving and enjoy!
Notes
If you like you can dip some apples in chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds or peanuts) Finely chop 1 cup of desired nuts. You can also top with chopped candy pieces or candy corn. Get creative!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
And that is my Homemade Candied Apple Recipe. If you enjoyed this recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you!
Enjoy!
Shannon says
I have never heard of Fotor before. There are just so many options out there for editing food photos! It’s always interesting to learn what others are doing! Thanks for sharing your insight!
Michelle says
Wow, such a great post. Some really useful tips here and those candied apples look amazing!
Jess says
This article is right up my alley. So glad to read it! I often shoot food photography on my blog and the more tips the better! Plus, those candied apples look delicious😋
Renee Gardner says
These candy apples are so pretty!! Much fancier than the ones I've seen. I wish I would have found this recipe last week!
Anna Hettick says
I've never made candies apples but these look super yummy! Great blogging tips! Food blogging is such hard work!
Chastity says
When it comes to blogging content and photos are key. I am still trying to make a photo stand out it’s all about creativity as well. Thanks for the editing apps, always looking for more. Plus this recipe is so on point, yummy!
Shelley says
It's always so insightful to get a peek at how other food photographers and bloggers work - what their favorite tools are, what their workflow's like, even how they mentally approach their images and create their own personal style. So interesting! And your gorgeous candy apple recipe was a perfect backdrop for this lesson!
Courtney says
You have made some great points about the pros and cons of both DSLRs and smartphones for photography. I use both, depending on what I am looking for in the shot and definitely there are advantages and drawbacks to both.
Liz Siemers says
What a wonderful post! I’ve never heard of fodor, I use PicMonkey mostly to edit my photos. I loved hearing your tips and how you switch things up for the seasons! It’s a nice reminder to keep learning and evolving and not get stuck in a rut! Also I totally want to try making my own caramel sauce next year! Those photos of caramel apples look like perfection!!!
Jasmine Hewitt says
the candy apples look really good! its been a few years snce I made some, so i'll try your way