Gourmet Caramel Apples Recipe

Gourmet caramel apples are Granny Smith apples dipped in a scratch caramel of butter, brown sugar, light corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk, then finished with toppings like chopped pecans, toffee bits and a chocolate drizzle. This recipe makes 8 apples in about 1 hour 15 minutes: 30 minutes of prep, about 15 at the stove and 30 to set.

The gourmet part is the caramel. Cooked to 245°F, it sets thick enough to carry a heavy coat of nuts or candy and a second layer of chocolate. Tart apple, salty crunch, soft caramel.

Gourmet Caramel Apples by the Numbers

• Makes: 8 caramel apples
• Time: 30 minutes prep, 10 to 15 minutes cooking, at least 30 minutes to set
• Caramel: 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 cups packed brown sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup, one 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, a pinch of salt
• Target temperature: 245°F (118°C)
• Apples: 8 Granny Smith, dewaxed and fully dry, plus 8 wooden sticks

Firm Ball or Soft Ball: Why This Caramel Goes to 245°F

A few degrees change everything. At 235 to 240°F, the soft ball stage, you get a tender coat you can bite straight through. At 245°F you are in the firm ball stage (about 244 to 248°F): the caramel sets thicker and holds its shape under a cup of chopped nuts and a chocolate drizzle.

For a softer coat with light toppings, my homemade caramel apples stop at 235 to 240°F. Go past about 248°F and the coat turns chewy enough to pull at your teeth. No thermometer you trust? Drop a little caramel into ice water. It should form a ball that keeps its shape and only flattens when you squeeze it.

Getting Granny Smiths Ready to Hold Caramel

Caramel will not grip wax or water. Dip each apple in very hot water for a few seconds, rub it hard with a towel, then dry it completely, stem area too. Dip them at room temperature. Cold apples sweat under warm caramel, and that thin film of moisture is why a coat slides off an hour later.

Push a wooden stick into the stem end, about halfway down, and line a baking sheet with parchment right next to the stove.

Cooking the Condensed Milk Caramel

Use a heavy bottomed saucepan with room to bubble. Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the brown sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk. Stir constantly with a heatproof spatula, scraping the whole bottom. Condensed milk scorches fast, and burnt flecks show on every apple.

Keep it at a gentle boil until it reads 245°F, about 10 to 12 minutes. The color deepens from pale tan to warm amber and the bubbles get smaller and slower. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla and salt. I use unsalted butter because salted brands vary, and salted butter plus sea salt flakes on top makes the finish too sharp.

Dipping Without a Caramel Foot

Tilt the pan, dip one apple at a time and turn it until every side is coated. Let the excess drip back, then scrape the bottom on the rim before you set it down. That stops the puddle, the foot, that otherwise spreads across the parchment.

If the first coat runs thin, give the caramel 2 or 3 minutes off the heat to thicken. Press on toppings right away while the caramel is tacky, and let the apples set at least 30 minutes before any chocolate goes on.

Caramel Apple Toppings That Stay Put

• Nuts: chopped salted peanuts, pecans, walnuts or almonds cling best when chopped small.
• Chocolate: mini chips press in well. Drizzle white or dark chocolate only after the 30 minute set, or it smears.
• Candy: toffee bits, mini M&Ms, crushed Oreos and peanut butter cups, pressed on by hand.
• Festive: crushed pretzels and graham crackers grip if they go on fast. Sprinkles bounce, so press gently. Use toasted, dry coconut.
• Finishing touch: sea salt flakes, cocoa or cinnamon sugar, or edible gold leaf, added last.

Rolling covers evenly but picks up more than you need. Pressing toppings onto the lower half wastes less and lets some glossy caramel show, which is how I do nuts and crushed candy bars.

Setting Up a Caramel Apple Bar

Dip the apples yourself, since hot caramel and small hands do not mix. Put toppings in wide, shallow bowls so guests can press them on while the caramel is tacky, and keep the pot on the lowest heat, stirring now and then. Apple slices beside a bowl of warm caramel suit anyone who wants smaller bites.

When the Caramel Slides, Pools or Sets Too Hard

• Slides off: wax, water or cold apples. Dewax, dry well, dip at room temperature.
• Pools at the base: caramel too hot and thin, or the apple went down too soon. Rest the pot 2 or 3 minutes and scrape each base.
• Grainy: sugar crystals from the pan sides fell back in. Brush the sides with a wet pastry brush while it cooks.
• Chewy or rock hard: it went past about 248°F.
• Never sets: it stopped short of 245°F or the thermometer reads low. In boiling water it should show 212°F at sea level; adjust the target by the difference.

Keeping, Gifting and Slicing Gourmet Caramel Apples

Set apples are fine at room temperature for a few hours and taste best the day you make them. If they need to wait longer, refrigerate them: the stick lets apple juice seep under the caramel, and a warm room is no place for that to sit. Take them out 20 minutes before serving.

For gifts, wrap each one in wax paper or parchment, or use a clear cellophane bag tied with twine. Plastic wrap sticks and pulls off the finish. Around Christmas I dust them with cinnamon sugar or a little edible gold. For a party tray, cut them into wedges with a sharp knife.

Candy Apples, Store Caramels and Other Questions

Are gourmet candy apples the same as caramel apples?

No. Candy apples have a hard, glassy sugar shell cooked to the hard crack stage near 300°F. Caramel apples have a soft, chewy coat made with butter and milk.

Can I use melted store-bought caramels?

Yes, but the coat is thinner and holds fewer toppings. Scratch caramel at 245°F is what gives these apples their thick layer.

What can I do with leftover caramel?

Pour it into a parchment lined dish for chewy caramel squares, or warm it with a splash of milk for ice cream. For a pourable version, see my caramel sauce from condensed milk.

More apple baking: apple dumplings, caramel apple pie, double crust apple pie bars, a rustic apple galette or a caramel apple dump cake. A jar of caramel apple jam makes a good gift next to these apples.