Maple Caramel Apples

With the fall season coming up, we’ve been on a wild tear with apple and pumpkin recipes lately.

SO many great recipes coming in the next few weeks!

Anyway, I recently updated my Candy Apples recipe over on Celebration Generation, so I figure it’s about time to share my recipe for the perfect caramel apples!

The first time ever made a caramel apples recipe, it was one of those “easy caramel apples” ones, using melted caramel candies.

Maybe I’m just a special brand of lazy, but fussing with getting the plastic off a bunch of individually wrapped caramels is not among my favorite things to do!

I quickly made the switch to the real deal - developing an easy recipe for making caramel apples from scratch.

The thing is, making your own caramel for dipping doesn’t take a long time at all.

The actual cooking process only takes about 15 minutes (usually), then maybe another 5-10 minutes for dipping. It can be so much fun, too!

As for the buttery caramel sauce I make for these apples?

Laced with a copious amount of maple syrup. There’s a reason they’re the BEST caramel apples, and that’s a big part of it.

As a maple enthusiast, these are definitely among my favorite treats, when autumn rolls around.

Capping off a day of apple picking, serving at a Halloween party, snacking on a random Tuesday... it’s all good.

Anyway, let’s get to it...

Ingredients

This homemade caramel apples recipe uses really simple ingredients that should be available at any grocery store, probably even year-round.

Apples

In general, you want to use nice, big apples that are free of any blemishes or soft spots.

In terms of the type of apple used, that’s up to you.

Personally, I like to use crunchy, somewhat tart apples, as a contrast to the sweetness of the caramel.

I also prefer to use green apples, as I like the way the caramel looks against it.

My absolute favorite apples in general - and for this recipe - are Mutsus.

They’re grown locally, are a yellow green colour, and have the best flavour and texture of any apple I’ve ever had.

Yes, I am a fangirl when it comes to Mutsu apples. Love, love, LOVE them!

I go through what could be described as concerning amounts of them, when they’re in season!

Anyway, enough on why Mutsu = the best apple ever....

Granny Smith apples are another really popular choice for caramel apples, and some other options are Fuji apples, Jazz apples, and Gala apples.

Honeycrisp work well, also.

Really, any apple that you like to eat raw (as opposed to one you’d only use for baking) is generally a good candidate for making maple caramel apples with.

Farm picked or store-bought apples, whatever works for you.

Maple Syrup

While most caramel apple recipes use light corn syrup, I prefer to use maple syrup.

Use actual maple syrup - as in, the stuff that came out of a tree - not pancake syrup.

The darker the maple syrup, the better - darker = more flavour.

Because that flavour will be diluted a bit by the other ingredients, you want to start off with the most robust flavour you can.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you’ll need:

Light brown sugar
Butter
Heavy cream
Vanilla extract
Salt

... simple!

Variations

I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to these maple syrup caramel apples.

I consider them a delicious gourmet caramel apple all on their own and - generally speaking - the MOST I do with them is to dip the bottom of the apple in some chopped nuts.

(Walnuts or pecans are the best, IMHO).

That sad, if you’re looking to make something wild like those sold at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and touristy places in the fall, have at it!

A few words of advice:

Anything you want to stick to the caramel should be done immediately after dipping the apple in caramel and letting the excess drip off.

This can be nuts, candies, chopped up chocolate bars and/or chocolate chips, granola, or even cereal.

Next time I make these, I’m tempted to dip them in a bowl of Maple Sugar Flakes or Maple Sugar Pebbles, just to be really EXTRA about it.

*****

Melted chocolate should generally be incorporated AFTER the maple caramel has cooled.

Just put your chocolate - milk, dark, or white chocolate - in a microwave safe bowl.

Zap it for 30 seconds at a time - until melted.

Alternately, a small saucepan over low heat also works- just stir constantly and keep an eye on it.

Then, dip your cooled maple caramel apples in a bowl of it, or drizzle it over the cooled apples.

Equipment & Supplies

You’ll need a couple basic items to make this maple syrup caramel apples recipe.

Wooden Caramel Apple Sticks

I like to have wooden sticks that are specifically designated as being Caramel Apple Sticks .

They have one side sharpened to a point, which makes pushing them down into the apple a lot easier.

That said, you can get creative with your choice of wooden stick style, if you can’t get a hold of the specialty ones.

The first time I ever made candy apples, I used popsicle sticks!

Whatever you choose, just make sure the apple stays on it securely, and it’s strong enough.

Something like a bamboo kebab skewer will snap when you dip the apple in the sugar syrup.

Candy Thermometer

Making caramel requires getting the syrup to the right temperature - it’s hugely important for the final texture!.

So, you’ll want a Candy Thermometer on hand. They’re cheap and come in really handy for all kinds of candy making recipes!

Parchment Paper, etc

Some people use wax paper for making caramel apples, but I don’t recommend it - the heat melts the wax.

Safe and edible, but not ideal - I definitely recommend parchment paper.

Beyond that, you don’t really NEED anything else, but you might want some food-grade cellophane and some pretty ribbon, if you’ll be presenting your maple caramel apples as gifts.

Tips and Tricks

Waxed apples?

Dipping them in very hot water for a few seconds will melt the waxy coating a bit. Once melted, you can rub it off with a paper towel or tea towel.

If you have to do a couple / few rounds of the hot water, I recommend plunging the apples into cold water to cool them down afterwards.

*****

Sugar crystals can form any time you’re boiling and handling a melted sugar product. Once they start forming, they can spread - and your caramel will be more fudge-like, than smooth.

There are a few ways to avoid this. The wet pastry brush step, not stirring as it boils, and GENTLY dipping the apples all go a long way.

*****

Slightly cooler caramel sticks better than super hot caramel, and caramel will stick to a cold apple better than a room temperature apple.

Some people find chilling the prepared apples to help, I’ve never had needed cold apples when making this recipe.

Maybe the maple syrup makes a difference?

*****

On a somewhat related note, apple size AND the temperature of your caramel will affect how many apples you can dip with one batch.

Obviously, bigger apples take more caramel than small apples. In addition to that variable, the hotter the caramel is, the thinner it will coat your apple.

Slightly cooler caramel will go on thicker... using up more caramel per apple.

*****

I find this recipe to be totally manageable in terms of getting all the apples coated while the maple caramel is still hot enough.

If you think you’ll need more time - or are making a double batch of caramel - you can transfer the hot caramel to a preheated slow cooker - on low heat - to buy you some extra dipping time.

How to Make Maple Caramel Apples

The full recipe - and video - are in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is a pictorial walk through of the process.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Prepare the apples: Remove all stems and stickers (if applicable).

Wash apples well, and dry COMPLETELY - any moisture will prevent the caramel from sticking to the apples.

Insert a caramel apple stick into each apple – They should go in at least halfway, to the center of the apple. Set aside.

In a medium pot, combine everything except the vanilla extract and apples.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, but gently. Try to avoid getting a lot of sugars up the sides of the pan.

Once boiling, turn the burner down to medium heat.

Brush the sides of the pan down with a wet pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals, and affix a candy thermometer to the pan. Make sure the tip of the thermometer is in the sugar mixture, but not touching the bottom of the pan.

Boil - without stirring- until mixture reaches 240 F (115 C).

Once mixture reaches 240F (115 C), remove from heat, add the vanilla and give it a gentle stir to combine.

Allow caramel to cool - and thicken a little - for 5-10 minutes, before dipping anything in it.

CAREFULLY dip apples, one at a time, turning to coat completely & evenly - I like to leave a small bit of the top of the apples showing.

Go slowly and turn as gently as possible, to avoid creating air bubbles in the warm caramel.

Let the excess caramel drip into the pan, then place dipped apples on prepared baking sheet.

Be VERY careful – sugar burns are NOT fun!

Dip the remaining apples, until dipping caramel is used up.

Note: If the hot caramel mixture is running off the apples, let it sit for a few more minutes to thicken up before dipping the apples.

Allow the maple caramel coating to cool completely to room temperature.

Remove coated apples from cookie sheet and enjoy, or wrap in cellophane to enjoy later.

More Gluten Free Apple Recipes

Looking for some more tasty, gluten free apple desserts? I’ve got you covered with even more easy gluten free recipes!

Apple Cinnamon Caramel Popcorn
Apple Crisp Macchiato
Candy Apples
Gluten Free Apple Cake
Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
Gluten Free Apple Pie
Gluten Free Caramel Apple Pancakes
Hard Apple Cider

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