Homemade Gourmet Caramel Apples {Step-by-Step}

Step-by-step instructions for homemade gourmet caramel apples. It doesn’t get much better than apples dipped in homemade caramel and fancied up with all the toppings.

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Hey, hey friends!

Today we’re talking about all the things related to caramel apples. Not just plain Jane caramel apples (although those are great too). I’m talking about gourmet caramel apples, dipped in chocolate and smothered with all the fun toppings.

Seriously one of my favorite fall treats ever.

Warning this is a long post with lots of gory details. Pretty much everything you need to know about making the best homemade gourmet caramel apples ever.

Okay let’s get started.

What Kind of Apples Work Best?

My favorite apples for caramel apples are more tart than sweet. Obviously granny smith is always a safe bet. But I also like to use golden delicious when they are still green and just a little underripe. If you want a red variety, honeycrisp is a good choice.

I like to use smaller apples. I think there’s a better apple to caramel ratio that way. And they fit in packages better even after you get all the layers and toppings on.

Step 1: Preparing the Apples

Start out by gently twisting the apple stems off and removing any stickers.

Remove any wax from the apples by scrubbing with a soft cloth, a drop of dish soap, and hot water. Scrub really well because wax is super detrimental to caramel apples. Not only does it taste a bit nasty, it also makes the caramel slide right off the apple. No good, my friends.

Fill a large pot or kitchen sink with hot tap water. If it’s too hot – like boiling – the apples will turn brown. So just do the hottest level of tap water you’ve got.

Submerge the apples completely by setting a heavy flat object (like a plate) on top of them. Let them soak this way for about 15 minutes to help remove any excess wax and release some of the gases trapped in the apple which can cause air bubbles when they are dipped.

Dry the apples REALLY well (and I mean REALLY well). Then gently press the sticks into the center, right where the stems were. Popsicle sticks work great, but you can also use wooden skewers or white candy sticks. These bamboo wooden dowel rods (aff. link) are my favorite.

Place the apples on a parchment lined baking sheet (you’ll need the parchment later) and refrigerate them while you are making the caramel. Chilling the apple helps the caramel set a lot quicker and gives prettier results.

Step 2: Making the Caramel

Combine in a medium saucepan over low heat the butter, salt, corn syrup, sugar, and 1 cup of the cream. Warm the ingredients slowly, until the butter is melted (about 10 minutes). The low heat will help the ingredients melt evenly so the butter does not separate. This will give you that nice clear caramel that’s so pretty. Gently stir to combine, being careful not to stir too vigorously and splash the liquid on the sides of the pan.

Once the caramel ingredients have warmed and melted, increase the heat to medium-low. The caramel should maintain a simmer, but not be so hot that it is burning on the bottom. Keep cooking at a simmer WITHOUT STIRRING for about 20-30 minutes until temperature reaches 236 degrees F. I use a candy thermometer (aff. link). It’s the easiest way to get the caramel perfect every time.

Pour in the remaining cup of cream. Gently swirl the caramel with a wooden just barely, until it is incorporated. Then let it simmer WITHOUT STIRRING or adjusting the temperature for 10-15 minutes until the temperature returns to about 238 degrees F (I really do mean 238 – I missed the pic by one degree haha!).

Take the caramel off the heat and carefully stir in the vanilla. Let cool for about 5 minutes before dipping. The dipping temperature is important. If it is too hot, it doesn’t stick well to the apple. If it is too cool then the apples don’t dip well and will make a really ugly thick layer of caramel. Right around 190 to 200 degrees is perfect.

If the caramel starts to get too thick (where it’s hard to dip), place it on the stove again over low heat and stir it well until it’s easy to dip again.

Storing the Caramel

The caramel can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. When ready, reheat caramel on low until it reaches 190 to 200 degrees F. Or you can pour it into a slow cooker insert. For best results, avoid scraping the caramel off bottom of the pan when you are pouring it out – it will pick up the nastier stuff stuck on the bottom and not give you nice and pretty caramel. Then refrigerate until you’re ready to dip. Reheat the caramel in the slow cooker on low.

Step 3: Dipping the Caramel

Dip the apples one at a time into the caramel so that it goes most of the way up the apple (but still shows some skin underneath).

Gently swirl the apple over the pan to remove the excess caramel. Then when it starts to harden (and lose it’s shine a little), gently scrape the bottom of the apple with a spoon until you can see the apple color underneath. That will keep you from getting a huge caramel blob on the bottom. Don’t worry, the caramel will fill in after you set it down.

At this point you can dip them directly into the toppings. Or if you are keeping them plain or doing a chocolate layer, then place them back on the parchment lined baking sheet to set. Make sure they are far enough apart that they don’t stick to each other. Don’t try waxed paper, it sticks and makes a huge mess.

The apples should chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes until caramel is set before decorating further.

Step 4: The Chocolate Layer & Toppings

The easiest way to do the chocolate layer is to fill a large oval slow cooker halfway with water and place heat-safe containers inside so that the water comes 2/3 of the way up. You can use heat-safe bowls or wide mouth pint canning jars. Fill the containers with dipping chocolates and candy melts.

For the dipping chocolate the quality matters, especially when it comes to milk chocolate or candy melts as they tend to seize up really easily. I like trader Joe’s brand of pound plus bars for milk or dark (aff. links) dipping chocolate. Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips (aff. link) also are a good option, as they melt well. I like the ghirardelli white melting wafers (aff. link) for white chocolate. For candy melts I normally go with the name brand (as the off brands are usually junk) like Candiquick or Wilton but some almond bark brands work well too. Just to be clear, those affiliate links to the products above are meant for reference. Keep in mind that they may be cheaper at a regular grocery store.

Set the slow cooker on low until chocolate melts (usually I do this as I’m preparing the apples clear back in step 1). Keep the containers in the slow cooker during the entire decorating process so they stay at the right temperature.

You can dip the apple directly into the chocolate (as you did the caramel). which makes a smooth pretty layer. But if I am adding toppings, I actually like to spread it around the apple with a flat spatula instead. It uses less chocolate and makes less of a mess in the next step.

Dip the wet chocolate covered apple into the cookie or candy crumbs of your choice or toss the crumbs on the apple with a spoon. If you’re using a heavier topping (like chocolate chips, m&ms, reese’s or sprinkles) you may want to wait until the chocolate sets just a bit or you can decorate just the top or bottom of the apple as they tend to slide down the sides.

Then refrigerate immediately until the chocolate is set (about 10-20 minutes).

Step 5: Finishing them off with Chocolate Drizzles & Cute Packaging

The last step is the beautiful chocolate drizzles. Drizzling with chocolate makes even the ugliest caramel apple look like a professional masterpiece (or maybe like a beautiful mess).

The easiest way I’ve found to do the chocolate drizzles is just taking a fork and dip it into the melted chocolate (or candy melts). Then quickly shake it back and forth over the apple to create streaks. Super simple technique with great results.

If you want those thicker drizzles, you can either use a piping bag or a ziplock bag (with a corner snipped). Or use a condiment squirt bottles to drizzle which works great too. So many possibilities here.

After you’ve finished prettying them up, refrigerate the finished apples until the drizzles are set (about 10-20 minutes) before packaging them.

I usually go with simple packaging. A gift bag tied with twine and maybe a little card with a message.

Decorated apples (in packaging) will keep up to a week (or more) in the refrigerator. I like to pull them out an hour or two before serving so the caramel comes to room temperature. Soft caramel is my jam.

Favorite Flavor Combos to Try

The possibilities really are endless when it comes to flavor combos, but here’s a few of our favorites.

TWIX: Caramel layer, then milk chocolate layer, then crushed fudge shortbread cookies, topped with milk and/or dark chocolate drizzles.

OREO: Caramel layer, then milk or dark chocolate layer, then crushed oreos, topped with chocolate drizzles.

CIRCUS: Caramel layer, then white chocolate, then crushed mother’s circus animal cookies, topped with white and/or pink candy drizzles.

CHURRO: Caramel layer, then white chocolate layer, sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar, drizzled with white chocolate.

TURTLE: Caramel layer dipped in chopped pecans with milk chocolate drizzles.

HEATHBAR: Caramel layer dipped in heath bar pieces with milk or dark chocolate drizzles.

Really any candy bar or cookie can be crushed up and used to cover a caramel apple so pick your favorite one and go to town. Or if you need more inspiration, google “caramel apple toppings” – there’s a bazillion.

Okay if you made it through that gigantic post, you’re amazing.

Now tell me, tell me. What’s your favorite flavor?

Mine’s twix. Yeah, remember these?

Details about the Caramel Layer (an Update on 6/12/2020)

After reading through comments here and on Pinterest about problems some readers have been having with the caramel in these Twix Cookie Bars I decided to dig a little deeper into what maybe going on and I think I’ve got it figured out. The findings apply to this recipe so I’m including them here.

Temperature is SUPER important when making caramel. There are two things that could actually make the temperature off. So if you want to get the perfect texture of caramel in this recipe, listen closely.

Be sure to adapt the recipe for your elevation

The first thing you need to be aware of is that elevation matters. I live at 4500 feet above sea level. And that is the elevation that this recipe was created. If you live below or above that elevation you will need to adjust the temperature in the caramel recipe accordingly and here’s a simple formula to do a quick adjustment:

Add 1 degree for every 500 feet of elevation below 4500. Subtract 1 degree for every 500 feet of elevation above 4500.

Example #1: If you live at sea level, you will need to add 9 degrees to the temperature in the recipe to get the same texture of caramel as I have. So when it says 238 degrees, you will actually use 247 degrees as your target temperature.

Example #2: If you live on the top of a 9000 foot mountain, you will need to subtract 9 degrees from the temperature I have listed in the recipe. So when it says 238 degrees, you will actually use 229 degrees as your target temperature.

Make sense?

How to calibrate your candy thermometer

Okay, now for all of you overachievers. You will want to check whether or not your candy thermometer is calibrated. I found this super helpful article that Mel @ Mel’s Kitchen Cafe did explaining about how to calibrating your candy thermometer. I followed it to a T and found that the candy thermometer I use measures 203 degrees F. after boiling for 10 minutes. That number is accurate for the elevation I live at which is about 4500 feet above sea level.

Again your boiling point temperature will vary depending on your elevation. See Mel’s article which does a great job of walking you through the process of calibrating (Thanks Mel!).

Here’s an easy way to find how many degrees to adjust the recipe by (it accounts for elevation gain plus thermometer calibration and will be the most accurate).

Find out what temperature your thermometer reads after being in boiling water for 10 minutes. If that temperature is hotter than 203 degrees (which is what my thermometer reads), then add the difference to all of the temperatures in the recipe. If it is lower than 203, subtract the difference to all the temperatures in the recipe.

Example #3: Your candy thermometer is measuring 214 degrees after it’s been in boiling water for 10 minutes. You will need to add 11 degrees from the temperature in the recipe. So when it says 238 degrees, you will actually wait until it reaches 249 degrees on your thermometer.

Okay, my friends. I hope this makes sense! Leave a comment if you’re still confused and I’ll help you figure it out.

Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat

All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat

Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.