Caramel Apples
Golden, sticky, and utterly irresistible, this caramel apples recipe - or ‘toffee apples’ in the UK - are your ticket to homemade autumn treats.
Ingredients
Method
1) Remove the stems from the apples, scrub the apples under warm water and dry them. Insert a chopstick through the top of the apple all the way to the bottom. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and set aside.
2) Put the sugar, maple syrup, golden syrup and cream in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat and cook, swirling the pan but not stirring, until the mixture reaches 180C (firm ball stage) on a candy thermometer.
3) Pull the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Tilt the saucepan and dip and spin each apple into the caramel, covering about 3/4 of the apple. Place the dipped apple on the prepared baking sheet until set.
4) If using a topping, spread the topping out on a sheet pan or waxed paper and immediately roll the caramel coated apples in the topping. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet until set.
For the biscuit topping:
Put the wafers or cracker of choice in a plastic storage bag and smash until coarse.
For the nut topping:
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Spread the nuts on a baking tin and toast until fragrant and brown, about 8 mins. Pulse the nuts, cranberries, and ginger in a food processor until mixture resembles very coarse sand.
Dip, dunk and roll these seriously scrummy homemade caramel apples!
This homemade caramel apples recipe combines fruity apples with a sweet coating made from light brown sugar, maple syrup, golden syrup, double cream, and butter, all simmered into a rich caramel. Use Granny Smiths for a sharper bite or Braeburns for something milder, then simply dip, swirl, and coat each apple.
In the UK, we call them toffee apples, and they’re a staple for Bonfire Night and Halloween - but they’re great whenever you want an easy homemade sweet.
Once your apples are coated, the fun really starts. This recipe is a blank canvas for toppings: crushed biscuits (Oreos, chocolate digestives, Bourbons), chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts, dried cranberries, or even finely chopped crystallised ginger for a bit of heat. And remember, with these caramel apples there are no rules, mix and match whatever you like. It’s also a great kitchen project to do with kids.
If you want to mix this caramel apple recipe up a bit, try adding a pinch of sea salt to your caramel for a grown-up twist, a drizzle (or a dunk) of melted chocolate, or go full-on sundae and layer them with mini marshmallows or sprinkles.
Perfect for parties, wrapping up for gifts, or just indulging on a cosy weekend, these caramel apples are a keepsake of sweet, sticky nostalgia you’ll want to bite into again and again. And if you want a caramel apples recipe with a twist, try caramel apple sundaes with ice cream and peanuts, a devilishly indulgent caramel apple cheesecake, or Michelin maestro Tom Kerridge’s salted caramel apple pie. Yum!
