How To Make Caramel-Dipped Apples

I remember attending the state fair when I was a kid and tugging on my dad’s shirt until he gave in and bought a caramel apple for me. My brother liked candied apples, so he’d get one of those, and then we’d proceed to make a mess of ourselves as we shoved these delicious concoctions-on-a-stick in our tiny faces. Sure, we added some shirts to the laundry pile on those days, but we got lifelong memories and a lot of happiness in return. Now, we can bring the joy of state fairs and yesteryears right into our homes with an easy slow cooker recipe for Caramel-Dipped Apples.

In a small slow cooker, add the caramel ingredients and allow it to warm. (We are using the 3 Quart Slow Cooker we are giving away this week. Enter here!) Dip the apples and work quickly to add toppings to make custom caramel apples for each family member. You can leave your apple plain, or dress it up with fun toppings. Check out our photos for a visual how-to.

Caramel Apples

Yield: Yields 8
Author: Hamilton Beach Test Kitchen

Ingredients

2 bags (11 oz. each) vanilla flavored caramels, unwrapped
2 Tablespoons water
8 to 10 small apples
8 to 10 wooden sticks or chopsticks
Sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, crushed cookies or pretzels, sea salt

Instructions

Place caramels and water in 3-quart slow cooker crock.
Cover and cook for 40 to 60 minutes on HIGH or 1 to 1 1/2 hours on LOW, stirring every 20 minutes until caramels are completely melted.
Line a large tray with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
Insert wooden sticks into stem end of apples.
Dip apples in melted caramel until evenly coated. Spoon caramel over apples to coat evenly. Let excess drip back into slow cooker. Scrape excess from bottom of apple.
Immediately decorate with sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, crushed cookies or pretzels or sea salt.
Place on prepared parchment paper. Refrigerate at least one hour to set. Remove from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature to soften 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

We recommend using LOW for melting caramels. If you choose to use HIGH, stir frequently to avoid burning. Be sure to wash apples thoroughly to remove any wax. If caramel mixture becomes too thick, stir in additional water. Work quickly to add decorations while caramel is still sticky. Refrigerate immediately to allow caramel to set.

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