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A fall must have, sweet and shiny red….this Easy Candy Apple recipe is simple and fun. Just like the apples you used to get at your local fair, they’re the best bite of the season and made with just a few pantry ingredients!
Fall is in the air and all I can think about is piles of apples and all the apple desserts I have on my list to check off. It’s like my own personal fall bucket list and I fully intend on making it all the way through this year since all we have is time.
First up….Homemade Candy Apples! They’re sweet and tart and totally fun for the fall season. And they’re a cinch to make in about 30 minutes.
Kids love to help make them and you can color them just about any shade of the rainbow you want. I went with a classic RED Candy Apple because that’s what I remember from my childhood.
What are Candy Apples?
If you’ve never tried a Candy Apple, you’re in for a tasty surprise. Unlike a Caramel Apple, Candied Apples have a hard, sweet candy coating similar to a Jolly Rancher.
It’s like a lollipop on a stick but with a healthy treat inside. Tart, juicy apples are dipped in melted sugar to achieve the candy shell and allowed to cool on a baking sheet until ready to eat.
The whole process takes only 30 minutes!
They’re fun, easy and certainly festive. And….I must mention….a little tough to eat. While the kids like to lick away like a giant lollipop because, frankly, it’s almost impossible to bite into one, I like to cut them up and snack on them that way. A much better way to preserve your teeth.
How to Make Candy Apples
Making Candy Apples is super simple to do. Here’s how to make them:
- Wash the apples and remove the stem by twisting until it pops off. (If your apples are coated in wax, give them a quick dunk in boiling water to melt off the wax.)
- Insert the sticks into the stem end of the apple.
- Stir the sugar, corn syrup and water together in a saucepan.
- Boil the sugar mixture until hard crack stage (300˚F on a candy thermometer)
- Color by adding a few drops of food dye, stir.
- Dip the apples in the sugar syrup to coat and allow the excess to drip off.
- Cool the apples on a baking sheet lined with cooking spray coated parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Enjoy!!!
These sturdy, bamboo skewers are perfect for caramel apples, candy apples, corn dogs and more! The pointed end makes them easier to insert.
Tips for Easy Candy Apple Making
All you need are a few tips for making your Easy Homemade Candy Apple Recipe:
- Be sure to boil your sugar mixture until the HARD CRACK stage. If you pull it off the heat too soon, the sugar will be too soft…more like taffy. Making them even more impossible to eat.
- When you add the food coloring (and you can color your apples black, purple, fuscia…it’s up to you), be careful because the sugar will bubble a bit more angrily.
- If your apples are not freshly picked and purchased at a grocery store, give them a quick dunk in boiling water for 1-2 seconds to melt off any wax that may be on the apples. The wax keeps the sugar from adhering to the apple.
- Now….dip away….carefully. The sugar is VERY hot. And don’t forget to coat that parchment with cooking spray.
And if you’re not really feeling like dipping and sticking….you could totally throw together a big platter of these Caramel Apple Nachos!
More Easy Apple Recipes
If you like this Candy Apple recipe, check out this Crock Pot Apple Crisp. It’s super easy and tastes amazing with a dollop of Whipped Cream!
Or try these easy Apple Dumplings or our favorite Apple Fritters!
And if you want to see WHAT ELSE we’re making here at the Soapbox be sure to follow us over on Instagram!
Easy Candy Apple Recipe
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 candy thermometer
- 12 corn dog sticks
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
- 8 small-medium apples
Instructions
- Insert a stick into the stem end of the apple pushing about halfway through and set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat generously with cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan over high heat, stir together the sugar, syrup and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and turn the heat to medium. Stir in the food coloring. Insert a candy thermometer and continue to boil until the mixture reaches Hard Crack stage (from 300-310 degrees), approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and allow to rest for a few minutes before quickly dipping the apples in the sugar mixture turning to coat. The rest allows the bubbles to subside a bit so you don't have bubbles in your candy coating.
- Transfer to the baking sheet to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These turned out so good! Candied apples always seemed daunting to me but this recipe was easy to follow with fabulous results. Thanks!
Thank you for your comment! I’m so happy you loved them!
What can I wrap theses in for a party
You can buy candy bags at craft stores and they work well.
Thank you
Thank you gonna make these for my granddaughters Halloween carnival!!
Made them before and they are so easy and delicious!!
Thank you! I hope she has the most fun!
Very yummy! I used honey instead of corn syrup which added a bit more sweetness I think. It does get very hot though so be warned in you try to make this be sure that your fingers are out of the way trust me you will be grateful.
Thank you for your comment! Yes, honey does work well for this recipe and definitely make sure not to dip your fingers.
Can this recipe be cut in half for making 4 apples instead of 8?
Yes, you can divide the whole recipe in half. Or you’ll just have a little extra of the syrup.
this was great i liked it but i wish we could have scene the product when it was boiling or finished in the pot to see the consistancy of what the sugar should look like, I also wanted to know on the water for the wax do you boil first then shut it off and dip the apples then dry them and set for the dipping candy?? looking forward to your feed back.
I dip them in boiling water and then dry them before dipping in the candy.
Curious, if you use 8 apples why does it serve 6.
Hi Leola, that’s an excellent question! Off to go fix that because it’s clearly an error!
How is clean up? Think of using a disposable pan.
Clean up is easy, it dissolves with hot water and soap.
If I needed to make a large batch of these, perhaps 30/40 candy apples. What would you recommend, if the candy hardens quickly. I wouldn’t have enough time to dip them all before it hardens right ?
I would do them in smaller batches so maybe do a double batch and when you’re finished with that start a new one. Your other option is to make the sugar solution in a cast iron dutch oven which will retain the heat a bit longer and keep it on low heat.
Intending to live a healthy lifestyle.
Good for you! We like to treat ourselves sometimes.