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My candy apple recipe is so easy to make and incredibly delicious! My simple steps are so easy to follow that you will make this recipe repeatedly with your children. This is the perfect Fall recipe for the family to enjoy together.
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Candy Apple
With fall being right around the corner, it's time to start planning on making all your favorite fall treats! These sweet and shiny red candy apples are going to be at the top of my list this year.
They are the perfect combination of tart and sweet with a crunch! Homemade candy apples are like a super-sized lollipop with natural, fresh fruit on the inside, coated in homemade sugar candy. And they're ready in only 30 minutes!
My family loves this recipe for candied apples - I know yours will, too!
Candy Apple Slices Ingredients
- Apples - choose a crisp, sweet apple. Some of the best options are gala, fuji, or honey crisp.
- White sugar
- Light corn syrup
- Water
- Food coloring
- Edible glitter (optional)
- wooden skewers or popsicle sticks
How to Make Candied Apples
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and spraying it with cooking spray. This will help prevent any of the hard candy from sticking. Place apples in a pot of boiling water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and boil for 10 seconds each. This step is to remove the waxy coating from the apples.
- After 10 seconds, remove the apples from the boiling water and place them into an ice bath for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the ice bath and dry the apples.
- Insert a wooden stick into the top of each apple, pushing about halfway through. Set aside.
- Using a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat, add in sugar and light corn syrup, stir, and combine sugar mixture well.
- Add in water and give it a good mixing again.
- Insert your candy thermometer and continue to boil until the temperature reaches between 300 and 310℉. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Immediately remove from heat!
- Working very quickly and carefully, the pot and the coating are extremely hot! Add in the food coloring and edible glitter (optional). Mix well.
- Dip and coat each apple in the candy mixture and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Let candied apples chill for 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy! This is the perfect Halloween treat, the kids will love it.
My Candied Strawberries are also amazing!
Candied Apple Expert Tips
- Cut your apples: I quickly cut them into candied apple slices to help preserve your teeth.
- Customize the color: Use different food coloring for a different look! Blue, purple, or green - the ideas are endless.
- Keep the sugar coating thin: After several attempts, a thin shell-like coating is best for candied apples, compared to a thick candy coating.
Candied Apple Recipe FAQs
Candied apples are whole apples with a thin, hardened sugar coating on the outside of each one. You can customize the coloring of each apple coating by using different food coloring.
When making candied apples, choose a crisp, sweet apple. Some of the best options are gala, fuji, or honey crisp. Or, if you're a tan of tart apples, give a Granny Smith apple a try!
Storing Candied Apples
If you have any leftover candied apples, they can easily be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days! Store in a tall, airtight container to ensure the sugar stays crisp.
Try serving them with candied nuts or candied orange peels!
Best Apple Recipes
- Simple Apple Galette
- Caramel Apple Empanadas
- Easy Apple Crisp
- Crockpot Applesauce
- Apple Pie Dump Cake
Candy Apple Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Candy thermometer - THIS IS IMPORTANT! A candy thermometer must be used for this recipe.
- Wooden sticks
- 1 Pot
Ingredients
- 10 apples
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1½ cup water
- 6 drops red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon edible glitter - optional
Instructions
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper, and then spraying it with cooking spray. This will help prevent any of the hardened candy from sticking. Place apples into a pot of boiling water, and boil for 10 seconds each. This step is to get the waxy coating off of the apples.10 apples
- After 10 seconds, remove apples from the boiling water and place them into an ice bath for 2 minutes.10 apples
- Remove from the ice bath and dry the apples.10 apples
- Insert a wooden stick into the top of each apple, pushing about halfway through. Set aside.10 apples
- Using a medium sized pot over medium-high heat, add in sugar and light corn syrup, and mix well.2 cups white sugar,1 cup light corn syrup
- Add in water and give it a good mixing again.1½ cup water
- Insert your candy thermometer and continue to boil until the temperature reaches between 300 and 310, this will take about 10-15 minutes. Immediately remove from heat!
- Working very quickly and carefully - the pot and the coating is extremely hot! Add in the food coloring and edible glitter (optional). Mix well.6 drops red food coloring,1 teaspoon edible glitter
- Coat each apple in the candy mixture and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Let candied apples chill for 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Cut your apples: While it's quite impossible to bite into a candy apple, I like to easily cut them up into candied apple slices to help preserve your teeth.
- Customize the color: Use different food coloring for a different look! Blue, purple, or green - the ideas are endless.
- Keep the sugar coating thin: After several attempts, a thin shell-like coating is best for candied apples vs a thick candy coating.
Jen Penrod says
Do you cut them after they’re dipped or before please?
Isabel Laessig says
Cut them after they're dipped! Enjoy!