Crock Pot Caramel Apples

caramel apples
Diana Rattray
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 110 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 8 caramel apples

These caramel apples are surprisingly easy to make: grab your slow cooker, melt some caramels in it, coat the apples, and voilá! Dessert is ready. If you have guests, prep the apples, set the cooker and just plate once it's dessert time. Plus, the measurements are easy to scale up if you have a party larger than eight.

We recommend a crisp, firm, and sweet apple that you would eat by hand, such as McIntosh, Gala, or Red Delicious. Make them extra-special with crunchy coatings. Toasted coconut, candy pieces, cereal, and chopped pecans are just a few ideas. See the list of optional coatings below the recipe instructions.

Ingredients

  • 28 ounces packaged caramels

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 8 medium crisp apples

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • Chopped nuts, peanuts, crunchy cereal, marshmallows, or dried fruit, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Unwrap the caramels and place them in the slow cooker with the water. Cover the pot and cook the caramels on high for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until they are completely melted. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. If you notice any scorching, pour the mixture through a mesh strainer and discard any dark particles.

  3. Put the caramel into a saucepan on low or leave it in the slow cooker (set on low, as well) to keep the mixture warm while you dip the apples. Use caution if children are helping because the crockpot gets quite hot to the touch and the caramel will get hot enough to cause painful burns.

  4. Line a large baking pan with wax paper and butter the paper.

  5. Wash and dry the apples. Insert a popsicle stick into the stem end of each apple.

  6. Dip each apple into the hot caramel and turn to coat the entire surface. Holding the apple above the pot, scrape off any excess caramel at the bottom of the fruit. As the caramel level lowers, use a spoon to help coat the last apples.

  7. Place the caramel-coated apples on the prepared pan, stick-side up.

  8. Coat the lower half of each apple with toppings, if using.

  9. Put the pan with coated apples in the refrigerator until they are thoroughly set.

  10. Enjoy!

Delicious Toppings

Once the caramel is partially set on the apples, use one or more of these toppings to give your treat an extra crunch. Use them to throw a decorate-your-own-apple party. Your guests will love being part of making this sweet treat. Once each guest is done decorating, place the apples in the fridge for 20 minutes:

  • Toasted Nuts: Add texture with toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds, or peanuts.
  • Chocolate: Use dark chocolate chips, cocoa nibs, M&M's, Reese's, small peanut butter cups, or any chopped chocolate bar of your choice for a decadent twist on your dessert.
  • Sprinkles: Colorful sprinkles or candy eyes are great toppings for younger guests.
  • Crumbled Cookies: Choose any cookie of your liking, from vanilla wafers to snickerdoodles, chop, and apply to give crunch to your apples.
  • Toasted Coconut: Use store-bought coconut flakes or make your own by placing some freshly shaved coconut in the oven for 35 minutes at 400 F until crunchy, stirring halfway.
  • Dried Fruits: Fruits like cranberries, raisins, figs, and dates are a sweet addition.
  • Cereal: Use different cereals like Froot Loops, Cheerios, granola, Cap'n Crunch, or Cocoa Puffs to decorate your apples.

How to Store the Apples

These apples keep well at room temperature or in the fridge for about a week. No matter where you choose to store, use one of these methods to ensure they stay fresh:

  • Cut a rectangle of plastic wrap and then place a circle of wax or parchment in the middle. Place an apple on top of the circle and bring together the corners of the plastic wrap rectangle. Secure to the popsicle stick with a bag tie or a piece of tape, making a bag-like shape with the wrap.
  • Use muffin top papers, similar to cupcake papers but not as deep, and then wrap them individually in cellophane bags.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
486 Calories
10g Fat
102g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 486
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 245mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 102g 37%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Total Sugars 84g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 9mg 44%
Calcium 148mg 11%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 408mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)