Candy Apples

Everything you need to know to make perfect candy apples every time! 

These easy tips and techniques are your ticket to amazing candy apples that are sure to wow any crowd.  Top off a classic red candy apple with your favorite candy pieces for a truly unique taste sensation!

The secret to a perfect candy apple is in pairing the sweetness of candy with the right apple.

In my opinion, it's a sure winner to pair a tart apple with a sweet candy exterior. Of course, if you can't stand tart apples, then pick a sweeter one - you have plenty of choices!  But stay away from mushier varieties like Red Delicious, or baking apples like Romes.  Check step 1 for my recommendations.

Step 1 Gather your Materials

Of course you'll need APPLES!!! 

But not all apples are created candy-worthy.  Here's a quick list of some great ones to look for:

• Fuji: firm and sweet, my personal favorite all-around apple
• Granny Smith: green and tart, awesome for candy apples for both of these reasons!
• Braeburn:  firm and sweetly tart
• Golden Delicious: firm and sweet
• Jonathan:  firm and sweetly tart
• Jonagold: A hybrid of Jonathan and Golden Delicious, firm skin, tangy-sweet
• Lady: firm, sweetly tart
• McIntosh: firm, sweetly tart

If you can, get your apples direct from an orchard (apple-picking is a perfect activity for friends and family!), and I'll tell you why.  Smaller apples make better candied snacks, and are hard to find in American Supermarkets.  Also, many apples you'll find at the grocery store have a wax coating that can inhibit the candy from sticking to the apple - bad news!  If this is your only option, though, you can remove the wax coating by dipping the apples in a bath of boiling water and rubbing the wax off.  And of course, it's always better to support your local growers - so buy locally! 

To candy-up 6 apples, you'll need:

• 1/2 c (120mL) light corn syrup
• 2 c (480 mL) sugar - your choice on brown v. white.  I use some of each, but all brown can be more susceptible to burning.
• 3/4c (180 mL) water
• Food coloring (opt.) - red is traditional, but any color works!
• Toppings!!!  I used toffee pieces, mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, candy corn, red hots, and gummi bears!  Just go crazy.  I mean, really, they're CANDY APPLES!

Additionally, make sure you have the following things at hand before you get started:

• Wooden skewers, popsicle sticks, or bamboo skewers cut in half
• Candy thermometer - essential for making perfect candy every time  - Make sure your thermometer's accurate: being off by just a few degrees can mean the difference between delicious and burnt. To check its accuracy, take the temp of a pot of boiling water. The thermometer should read 212 degrees Fahrenheit/100 degrees Celsius when the water is boiling. If not, note what temperature it reads at and adjust for the difference.
• A pot for candy coating, worked best for me when it had a handle
• Baking sheet lined with foil or silicone sheet for dipped apples
• Pastry brush and bowl of water to keep near your pot (I'll explain why later!)
• Bowls for your TOPPINGS!!!

Comments

[watermelonhead]

OMG! I luuuurves the one with the candy corn!!!


...And, OMG, are those GUMMY BEARS??? You're apples are pure awesomeness, scooch!

[randomrachel]

I made some tonight - they turned out great!

[scoochmaroo]

Awesome! Do you have pictures??

[timetoknitagain]

I had to subscribe to you.  My son saw your candy apples and said, " OH my, we have to do this, who is this that can do something so good!"  LOL.

[scoochmaroo]

Oh wow!  Thanks!!

[janoori]

i really want to do this..looks yummy...but the idea of the coating to be just of water,sugar and corn syrup??!!!! i feel its gonna be tasteless. too sugary and that sugar is the only thing u would taste..so what do u think??

[Josielovesdesigning]

EPIC CANDY APPLES!!!!!!!!!!!!  Lol, these look soo good but I can't find any candy corn in Brisbane :( anybody know where I could buy them? Thanks guys.

[YoshiB]

hey i'm not sure about Brisbane but i know that you can get them from the sunshine coast. there is a little shop on the wharf near underwater world that has american candies including candy corns and doctor pepper. You could also look up google, i found plenty of results that might help you.Hope this helps.

[Mauigerbil]

You're killing me! I would coat mine in rainbow caramel and teal sprinkles. Anyone who sees what I did there also saw something about the apple names

[Shany120]

GUMMY BEARS! CANDY CORN! Give me one, please!

[Flying_MashedPotatoes]

Glad to see that razor blades ISN'T one of the ingrediants

[bloods]

Oh wow! Thanks!!

.

[Starsghost]

 I made these, but they turned out like mouth death traps.
I think it cooked too long or something.  I brought it to the right temperature, but the coating I did must have been too thick.
I am going to try it again soon though, like in the next couple days again, and see if I can be more successful.
Thanks for the instructable.

[Starsghost]

 On a side note, it made very nice hard candies though :)

[CamillaLuvzMusic]

because you can totally fit a whole apple in your mouth....

[h3idi]

I agree, green apples are awesome. I'm wondering if i'd find them as delicious if i used green food colouring. Thinking of trying.

Another thing that I've seen done is using candy shell (thank you for your recipe) and nuts OVER the candy. Holy OMG Mmm.

[Screamo]

Cool and razor blade free <.< >.> X(k S⊂R∃AMO k )X

[Zergling_pack]

 Wow i know what i am going to be making soon! :) But i think if you diced up the gummy bears and candy corn it would look nicer and be easier to bite. 

[zascecs]

I'm SO  glad I found a recipe for these! The best snacks!

[zascecs]

 oops, already posted that....

=/

[Craftlifeforever]

Hi scoochmaroo:  Do you have an alternative recipe for diabetics?

[Patented]

Ummmm! Look delicious! Very well done !

[MrLouque]

 How could i do it without a thermostat?

[jessyratfink]

Those are so pretty!

I can't seem to figure out if I like candy apples, though. I have serious issues with food that should be easy to eat but isn't. Like sandwiches that are too big to fit in my mouth, tacos that are too full, salad bars with veggies that you end up having to cut yourself (pepper and onion rings, really?), etc. But maybe if I follow your suggestion and take a knife and fork to it I'll enjoy it! :D

[zascecs]

very true with candy apples. 

[zascecs]

the best stuff; i'm so glad that I finally found a recipe for these!
5 stars! (I just have to =) 

[possum888]

 Awesome! But I have one question: What are those white-orange-yellow lollies called? I live in New Zealand and have never seen them before

[scoochmaroo]

Candy corn!!!
Oh man, you don't know what crazy sugary sweetness you're missing.
Plus they're seasonal, so it only makes you crave them more!

[wallmalker1]

The white-orange-yellow candies are candy corn. They're cheap & a good Halloween candy to leave out during a party.

[cowscankill]

I don't have a thermometer to make candy... So I want chocolate apples! :D

[scoochmaroo]

Yeah, do it!!

[Clayton H.]

you should have of put those little candy pumpkins on the apples

[aliciacar]

The candy you show in the pictures and on the apples is red, not caramel color.
Didn t you forget to write down the coloring in your recipe?

[scoochmaroo]

I did! I can't believe no one caught that yet!
Thank you.  Also, without the food coloring, it would be clear.
This isn't a caramel recipe - but I've got one of those in the works!

[scoochmaroo]

FIXED!

[SeaLion]

Had the newsletter been out two days earlier, I would've tried it. My friend and I made some 'toffee apples' the other day and it was a great success. We only used sugar with water, small amounts of butter and vinegar since we didn't have any corn syrup. I have a question though, does corn syrup make the coating red-ish or a great difference to the 'sugar' recipe I used, do you know?
Thanks again for the instructable!

[scoochmaroo]

It's the food coloring that makes it red.  Corn syrup doesn't add any color.  Sugar and water would taste even better :)

[Zem]

Toping suggestion, sour gummy worms! 

[boblordofmonkeys]

 AMAZING thats so cool i never thought of that candys on candied apples smart ill ry when i get the chance.

[knexsuperbuilderfreak]

never though about "dressing" them up before but the classic will most likley be my fav for a long time =P