Caramel Apples with Pecan Pieces

 

There are just certain parts about the season changing from summer to fall that never get old. The trees changing colors, breaking out comfy sweaters, lighting those fall candles and enjoying the yummy goodies that autumn is famous for. I don’t know about you, but there are some of those goodies I have to self-regulate my consumption on, otherwise I enjoy them waaayy too much. One of those things for me is caramel apples. 

Growing up, the only caramel apples we had were those made with the flat sheets of caramel you had to wrap around the apple. Inevitably, there were many parts of the apple not covered and the end result was the furthest thing from visually appealing. But they still tasted good. 

I’m excited to share with you a caramel apple recipe that checks all the boxes: deliciously simple and so pretty to look at. 

Three Reasons to Love These Caramel Apples with Farm Fresh Pecans:

  1. These Caramel Apples with Farm Fresh Pecans make the most thoughtful gifts. They package up nicely and store pretty well too.

  2. These Caramel Apples with Farm Fresh Pecans can be topped with all kinds of goodies. Though I only used farm fresh pecans, feel free to incorporate your favorite candy piece, mini chocolate chips, coconut flakes, or any other topping that tickles your fancy.

  3. This Caramel Apples with Farm Fresh Pecans recipe yields a whole bunch of homemade caramel. Use it all for apples, or set some aside to use as a fruit dip, or dessert topping. 

Recipe: 

  • 1 Cup Butter

  • 2-3 Cups Farm Fresh Pecan Pieces (I used small pieces, but you could use medium or large pieces too)

  • 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz)

  • 1 ½ Cups Brown Sugar

  • 1 ¼ Cups Corn Syrup

  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla

  • 5 lbs Apples (Granny Smith apples work the best!)

  • Craft/popsicle sticks

Directions: 

  1. Before starting the caramel, start by washing all the apples thoroughly. You’ll want to make sure all the wax is removed, otherwise the caramel will not stick. Dry the apples completely. Stick a popsicle stick through each center.

  2. In a large saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk. 

  3. Over medium heat, stir the mixture until it reaches 245*F. This will take awhile (took me 25-30 minutes), so be patient. But once you hit 245*F, remove the caramel from the heat and be prepared to move quickly.

  4. Dip each apple in the caramel until completely coated. While the caramel is still wet, immediately roll in your topping(s) (pecan pieces are the best, trust me!). 

  5. Once dipped and rolled, place the prepared apples on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 

  6. Allow the caramel apples to set up (if you did it right, it won’t take long at all) and dig in/share/enjoy!

 
Recipe, SweetKalyn Grokettapple, caramel, small pieces