Caramel for Apples

This recipe is awesome and so simple to make! The key is in using a candy thermometer so you don’t overcook or worse, undercook. 248° was the magic number in the recipe and is the temp I worked my caramel to. I never use Karo or corn syrup so used maple syrup instead. The flavor was amazing and these turned out perfect. I didn’t dip the apples in boiling water, I just used a good veggie/fruit cleanser and the caramel stuck beautifully. Another reviewer suggested coating the parchment with a little sugar which seems really smart so the caramel doesn’t stick quite as bad to the parchment. I’m going to give it a shot on my next batch.

Agree with other users that the cook time is much longer than the recipe states. But some of the best caramel flavor of any I’ve made in the past. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

I think you should put in the cook time, that you start it on medium high bring to boil. Otherwise you will get caramel ment for peanut brittle, and that is after only 10 min.

Was really good. First time making and my family loved it.

I followed the amended directions. After bringing to about 235 the 2nd time, I poured it in to my crockpot on low. This kept the caramel nice for dipping for as long as it took 6 children to make about 20 caramel apples.

So good! It’s a little bit lighter than store bought caramel. I heated it to soft ball stage, then I added the butter and heavy whipping cream. I put it back on the heat to soft ball stage again. Removed from heat and added 1/4 tsp caramel extract and 1/2 tsp vanilla. I think any more extract would be too overpowering (in my opinion). You can play around with different amounts of vanilla and caramel extract, as long as it adds up to 1 tsp (or slightly less). As I’m writing this review, I now wonder what it would be like if I substituted a heaping amount of sea salt for regular table salt. 10/18/16 1) the amount of time left on the stove will determine how thick caramel will be. I cooked mine for 1/2 hour and it firmed up enough when cooled to cut into pieces to use in recipes. 2) the color you see in the pictures is a good texture for caramel sauce, poured over ice cream or dip apples into it. Longer you cook it will yield a darker brown like the wrapped up store bought caramel. 3) you cannot freeze it to firm it up. It will just remain soft and become grainy. 4) check the color of caramel BEFORE you add extract. You’re looking to see what it really looks like, because extract is also brown, don’t want it to falsely look like it burned. 5) you can also examine texture by dropping a piece into cold water. It will also cool off enough so you can taste it without getting burned. 6) I added 3/4 tsp of sea salt, then sprinkled a little more in (about 1/4 tsp). Awesom

It tasted good but would not firm up. Something is missing from the recipe. Way too runny.

Ok for dip, never hardened enough for carmel apples. Followed directions and temperatures too.

Ok for dip, never hardened enough for carmel apples. Followed directions and temperatures too.

I followed M O’Brien’s method of boiling it to 112C after adding butter and cream which I used evaporated milk, it took around 25 mins then I let it cool and it turned out PERFECT! Thanks for the wonderful recipe??

There is not enough instructions in this recipe.

This sauce is delicious. I was wanting to coat apples for caramel apples instead of just dipping them as a snack. To do so I followed other reviewers advice and continued cooking until the sauce reached 234 degrees after adding the cream and butter. This turned out perfect. The caramel was just a tad soft when biting into the apple, but still delicious, so I may consider increasing the cook time a tad next time for coating apples. If using for dipping a snack I would still cook longer than the directions indicate, but I like my sauce thicker. Delicious caramel and worth trying!

This recipe tasted terrific. But totally failed as a caramel dip….caramel did not dip.

Took about 20 min total. Light in color. Constant stir on med. makes 2 1/2 cups.

this recipe was way too liquidly and not sweet enough! It was not a good choice to make, especially with the apples. they did not compliment each other nicely and were a major disappointment!

I followed other reviewers instructions for the making of the caramel. Basically, after the butter and milk are added, I cooked and stirred until it became the consistency of thick caramel. For those who reported runny caramel, you simply didn’t cook it long enough. I used a candy thermometer as a guide, but I believe you can make this recipe using your own judgment, basing your decisions on the texture of the caramel. When you add the vanilla, it takes on the beautiful coloring that we all know and love! I placed the apples in the freezer for approx. 15 min. prior to dipping to help the caramel cling to the apple…that worked perfectly…no messy dripping. I also waited for the caramel to cool to 200-degrees as suggested by another reviewer…perfect! This caramel tastes so much better than the melted, wrapped caramels. And I always disliked having to unwrap each of the pieces in the bag. I was skeptical about this recipe, so I only made 1/2 as written and it yielded 4 medium sized caramel apples, which was perfect for me and hubby.

I gave this 3 stars because the directions are unclear. Sadly, I didn’t read the reviews before making this and it was an epic fail. Sauce is way too thin, even after following the instructions precisely. It tastes good, but was hoping for a sauce that was think enough to dunk apple slices in or as a sauce for ice cream. Don’t know if it can be salvaged at this point. Maybe by adding more sugar and bringing back to a boil it can be saved. As is, it might be okay as a syrup for ice cream, just not what I was hoping for.

A little thin, but lasts a while

This is a REAL caramel recipe…not one that calls for unwrapping store bought candies and melting. Simple recipe but does require you to babysit the entire time. I added ten extra minutes to the final cook stage to get a richer color. The taste is amazing, no changes or tweeking needed. Also, by no means cut the recipe in half, you will just be mad when it runs out…and it will run out. YUM

I’ll give this recipe 5 stars ONLY because I followed M. O’Brien’s additional instructions, which really helped make it clear that the mixture has to be boiled to 234 a SECOND time, and she/he described what to look for as it’s boiling down. Thanks to both SPLACE and M. O’Brien for a yummy caramel recipe!

Amazing!! Easy to follow and turned out SO delicious!