How To Melt Caramel For Perfectly Coated Apples

Caramel-dipped apples are a delightful and uncomplicated autumn tradition, perfect for enjoying on cool evenings or as a festive addition to gatherings. Making them could not be more simple, especially when you start with purchased soft caramel candies. Wrapped caramels just need to be warmed up with a little liquid to achieve a dippable texture for your crisp apples, and you can use your microwave, stovetop, or even a slow cooker.

What all three methods have in common is they need liquid to be added to the candy. This makes the job of melting the soft caramels easier and ensures that the caramel becomes fluid enough to coat the apples. Start with a single tablespoon for about 11 ounces of caramels. The liquid can be water, milk, or cream, or you could use something flavorful like espresso or orange juice to add a taste twist. Too much liquid will make the caramel too thin to stick well, so use a light hand. The type of caramel candy will alter the amount of water needed, too.

Using a microwave makes quick work of melting the caramels, but there are a few things to watch out for. Similar to melting chocolate, you'll want to heat the candy and liquid in short bursts, stirring well between cooking cycles to get even heating. The time you'll need depends on the amount of caramel you melt, so keep a close eye on the process. Melting on the stovetop is straightforward: Just unwrap and drop the caramels into a pan with a little liquid. Use low heat, stirring frequently until melted completely. The slow cooker can act as a water bath to melt the caramels, allowing for a more hands-off process, but one that also takes longer. Simply fill your cooker halfway with warm water and set it to high. Place the caramels and your chosen liquid in a container that fits into the slow cooker and leave them alone to melt for an hour or two.

Wash and dry the apples, and chill them to get the best coating and then you're ready to dip. Any way you melt them, wrapped caramels are perfect when the urge for a caramel apple hits. Your most difficult decision will be what to top those gooey apples with. Chopped nuts, chocolate pieces, and coconut flakes are all good options.