Go Back
+ servings
3 red candy apples on a white rectangle plate with yellow leaves around
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Trick-Or-Treat Red Candy Apples

Red Candy Apples, a favourite Fall treat that is perfect for a Halloween trick-or-treat bag. They might not be too spooky, although the bright red looks pretty bloody. Kids will love them, they look fun and making them at home from scratch is super easy.
Prep Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 288kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 smaller red apples
  • 1 cup caster or granulated sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon red food colouring

Instructions

  • Place the sugar, water and vinegar in a saucepan and bring them to a boil over a low heat.
  • Leave to simmer until the caramel thickens slightly.
  • Keep an eye on it, as the sugar melts and the mixture thickens pretty quickly.
  • Wash and dry the apples well, then stick wooden skewers down into the apples about halfway through.
  • Once the mixture coats the back of a spatula, add the red food colouring, give it a stir, turn off the heat, then quickly dip the apples, tilting the pan for an even coating.
  • Allow any excess to drip back in the pan.
  • Place the apples on a non-stick baking sheet, you will see that the candy hardens almost straight away.

Notes

  • One thing you have to keep in mind when making these candy apples is that you have to act quickly.  Once the pan is off the heat, the candy sauce hardens very quickly.
  • If you choose to decorate them with chopped nuts or sugar sprinkles, you'd have to do it as soon as the apples have been coated in candy.
  • A  non-stick baking paper can be a life saver, if you place the coated apples straight on a plate, they will stick to it and you'll have some hard time trying to remove them off the plate.
  • Red food colouring is optional if you really don't like the idea of using food colouring, or you can use any other colour you like.
  • I find that the paste food colouring is the best, a small amount of colour gives a shiny bright red.
  • If you don't have wooden skewers, you can use lollipop holders, chopsticks or anything that helps you hold the apples while you dip them in candy.
  • I did not use corn syrup for the caramel, there really is no need for that, it works very well without.

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.2mg