These vegan caramel apples are very easy and fun to make! Make a batch of my vegan caramel, cook it to 244 degrees Fahrenheit, and pour it into one parchment-lined half sheet pan (or two 9″ x 13″ pans.) This will give you a thin layer of caramel to wrap around the apples.
Let your caramel cool completely. Wash and thoroughly dry twelve room-temperature apples. It is best to do this step several hours ahead of time so the apples have ample time to dry, because any moisture can cause your caramel to crystallize later.
Remove your sheet of caramel from the pan. Spray a pizza cutter or large knife with non-stick spray, then wipe off the excess. Cut your caramel into twelve equal pieces. I forgot to spray my cutter so the caramel pulled in places:
Pick up one piece of caramel and gently stretch it out a bit:
Drape it over one of the apples:
Start pressing the caramel onto the apple at the top and work down:
Fold the four corners around the apple and bring them together at the bottom:
Push the seams together until you can’t see them anymore:
Add a stick, press out any air bubbles and continue to shape the caramel until you have a pretty caramel apple. If you will not be serving them within a day, leave the sticks out until you are ready to serve them. Poking a hole in the apple tends to release some juice, and any liquid makes it more likely that the caramel will crystallize over time.
After you get the feel of how to do it, shaping the caramel only takes a minute or two for each apple. If you want to add chopped nuts, have them ready and roll each apple right after you finish shaping the caramel. Press the nuts into the caramel to help them to stick. Repeat with the remaining apples. Store any apples that won’t be eaten within a few hours in the fridge.
I like to place each apple in a treat bag and add curly ribbons to make them more festive!
Happy Halloween to all, and a very Blessed Samhain to those who celebrate!
