Shiny Candy Apple Recipe

Perfectly smooth and shiny candy apples with no bubbles! Follow all my tips and tricks for the BEST candy apple recipe!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

cooling 10

Servings apples

Calories 549kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

heavy bottom saucepan
Candy Thermometer
silicone mat
clean pastry brush
Apple skewers
nitrile gloves (optional for precaution while dipping)

Ingredients

8-10 small granny smith apples
30 ounces granulated sugar
12 ounces water
6 ounces corn syrup
¼ teaspoon food coloring, optional
8 ounces cinnamon hard candy
¼ teaspoon flash dust optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Soak your apples in very hot/boiling water for 10-15 seconds to melt wax coating off the skins. Rub and dry your apples well, placing them in the fridge to chill and dry overnight (or at least a few hours). Cold apples make for better candy apples.
Remove the stems from the apples.
Before you begin cooking the sugar, secure sticks into apples. Make sure the apple is sitting on the work surface and then push the stick in, this will ensure your sticks are straight up and down.
Place the apples onto a sheet pan with a silicone mat on top and store them in the fridge until you're ready to dip them. (You can also use a sheet of aluminum foil greased with oil if you don't have a silicone mat.)
In a heavy bottom saucepan, combine the sugar, syrup, and water. Mix gently to combine with a wooden spoon.
Once the mixture begins to boil, cover the mixture with a lid for 5 minutes to ensure the sugar is all dissolved.
After 5 minutes, remove the lid and wash down the sides of the pan with a clean pastry brush and water. This removes sugar crystals that could cause your candy to crystalize while it's cooking.
Attach your candy thermometer to the pot and add in your cinnamon candy if you wish. If you're using extracts or food coloring, add it later when the sugar reaches 280ºF so the flavor and color don't cook out.
Over medium-high heat, continue cooking the sugar until it reaches 300ºF without any further stirring. This could take up to 30 minutes to reach this temperature. It could take more or less time, keep a close eye on your thermometer. Be patient, it will get there.
Once your sugar has reached 300ºF, remove the pan from the heat. Stir gently and let the candy cool slightly, to 280ºF so the bubbling calms down, or you will get bubbles in your apples.
Using a hot pad, hold your pan at an angle and being to gently roll your apple into the candy. The less time the apple spends in the candy the thinner the coating will be on the apple. Try to dip your apple deep enough that the candy coats almost to the core, this will prevent it from sliding off your apple.
Let the excess candy drip off of the apple before placing it on your silicone mat to cool completely.
If your candy starts to get too thick, you can re-heat it on the stovetop for a few minutes until it's liquid again.
Pour the leftover candy into silicone molds to use later or make little hard candies!

Video

Notes

Caramel Apple Recipe

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The cinnamon candy/flavor is optional, you can omit it or replace it with any flavor you like. If you don't have cinnamon candies you can use ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon or cinnamon extract, which is very potent so go easy with it. Cinnamon oil is very concentrated as well, so also go easy with that.

Once the candy starts cooking the process goes fast, so make sure you have everything ready to go before you start.

Sugar attracts moisture, so after your candy apple has had time to cool completely you can wrap it in a cellophane bag to give it a little longer shelf life before it gets sticky. If you choose to cool your apples in your refrigerator, wrap them immediately as they will begin to condensate as soon as you remove them from the fridge.

Work cautiously with sugar, it can cause severe burns. Keep a bowl of ice water nearby in case of a burn, do not try to wipe the hot sugar from your skin. Working in gloves will allow an extra layer of protection, but you can still get burned through the glove.

Nutrition