How to Make Candy Apples
Learn how to make candy apples with us. It’s not hard. It’s actually crazy-easy. Promise!
Candy apples – sweet, tart and crunchy. Brilliantly, brightly red. Sooooo shiny. They are just so fun. It turns out they’re easy to make too. Don’t let the candy-making process scare you.
Really, you’re just going to mix together a few ingredients and then put them over high heat on the stove until they reach the right temperature. Stay close but there’s no need to even stir. Then dip your apples in and set them down to dry. If you’re still worried, I have step-by-step instructions with photos to help you get them perfect.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Video: How To Make Your Own Candy Apples
I’ve included a little bonus below for you below. To make your apple bottoms special you pour demerara sugar onto a baking sheet. Set the wet candy-covered apples down in it. It gives the bottoms of the apples this cool sparkly look. You can even mix some pumpkin spice in with the sugar for some Fall flavor too.
OK, let’s get on with it.
How To Make Candy Apples, Step-by-Step:
Step #1: Make your candy syrup mixture
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan mix together 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cups water, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring (I use the gel kind, like this) and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon extract (optional). It’s actually really important that you use a heavy-bottomed saucepan. If the pan is too thin or flimsy, it won’t hold the heat enough, and then your syrup will cool too quickly. I do have another solution for that below though.
The mixture will be bright red like this.
Step #2: Heat your syrup to the hard crack stage
Set up your candy thermometer so that the tip is in the mixture and is not touching the bottom of the pot. Put it over high heat and bring it to a boil. Leave it bubbling on high. It’ll look like this.
You keep letting it bubble like that on high until it gets to be between 300ºF and 310ºF, this is the hard crack stage needed for that crunchy coating. You’re going to do some other stuff while the mixture is heating, but beware! It might seem like it’s taking forever to heat but once it gets to the 230ºF everything speeds up. So keep your eye on it while you’re multi-tasking. The whole thing will take around 20 minutes.
Step #3: Get your pan ready
While the sugar mixture is coming to temperature, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with baking spray. This is so your hot candy doesn’t stick while it’s hardening.
Step #4: Wash and dry your apples
You want your apples clean so definitely wash them well with water. But, it’s important that they not be wet at all for the candy to stick. Make sure you dry them off well.
Step #5: Get your sticks ready
I’m using some twigs here. Here are some other ideas for sticks. You can also get specialized sticks that are just for candy apples online here.
Important Tip: I also highly recommend that you put a kettle of water on to boil. Just before your syrup is ready, you’ll want to put hot water into a large bowl. If your candy syrup starts to harden too quickly so that you can’t roll apples in it properly, put the bottom of the pot into the water for a minute or two. Don’t let water get into the pot. You just want the heat from the water to warm the pot and help keep the candy warm.
Step #6: Put the sticks into the apples
Stick the sticks down into the tops of the apples. You want to get a good ways in. If your sticks are long, go all the way but not through the other end. If they’re shorter, getting halfway into the apple is good enough. If any juice comes out of the apple from piercing it with the stick, dry it off with a paper towel.
Here’s an apple on a stick!
Step #7 (optional): Make a sugar base
Mix together 1/4 cup demerara sugar and 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (you can leave out the pumpkin spice if you want. What’s crucial is the sugar).
Sprinkle the sugar mixture onto your prepared pan.
Step #9: Dip your apples
When your candy mixture is at 310ºF, take it of the heat. Tilt your pot to the side and hold the apples by the stick to roll them one at a time in the mixture. Be careful because that sugar syrup is seriously hot. Don’t let the candy syrup get to the top of the apple where the stick is. There might be excess moisture there, and if the candy touches it, it won’t adhere as well. After rolling the apple around, hold it up over the saucepan and shake it gently to let some excess syrup drip off.
If your syrup becomes too difficult to work with because it’s thickening, dip the bottom of the pot in a bowl of hot water for a minute. If, on the other hand, your syrup is too thin, you can wait a minute or two for it to cool slightly and start thickening.
Step #10: Let the candy harden
Put the apples on your prepared pan to harden. They’ll be hard and ready to eat within 10 minutes. It’s kind of amazing how fast it happens. And it’s amazing how good they taste!
If you want to print out these instructions, click print in the recipe box below. Or you can get the instructions and all kinds of other candy apple tips, tricks, ideas and recipes in our Candy Apple Series over here.
More Delicious Treat Recipes:
- Air Fryer Apples
- How to Make Popcorn Balls
- Homemade Caramel Apples
- Best Chocolate Bark
- Snickerdoodle Bites Recipe
Podcast Episode: Making Homemade Candy Apples
Listen to our editor, Christine Pittman, explain briefly how to make these candy apples, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
How to Make Candy Apples Recipes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
DESCRIPTION
Learn how to make candy apples with us. It’s not hard. It’s actually crazy-easy. The main tricky part is getting the syrup to the right texture. Read the note at the bottom for a really great tip!
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp. red gel food coloring
- baking spray
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon extract (optional)
- 1/4 cup demerara sugar (optional)
- 1 tsp. pumpkin spice (optional)
- 6 medium apples
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
- parchment paper
- candy thermometer
- 6 candy apple sticks
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan mix together sugar, water, corn syrup, food coloring and extract (if using). The mixture will be bright red.
- Set up your candy thermometer so that the tip is in the mixture and is not touching the bottom of the pot. Put it over high heat and bring it to a boil. Leave it bubbling on high until it gets to be between 300ºF and 310ºF. It will take around 20 minutes but keep your eye on it. It gets really fast at the end.*
- While the sugar mixture is coming to temperature, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with baking spray. Wash and dry your apples. Stick the sticks down into the tops of the apples. You want to get a good ways in. If your sticks are long, go all the way but not through the other end. If they’re shorter, getting halfway into the apple is good enough.
- For sparkly apple bottoms, mix together 1/4 cup demerara sugar and 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (you can leave out the pumpkin spice if you want. What’s crucial is the sugar). Sprinkle the sugar mixture onto your prepared pan.
- When your candy mixture is at 310ºF, take it of the heat. Tilt your pot to the side and hold the apples by the stick to roll them one at a time in the mixture. Be careful because that sugar syrup is very hot. After rolling the apple around, hold it up over the saucepan and shake it gently to let some excess syrup drip off. Put the apples on your prepared pan to harden. They’ll be hard and ready to eat within 10 minutes.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
*The thing that makes candy apples tricky is having the right thickness for your candy syrup when you’re rolling the apples in it. One thing you can do is to heat a kettle of water and shortly before you start dipping your apples, pour the hot water into a large bowl. If your syrup is too thin and isn’t adhering to the apples, just wait a moment and try again. As the syrup cools slightly, it thickens. On the other hand, if your syrup is thickening too quickly or start to get too thick, dip the bottom of the pot into the hot water, being careful not to get any water into the candy. You just want to warm the pot a bit to warm the syrup and thin it a bit.
This post originally appeared in September 2016 and was revised and republished in August 2024.
How can I half the recipe ? I’m making color apples an I don’t need a full batch.
Cheryl, I have never tried halving it but I’m sure you could. The other thing you can do is make the full batch of syrup, coat as many apples as you’d like. Then use the remaining syrup to make pretty hard candies. The instructions for making the candy out of leftover syrup are over here https://thecookful.com/bonus-what-to-do-with-leftover-candy-apple-coating/
I love these candied apples!! I make them every year for Halloween. The kids in my rural neighbourhood Love them too!!
Linda, Thanks for letting us know!
Please help/!! I use a box mix for my candy apples. I have been doing great atnit. However,I keep havin/ a recurring probkem. After the candy apple sits for afew hrs the candy becomes tacky and starts to melt. Why is this happening. I buy candy apples at caravans and this never happens
Janet, The only thing I can think of is that the syrup is not being heated to a high enough temperature. Do you use a candy thermometer? It needs to get up to 300 degrees F.
about how many apples can be coated using this recipe?
Kelly, about 6 medium-sized apples, 12 small ones.
I want to make some Henny candy apples can you help me learn how
Kristie, I actually don’t know what Henny candy apples are. Can you fill me in? I did a google search but didn’t really come up with anything. Thanks.
They do not taste sweet???? candy is blah
Lisa, That’s really strange. The syrup is made of almost all sugar. I wonder what happened.
Do u recommend to put apples in boiling water for a few sec? What is the benefit of doing this
Jorie, the purpose of doing that is to remove any wax coating that has been put on the apples. I have not found that the coating makes the candy less likely to stick. But I have read that that is possible. Some people just don’t want to eat that wax coating anyways. If you buy organic apples, they might not have the coating. They definitely won’t have a synthetic wax coating but they still might have a natural coating.
Can you re-dip your candy Apples after the candy gets hard
Angela, I have never tried this. I honestly don’t know what would happen.
i dont have parchment paper . can i use wax paper
Yes
Ok im going to try to make them today because my grand daughters birthday party is tomorrow.
Thank you,I will write back and let you know how it goes.
Thanks for the great tips! Will be making these for my nieces’ B-Day!🎈
James, You’re welcome!
Didn’t have enough corn syrup i double the recipe to 6 cups sugar and two water . Not enough syrup one cup help.
Regina, I’m not sure how this would work out. I have only tried it as listed in the recipe.
Hello,
How do I get swirls on my candy apple?
Stephanie, I’m not sure what you mean. What kind of swirls?
help!!1
candy apples come out sticky
Sandy, do you mean that the coating isn’t setting and getting crunchy? My best guess is that your syrup didn’t get hot enough. It needs to get to 300F (150C). Make sure you’re using a candy thermometer and that the mixture gets hot enough before you take it off of the heat. I hope that helps.
If you do not have a candy thermometer, use the spoon test by dunking a metal spoon in the mixture, if two balls form and drips separetly, then it is ready. Normally, I double this with the ice cold water test; have a small bowl/cup with cold water and ice, drip a small amount into the ice water, if it hardens and is crunchy then it has become hard candy and is ready to use, If soft, then continue to cook until it becomes hard as soon as it it hits the ice water.
Thanks for the tips, Andrea!
I need to make purple Candy apples, do I mix two colors or are there purple colors out there that I can get?
The neon sets contain a purple. If you can’t find those, mix together red and blue to make purple.
Hi, how do I make candy apples I want to make yellow and a sky blue color thanks
Hello, Thanks for this. What if I wand shiny gold apples, do I just use gold food coloring?
Denise, Yes, that should work. Just note that the color of the apply might shine through. If the color of your food coloring isn’t as deep as the red, you might get apple color showing through. You’d probably be best to use a green or yellow apple and the golden yellow food coloring.
If you add white food coloring and the color you want the color of the apple will not show.
Narissa, What a great tip. Thank you!