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:
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.
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How to Make Candy Apples Recipes
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!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
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.
Growing up in downtown Brooklyn, now Carroll Gardens, we only are soft hot jelly apples. Never brought to the hard stage. They were delish! I have been trying to duplicate that. Just found out from an old friend on Facebook, I need to bring the liquid just to the hard crack (?) stage to keep them from getting hard.
Very interesting, Denise! Do you know what temperature is recommended for that?
Question: how long does the hot candy liquid in the pan stay liquid — how many apples can you dip?
Does the candy in the pot remain liquid for a while if kept hot? What temp should that be kept at?
Do you keep it on warm so you can dip many apples?
It stays liquid enough for the 6 apples in the recipe. I’ve never tried keeping it warm. I am cautious with heat and candy because it can change so easily.
Mine had a scorched odor when it hit about 250 degrees. I let the temp get up to 300 before taking it off. Would this be because the pan was not heavy duty enough? The syrup was not burnt on bottom.
Peggy, If the syrup was not burnt, then yes, it could be your pan giving off that smell. Was the syrup still usable?
Hello I’m trying to do orange candy apples any suggestions on any type of apples to use????? Help
I’ve never done it but I’d say go with a lighter colored apple, like yellow (golden delicious). Then use lots of orange food coloring. I think the yellow apple will interfere less (show through less) than a red apple would.
Do you think you could put the mixture into a crockpot to keep warm and then dip the apples at a festival on the spot ?
I really have no idea. I would worry that the candy would start to get hard. But maybe it would work. Sorry I can’t be of more help with this one. I’ve never tried that. Good luck!
Someone asked how to prevent the bubbles from appearing on the coating after dipping the apples. The box kind suggest that you add 1/8 tsp of vegetable shortening just before dipping them. Hope this helps
Great tip! Thanks Michele!
My candy apple coating came out too soupy can I fix it or do I have to start all over
I’m not sure what you mean by soupy. It should be liquid. You dip it and then it hardens on the apple as it cools.
How much candy do I need to make 20 candy @ a time?
You would need to triple the recipe. If I was you though, I’d do the small batch of 6 first and see how it goes. Then if everything is going well, try doubling it and doing another 12.
Perfect recipe. My question is how do I clean out my pan.
If the candy is hardened onto your pan, what you can do is add hot tap water to it and then put it on the stovetop and bring it to a boil. Then simmer it and scrape down the sides of the pan. Sometimes just soaking in hot tap water works but if not, then the boiling trick does it every time.
Hi my party is on Sunday can I make apples the Friday before.
My candy apple don’t last, only a day are so, the candy falls off the apple when eaten it after a day.What am I doing wrong.
They’re really best made on the day that you plan to eat them.
What and where can I buy demara sugar?
Demerara sugar is a type of raw sugar that is large-grained and crunchy. You should be able to get it next to other sugars at most grocery stores. If not, you can find it online like here on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2hxPByh
What’s the best apple to use.
Lisa, There are some great suggestions with explanations here about which apples to use https://thecookful.com/best-apple-varieties/
We just made these, great recipe! It was very easy to execute (helps that I had a candy thermometer) why I don’t know lol I’ve never made candy before, ever. This recipe turned out perfectly. We did four large apples (picked from a local orchard) and one small already on hand. Even had a little left over for some small candies on the side. Fantastic recipe I will definitely be using this again.
Tanya, Thanks for letting us know. So happy you liked it!
Can you substitute regular sugar for the demerara sugar that you sprinkle on the parchment paper and is this done to help prevent it from sticking to the paper?
Kelly, You can omit the sugar. it’s just there because it looks pretty. I think if you used regular sugar it would instantly dissolve from the heat.
I’m trying to make a poison apple look the royal blue and black any suggestions but I still want the royal blue to show
I’m really not sure. I’ve never done this before. You could try making two separate candy syrups. Dip in one, let it dry and then dip halfway in the other. I’m not sure if the second dip would melt off the first dip but it might work.
Hi iam annie do u use food color for ur candy apples. How much sugar do u need and how much corn syrup
Yes. That information is given in the post above.
How long do these keep? Should they be refrigerated?
Nicole, they’re fine at room temperature for a few days but they are best in the first 12 hours. I don’t refrigerate them.
I am trying to minimize how big and messy the bottoms of the apples become once they are dipped. Is it that im not letting more excess candy drip off before I place them on parchement?
Sharkara, Yes, you can try dripping them over the pot for longer. Then hold them upright for a moment before setting them down.
I do not have a candy thermometer – how do I know when the candy is cooked enough ??
You can run a little of the candy using a spoon under lightly rinning cold water to check for the hard crack dtage.
Cathy, You can do a cold water test with the syrup at various points to check it. There is info about how to do that over here https://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/sugar-stages.html
Why does when I place my apples on wax paper they get stuck?
Mesha, The wax paper should peel off easily once the candy has set. I’ve never had a problem with this but you could try spraying your wax paper with cooking spray before putting the apples on it as an extra help.