Kid-Friendly Caramel Apples

A recipe for caramel stuffed apples? Yes, this is what dreams are made of my friends.

Have you ever purchased a beautiful caramel apple for your child; watched their eyes light up as you handed them a wonderful fall treat only to watch in horror as tears filled their eyes at the realization that they couldn’t take a bite? This happened to Peanut and she was devastated. To be honest, so was I. I had to find a solution!

A few years ago, I saw a picture somewhere of a granny smith apple filled with caramel- Jell-O- shots. YUM! These inspired me to come up with caramel- filled- apples that were more “kid-friendly.” The beauty of these is that a little goes a long way so, after apple picking, you can make one, slice it up and have your kids share. These are also perfect for Halloween parties and fall gatherings.

You can control the amount for caramel that goes into the apples by how deep you carve out the center. Remember, caramel is hard to bite into no matter how you serve it! Another fun idea is to top the caramel apples with a variety of other things like crushed nuts, granola or sprinkles. Get creative!! These are so much fun!

For the caramel, I enjoy making it from scratch but you can totally cheat and melt a package of caramel squares in a pan on the stove. Treat them like the marshmallows you melt to make rice-crispy treats: melt 1/2 tbs. butter in the pan before adding caramels. This will prevent them from sticking. Otherwise, follow the recipe below! Enjoy!

Kid-Friendly Caramel Apples

Ingredients:

• 3-6 apples, sliced in ½ and cored with an ice-cream scoop
• Lemon juice
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 (14oz) container of evaporated milk
• 8 tbs. butter
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbs. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Prepare apples and brush them with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
2. Place apples in a muffin tin
3. Put the butter, sugar and evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
4. Stir ingredients together and when the sauce starts to bubble, lower the heat to medium low.
5. Keep stirring (never leave it unattended or it will burn) for 12-15 minutes
6. Add vanilla and stir.
7. Pour caramel into prepared apples and top with topping of choice.
8. Place apples in the refrigerator to cool completely.
9. Slice and share! Enjoy!!!!