gourmet snacks – Live Laugh Love Do http://livelaughlovedo.com A Super Fun Site Sun, 12 Oct 2025 15:20:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 Caramel Apples – A Beautiful Mess http://livelaughlovedo.com/caramel-apples-a-beautiful-mess/ http://livelaughlovedo.com/caramel-apples-a-beautiful-mess/#respond Sun, 12 Oct 2025 15:20:45 +0000 http://livelaughlovedo.com/2025/10/12/caramel-apples-a-beautiful-mess/ [ad_1]

Nothing says fall weather like a caramel apple and we’ve got the easiest way to make one at home! While you can do a complete homemade caramel apple and make your own caramel from scratch, this recipe uses store-bought caramels so you can get to the dipping (and eating!) part of your treat sooner—no candy thermometer needed!

Caramel apples also make great gifts so you can make a batch to hand out at Halloween parties, as a thank-you present, or just make a few for your family on a crisp fall day. Add fun toppings to make it a gourmet treat!

Looking for more fall recipes? Check out:

Easy caramel apples with toppingsEasy caramel apples with toppings

What kind of apples are best for caramel apples?

The variety of apple that you choose for your caramel apple depends entirely on your taste! If you have a sweet tooth, you would probably enjoy a sweeter variety like a Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, or a Pink Lady as your apple base. For a more tart contrast to your sweet caramel topping, Granny Smith apples are the most popular choice. These are all firmer choices than say a softer Macintosh variety and give you a better crunch factor when eating your treat.

Caramel Apple Tip! Look for apples that are small to medium in size and round in shape for that perfect caramel apple look!

Supplies to make caramel applesSupplies to make caramel apples

Caramel Apple Ingredients:

  • Wrapped Caramels: Using premade caramels is the fastest and easiest way to go about making your caramel apples. Most grocery stores sell these in the baking area or right next to the apples in fall, but you can also get them online if your local store doesn’t carry them.
  • Fresh Apples: Choose a firm apple that is either more sweet or more tart depending on how much sweetness you want to add to the caramel layer. Make sure to wash off the wax before dipping your apple so that the caramel has a better chance of sticking and won’t slide off.
  • Heavy Cream or Milk: Just adding a little heavy cream or milk to the caramel will help thin it out a bit to make it more “dippable.”
  • Toppings (optional): For a gourmet caramel apple, you can do a second dip after the caramel into fun toppings like crushed candy bars like Butterfingers or mini M&Ms, pretzels, sprinkles, flaked sea salt, chopped pecans or other nuts, crushed Oreos, or coconut! You can also use chopped dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate chips as well.

Looking for a delicious caramel dip to eat with apples? Try our Cream Cheese Fruit Dip (4 Ways!)

Dipping an apple on a stick into caramelDipping an apple on a stick into caramel
  • Nonstick Cooking Spray: You’ll want to make sure your apples don’t stick to the plate or pan you are placing them on, so use some nonstick cooking spray on the surface first to make sure you can remove them easily. You can also use a lined baking sheet to cool your apples on, so just lay some wax paper on a baking sheet or flat surface.
  • Dipping container (optional but helpful): While you can just roll your apple around in the bowl or pot you melted the caramel in, for smaller batches it’s also nice to have a Pyrex glass measuring cup to melt the caramel in so you have a nice little container to dunk the apple right in to.

Tips for Making Caramel Apples:

  • Remove the wax from your apples. You’ll want to wash your apples and try to remove the wax from the apples before dipping them so the caramel will stick better. Run the apples under some hot water and use a fruit wash or dish soap and a clean scrubby pad or textured towel to rub vigorously over the apples to help remove some of the wax. Dry apples very well so no moisture remains.
  • Chill apples before and after dipping. After you add your skewer, you can chill your apples in the fridge so that the caramel sets up faster and less will run off the surface when dipping (and then put them back in the fridge so the caramel will set up faster).
  • Have toppings already prepped. If you are dipping your apple into toppings, make sure you already have your bowls of toppings ready so the caramel doesn’t set before you can get your toppings together.
  • Drizzle chocolate after cooling: You can also drizzle melted chocolate over your apple for a yummy addition, but wait until the apples are cool so the warm caramel doesn’t melt the chocolate.
skewers added into apples for caramel applesskewers added into apples for caramel apples

How to Make Caramel Apples:

Prepare the apples: Once clean, make sure the apples are thoroughly dry before dipping! Skewer your apple with your stick or fork and set aside.

Melted caramel for caramel applesMelted caramel for caramel apples

Melt the caramel: Put your caramels and heavy cream/milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second increments, stirring well between each heating session, until the caramel is smooth and melted. If the mixture seems thin, let it sit for a minute or two to thicken up a bit before dipping.

Can I make caramel apples on the stovetop without a microwave?

Yes! If you don’t have a microwave, you can still make caramel apples easily in a saucepan, a double-boiler pot, or a glass Pyrex-type bowl set on top of a saucepan of boiling water (it will take longer to melt this way, so be patient).

For a regular saucepan, add caramels and milk to the pan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring until melted. If using the double-boiler or bowl on top method, just bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot, set the top of the double boiler or glass bowl on top with your caramel and milk, reduce the heat to a low boil/simmer and stir occasionally until melted.

Dipping an apple into caramel for caramel applesDipping an apple into caramel for caramel apples

Dip apples: Now that your caramel is melted, spray a tray or plate with nonstick cooking spray and dip your apple into the melted caramel at an angle, twisting it around until the apple is coated as well as you would like.

Lift the apple to let the excess caramel drip off and scrape the bottom over the side of the bowl to get extra excess. As the caramel gets lower in the bowl, you can also use a spoon to pour the caramel over the apple to cover the sides or tilt the bowl or pan so the caramel pools in one spot.

Caramel apple being dipped into crushed oreoCaramel apple being dipped into crushed oreo

After dipping in your caramel, you can do a second dip into your topping of choice to give it some added flavor before setting it on your tray or plate. Try some black and orange sprinkles for a Halloween caramel apple treat!

If your caramel starts to set as you continue dipping your apples, reheat it for 15 seconds at a time in the microwave until the texture is dippable again.

Let the caramel set: Let your apples cool in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to allow the caramel to fully set on your nonstick sprayed parchment paper or lined wax paper surface. Now your apple is ready to eat!

Easy caramel apples with toppingsEasy caramel apples with toppings
Easy caramel apples with toppingsEasy caramel apples with toppings
Easy caramel apples with toppingsEasy caramel apples with toppings

How do I store caramel apples?

You can store caramel apples in the fridge for up to two weeks and you can also wrap them in cellophane or clear treat bags individually to give as gifts!

Caramel Apple Tip: Don’t cut into your apples until you are ready to eat them, otherwise they will start to turn brown.

Looking for more apple recipes? Check out:


Print

get the recipeget the recipe
Get the Recipe

Make delicious caramel apples at home and add gourmet toppings

Cost $15

Yield 10 people

Prep 30 minutes

Cooling Time 30 minutes

Cook 30 minutes

Total 1 hour 30 minutes

Instructions

  • Prepare the apples: Make sure the apples are thoroughly dry before dipping! Skewer your apple with your stick or fork and set aside.

  • Melt the caramel: Put your caramels and heavy cream/milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second increments, stirring well between each heating session, until the caramel is smooth and melted. If the caramel seems thin, let it sit for a minute or two to thicken up a bit before dipping.

  • Dip the apples: Now that your caramel is melted, spray a tray or plate with nonstick cooking spray and dip your apple into the melted caramel at an angle, twisting it around until the apple is coated as well as you would like. Lift the apple to let the excess caramel drip off and scrape the bottom over the side of the bowl to get extra excess. As the caramel gets lower in the bowl, you can also use a spoon to pour the caramel over the apple to cover the sides or tilt the bowl or pan so the caramel pools in one spot.After dipping in your caramel, you can do a second dip into your topping of choice to give it some added flavor before setting it on your tray or plate. Try some black and orange sprinkles for a Halloween caramel apple treat!If your caramel starts to set as you continue dipping your apples, reheat it for 15 seconds at a time in the microwave until the texture is dippable again.
  • Let the caramel set: Let your apples cool in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to allow the caramel to fully set. Now your apple is ready to eat!

Notes

Can I make caramel apples on the stovetop without a microwave?
Yes! If you don’t have a microwave, you can still make caramel apples easily in a saucepan, a double-boiler pot, or a glass pyrex-type bowl set on top of a saucepan of boiling water (it will take longer to melt this way, so be patient). For a regular saucepan, add caramels and milk to the pan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring until melted. If using the double-boiler or bowl on top method, just bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot, set the top of the double boiler or glass bowl on top with your caramel and milk, reduce the heat to a low boil/simmer and stir occasionally until melted.
 
You can store caramel apples in the fridge for up to two weeks and you can also wrap them in clear treat bags individually to give as gifts!
 
 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Easiest Homemade Caramel Apple

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

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9 Must Try Grocery Store Treats To Snack On This Summer http://livelaughlovedo.com/9-must-try-grocery-store-treats-to-snack-on-this-summer/ http://livelaughlovedo.com/9-must-try-grocery-store-treats-to-snack-on-this-summer/#respond Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:26:58 +0000 http://livelaughlovedo.com/2025/07/22/9-must-try-grocery-store-treats-to-snack-on-this-summer/ [ad_1]

Summer is a time for taking your foot off the pedal, letting life slow down and pausing to enjoy everything that Mother Nature has to offer — which equates to adventures, road trips, PTO and life on the go. What does this mean for snacking? Products that will satiate an appetite stoked by activity and sun while still being portable. The sort of stuff you can throw in a cooler — think cold, frozen, light and hydrating, over rich and hearty.

One recent trend we love is how much frozen fruit has become ingrained in the snacking zeitgeist, whether that’s in its pure form, pulverized for your smoothie routine, covered in chocolate for your late night sweet tooth, covered in citric acid and sour sugar for your sour tooth or marbled into mini pearls like a fruit version of Dippin Dots — frozen fruit is definitely having a moment and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

So for the steamy months and climbing temperatures; we’re sharing a roundup of snacks and beverages that can tag along in your (ideally temperature-regulated) backpack, suitcase, 2-wheel or 4-wheel vehicle that also satisfy that craving for a pick me up, cool me down or whatever works for you when it comes to busting that summer heat fatigue.

Grape Freeze Spindrift Soda

Spindrift

Price: $25.99 for a 12-pack

If you’re a frequent visitor to the seltzer aisle, you’ve probably tried or noticed Spindrift at this point. What you may not know is they actually originally started making fruit sodas, and years after cancelling them in favor of seltzers, they’re back! If you’re able to find them locally, trying all the new fountain-soda inspired flavors wouldn’t be a futile endeavor (we also loved their sharp and not very sweet take on Shirley Temple), but Grape Freeze is the best of the bunch. Lacking the sugary sweetness you’d expect from a traditional grape soda, or any sodas, Spindrift’s Grape Freeze is more of a seltzer plus – there is smidgenly sweet fruit juice and citrus tartness with ideal carbonation ratio, but no cavities will form from routine consumption.

Spindrift’s Grape Freeze is a tasty beverage primed for Summer heat and fits snugly in pockets, coozies and coolers.

Sun-Maid Farmstand Reserve – Dried Mixed Berries

Sunmaid

Price: $3.75

Back in the day, the little red Sun-Maid raisins boxes went in lunches nationwide and were pretty much the only readily available and easily accessible dried fruit treat. If your parents were health nuts, you could buy a bag of apricots, dried peaches, or prunes but you also would need to wear a diaper to school to be prepared for any collateral damage. Craisins came along later on, but Sun-Maid’s raisin cultural cachet was tough to transcend.

Today, the dried fruit market has expanded greatly and includes just about every type of fruit you can find under the sun. Cue Sun-Maid’s Farmstand Reserve line, a selection of premium dried fruits packaged for your snacking or lunching pleasure – the Dried Mixed Berries variety is particularly delicious, featuring not just craisins but also Bing cherries and blueberries. The dried Bing cherries and blueberries are both plumper and juicier than you expected from typical dried berries and in that same vein, feel like a special treat. And we all deserve special treats on the daily, don’t we?

Olli Salumi packs

Olli

Price: $4.99

Think of this like an elevated version of Lunchables — Olli has taken the pains of pairing and packaging 3 perfectly complementary items in one for your pleasure (examples are Pepperoni & Mozzarella, Calabrese & Asiago or Chipotle & Monterey Jack all with the same crackers) and when there are so many choices, every option is a winner.

Our personal favorite is Sopressata & Cheddar – the mild but rich cheddar pairs perfectly with the umami-forward and more aggressive Sopressata! Olli’s snack packs can save a hangry moment on a trip, be on deck for light snacking or even a mini-meal when you need a power up.

Firehook x Fly By Jing flatbreads

Firehook

Price: $7.99

Firehook and chili crunch-makers Fly By Jing have teamed up for a special chili-infused snack.

The snack strikes the perfect balance with the Fly By Jing-collab Chili Crackers. The flatbread like snack doesn’t overpower the palate but help to ensure a nice spiced accent to whatever else you’re eating it with.

Firehook has injected the chili crunch flavor into the flour, creating a unique spicy flatbread that’s subtle enough to enjoy with veggies, dips and cured meats while being not so spicy that they make you reach for the Tums.

Tru Fru Dark Chocolate Covered Frozen Raspberries

Tru Fru

Price: $7.29

Tru Fru’s dark chocolate-covered raspberries are straight-up addictive, mostly due to their berry-like bite-sized shape and crunchy texture. The outer chocolate provides a sweet richness and serves as a binder for the inner berry portion. The combo is a dark chocolate and sugary but tart raspberry taste perfect for any time of day you crave a cold fruity treat that’s also slightly decadent.

Flock Original Chicken Crisps

Flock

Price: $3.60 a bag

What the flock is Flock? It’s chicken skin in a bag! As unappetizing as that word combination is, if your family hasn’t fought over the chicken skin anytime a roasted chicken is served is it even a real family? Flock mediates those squabbles with bags of reserves, plainly seasoned but full of protein and fatty richness. The crunch factor is on full display and the seasoning though plain, does not overpower or overwhelm the natural umami poultry flavor.

Bobo’s Peach Oat Pie bites

Bobo’s

Price: $.99 a bite

Bobo’s Peace Oat Pie bites are one of those packaged treats you see at convenience store and instantly recoil. A dry packaged pie bite filled with some sort of potentially gross fruit filling? No thanks. Well at Uproxx, we don’t turn our noses — or tastebuds — up to new snacks. Bobo’s Peach Oat Pie bites offer a perfect bite size flavor and carb grenade. Gluten, non-GMO and vegan, Bobo’s deftly packs a ton of peach flavor, texture and actual fruit into these chewy, moist bites.

Edward Marc Thin Mint Girl Scout Balls

Edward Marc

Price: $5.99

Anything bite size is automatically better than the original, think Butterfinger BB’s, the York Peppermint Patty or Reese’s Bites. Enter Edward Marc’s Girl Scout Thin Mint bites.

These remixed Thin Mints pack the cookie crunch of the Girl Scout original with a coating of mint cream around the cookie core, mimicking the cookie in candy form with a chocolatey outer layer, and a waxy sweetness that conjures the childhood wonder of sampling thin mints and feeling that coolness of mint in the back of your mouth for the first time.

Haribo Sauer Brenner

Haribo

Price: $2.49

Haribo wasn’t messing around with the Burner bag (Sauer Brenner in German = Sour Burner) — a perfect medley of classics like the sour sugar dusted cola bottles, sour color rings, sour twin cherry branches, sour grapefruit sticks, and two differently flavored sour ring-shaped gummies of unknown origins. If you’re in Frankenstein mode (the sort of snacker that likes to dissect and reassemble before consumption) then Haribo’s Burner bag is a choose your own adventure in sour Haribo gummy format.

The Burner Bag gummies offer that gummy bounce we expect from Haribo, in a mix of classic flavors. But hey Haribo — where are the sour bears at? Get them in this mix ASAP!

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