Halloween Spiderweb Caramel Apples are a classic fall treat, with chocolatey, sweet little crawlers. These apples just got spooky!
Caramel apples with spiderwebs are a spooky-sweet Halloween treat! This classic is a fall staple, whether you cover those apples in a caramel coating, or dip your slices in my Gingerbread Caramel Sauce. Caramel and apples just go together, and they taste even sweeter when there's a creepy chocolate spider on the side!
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I love a good caramel apple in the fall, like the big ones you get at fancy candy shops! I wanted to recreate this treat with a fun Halloween vibe. Spiderweb caramel apples, with a little chocolate spider on the side were just the ticket, and they look amazing on a Halloween buffet. You can make it a whole spider theme with my friend Melissa's Oreo Spider Halloween Snacks! She blogs at Bless This Mess and we're sharing our favorite Halloween recipes with each other. Check her site to add to your holiday arsenal!
I turned into a hunter and gatherer trying to find cute sticks in Central Park for these Halloween Spiderweb Caramel Apples!
To make these Halloween caramel apples, first I wandered Central Park like a hunter and gatherer and found sturdy, dry twigs to use as the apple sticks, and washed them of course! You can also use little caramel apple dowels made just for this purpose, but why stick to convention? Find the biggest Granny Smith apples you can, remove the stems and add your twigs or dowels. You're ready to go.
How to make spiderweb caramel apples:
Line a baking sheet with parchment for the apples, and make sure the baking sheet fits in the fridge because you'll be chilling these babies.
Get all of your ingredients ready and in bowls (this is called mis en place, a fancy French phrase for having everything in it's place). This caramel apple process moves quickly once the apples are dipped and chilled.
Dip your apples in melted caramel and let set in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
What is the secret to making caramel apples?
Cut off any excess caramel that pools at the bottom of the apple. This ensures you have a smooth, round base for the chocolate and sprinkles! Plus this leaves you with extra caramel to eat!
If your apples are cold to begin with, you caramel may get very thick quickly. Simply reheat the pan to loosen the caramel and continue dipping. The last few apples I end up spooning the caramel because there's not enough left in the pan to dip and coat each apple.
Next you'll dip each apple in melted chocolate candy melts, just about 1 inch up from the base. You want to leave enough room for the chocolate spiderweb on top. Work with one apple at a time, dip in chocolate and then immediately sprinkle with the chocolate sprinkles. Your apples are cold so the chocolate will set quickly and then your sprinkles won't stick.
Prepare ahead and let the kids help!
It's always good to prepare ahead and have your sprinkles in a bowl ready and waiting. This is also a fun process for kids or friends to help with, and always nice to have an extra set of hands!
Your next step is to pipe the chocolate spiderweb onto the apples. I like to invert a glass to use as a stand so the apples are closer to me for piping.
The rest of your chocolate candy melts will go in a piping bag fitted with a #2 plain tip. Simply pipe 7 or 8 lines down the sides of each apple from the top, to the chocolate sprinkle base.
Spiderweb caramel apples make a classic fall treat spooky-good!
If your chocolate cools in the piping bag, wrap a hot, damp towel around it to heat it up again. You can also remove the tip and toss it in the microwave for a minute, but I find the hot towel gently and evenly reheats the chocolate.
Pipe curved lines in between the straight lines to form a web. These spiderweb caramel apples are almost complete! Leave them as is of course, and decorate the table with plastic spiders, but you'll miss out on the creepy chocolate crawlers! I like to pipe 8 little legs on each apple and then adhere a chocolate M&M for the spider body. Now, how do you like them apples?
Halloween Spiderweb Caramel Apples are a classic fall treat, with chocolatey, sweet little crawlers. These apples just got spooky!
- 8 Granny Smith Apples
- 8 caramel apple dowels or twigs
- 75 Kraft caramels unwrapped
- 1 1/2 cups (9 oz) chocolate candy melts
- Chocolate Sprinkles
- Chocolate candies (M&Ms)
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Remove stems from apples and insert dowels or twigs; set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spray with cooking spray.
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In a large saucepan over medium heat combine unwrapped caramels and 2 tbsp water. Sir occasionally until just melted. Dip apples one at a time into caramel, using a spoon to help coat sides adn top. Hold over pan, allowing excess caramel to drip off and scraping excess of bottom of apple. Place on prepared baking sheet.
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Chill apples until set, about 20 min. Trim excess caramel from the base with kitchen shears.
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Melt candy melts and dip base of each apple in chocolate. Let excess drip off, then cover with chocolate sprinkles. Return to baking sheet and chill until set.
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Fit a piping bag with a #2 plain tip, then fill with about 1/2 cup leftover melted chocolate. Pipe 7 or 8 lines from top to apple to chocolate base. Pipe curved lines in between to form a web pattern. To make spiders, pipe 8 little legs and place a chocolate candy in the center. Keep chilled until ready to serve, up to 6 hr.
These apples are delicious and each one can serve 2 people, making 16 servings from this recipe.
• If the chocolate cools in the piping bag, wrap a hot, damp towel around it to reheat.
• Cover the base with sprinkles right after dipping in chocolate so the chocolate doesn't set before the sprinkles stick!
Quick Review
How to make caramel apples with chocolate:
- First, insert a twig or dowel into the apple for the handle.
- Then, melt caramel squares with water in a saucepan and coat the apples in caramel.
- Chill the apples, then trim any excess caramel from the base. Dip the bottom in melted chocolate and sprinkles.
- Finally decorate the apples as desired and chill until ready to serve.
Recipe and food styling by Tara Teaspoon. Photography Kate Sears. Propping Deborah Williams. Originally published in LHJ 10/11.
Melissa Griffiths says
Gimme alll the caramel apples!
Mary Bench says
Sooooo creative! Thank you!