Carmel apples have always been my favorite fall treat! Not only are they delicious fall desserts but caramel apples are really fun to make with friends and family. I remember every year growing up we used to eat caramel apples while picking out our pumpkins, it's definitely a New England thing.
While I love caramel apples from local farm stands, I always get nervous buying caramel apples from the store because of George's severe nut allergy. Most caramel apples have nuts as a crunchy bite and if you know anyone with a nut allergy (or allergy in general) cross contamination can be a huge problem, especially if the plain apples were prepared in the same area as the apples with nuts. Unfortunately we've had a few scares in the past with his allergy, so I'm always extremely cautious about what food I buy or eat around him.
That's why this past weekend I thought it would be great to make my own caramel apples with Food Network's "Perfect Caramel Apples" recipe! Caramel is surprisingly pretty simple to make, and this recipe took no time to prepare. Following the recipe, you'll need about 6-8 apples, caramel apple sticks, and toppings. There's so many ways to decorate these yummy bites, so choose a variety! Some of the nut free toppings I choose were chocolate, Oreos, and and Halloween inspired sprinkles (as a disclaimer, Oreos do not contain nuts or traces of nuts, see here.) Candy corn would also be a fun topping to try, drizzled chocolate and dried cranberries for a savory bite.
Everyone that ate the caramel apples I made loved them! Next time I would put them in the fridge so the caramel hardens a bit, but overall I am really happy with how they came out. Be sure to share your caramel apple creations with me, I'd love to see them!
