Description
Pumpkin-Style Candy Apples are a fun and festive Halloween treat that combines the sweetness of candy with the classic taste of apples, designed to resemble pumpkins.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 small apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
- 6 wooden sticks or skewers
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ¾ cup water
- ½ tsp orange food coloring (gel type preferred)
- ¼ tsp green food coloring (for the leaf detail)
- Optional: ¼ tsp cinnamon extract or vanilla extract for flavor
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water.
- Heat over medium-high until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Once it begins to boil, do not stir — let it reach 300°F (150°C) (hard-crack stage). Use a candy thermometer.
- When it reaches temperature, remove from heat and quickly stir in orange food coloring (and flavor extract if using).
- Wash apples thoroughly to remove any wax coating (use hot water + vinegar if needed).
- Dry completely. Insert sticks firmly into the center of each apple.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease it.
- Working quickly, tilt the saucepan and dip each apple to fully coat it in the orange candy.
- Let the excess drip off and place the apples on the prepared sheet.
- Allow to cool at room temperature until the candy shell hardens and becomes glossy (about 15–20 minutes).
- Melt a small amount of green candy melts or make a tiny batch of green sugar syrup.
- Pipe or drizzle small “leaf” shapes at the top around the stick to imitate pumpkin stems.
- Let set until completely firm.
Notes
- Ensure apples are completely dry before dipping to achieve a smooth coating.
- Use a candy thermometer for accurate temperature measurement.
- Experiment with different flavors by adding extracts to the candy coating.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Candy Making
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 apple
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 50g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg