Dip balls of caramel apple fudge into melted caramel to create these mini Fudge Caramel Apples. They look and taste like caramel apples.
Making fudge is a holiday tradition in my house and I usually use the easy chocolate and sweetened condensed milk recipe but you can make fudge using frosting too.
To make these sweet little caramel apple pops (in 2013), I used a tub of Pillsbury Caramel Apple Frosting.
Update: Sadly, that frosting is no longer available.
You can use Dulce de Leche in place of the frosting to give your treats a caramel flavor. If you want them to have an apple flavor, you can add some apple candy oil. Or you can skip the apple flavoring and just have them look like caramel apples.
When I made my batch of fudge using the Caramel Apple Frosting, I used Ghiradeli White Chocolate, because it has a nice rich cocoa butter flavor, which I figured would help balance out the sweetness of the frosting.
I also tossed in a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness.
The finished fudge had a strong apple flavor with touches of caramel and is just nicely sweet.
RELATED: Find dozens of easy fudge recipes on my other site, HowToMakeEasyFudge.com.
Ingredients
good quality white chocolate (I used Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bar)
Pillsbury Caramel Apple Frosting or Caramel Frosting or Dulce de Leche
salt
caramels
peanuts
optional, apple candy oil if using caramel frosting or Dulce de Leche
Supplies
30 lollipop sticks
non-stick baking mat or non-stick tin foil
Instructions
Frosting Fudge
If you are using frosting to make your fudge, start by breaking up the white chocolate (you can also use chips).
Heat the white chocolate in the microwave for 20-30 second increments, stirring after each until melted. I like to allow the chocolate to rest in the microwave in between bursts of power, to allow it to melt more slowly.
Once melted, stir in the frosting.
Cover the fudge tightly with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about an hour. You can speed up the process by refrigerating for about 30 minutes.
If you decide to use Dulce de Leche, stir the white chocolate chips and Dulce de Leche together in a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Heat at 70% power for 90 seconds. Then, let the bowl rest in the microwave for 3 minutes.
Remove and stir slowly until melted. Only if needed, return it to the microwave and heat for 15-second increments, resting and stirring after each until melted.
Stir in the apple candy oil (vanilla extract is pictured).
Dip fudge balls into melted caramel.
Scoop out rounded tablespoonfuls of the caramel apple fudge. Roll into balls. Insert a lollipop stick.
Allow your fudge balls to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes in order to firm up a bit. Rolling them makes them soft.
Heat your caramels on stove top in a saucepan set over low heat stirring often until melted. Do not overheat your caramels or the caramel apple coating will be too hard.
Dip the apple-shaped fudge balls into the melted caramel. Then lift the ball out of the caramel allowing the excess to drip off.
Immediately, roll in chopped peanuts.
Set on a non-stick baking mat or non-stick foil until they cool and harden for about 15 minutes.
Reheat the caramel as needed to be able to dip all 30 pops.
Don't they look yummy?
Your caramel apples are ready to serve.
Storage
Store your caramel apple fudge pops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate them for up to a week.
Related Recipes
Recipe
Miniature caramel apples made out of creamy fudge. Each apple-shaped fudge is dipped in caramel and rolled in chopped peanuts
- 16 ounces white chocolate (4 cups of chips)
- 1 tub (16 ounces) Pillsbury Caramel Apple Frosting
- pinch of salt
- 12 ounces caramels
- ½ cup finely chopped peanuts
- 24 ounces white chocolate (4 cups of chips)
- 1 can (13.4 ounces) Nestle La Lechera Dulce de Leche
- 1 teaspoon apple candy oil
- 12 ounces caramels
- ½ cup finely chopped peanuts
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Break the white chocolate into small pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl and toss in a pinch of salt. Heat for 30-second bursts of high power, stirring after each, until melted. Stir in the Caramel Apple Frosting until well blended.
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Stir the white chocolate and Dulce de Leche together in a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Heat at 70% power for 90 seconds. Let the bowl rest in the microwave for 3 minutes then remove and stir. If needed, heat for 15-second increments of 70% power, resting, and stirring after each until melted.
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Cover your fudge and let sit at room temperature for about an hour. You can speed up the process by refrigerating for about 30 minutes.
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Scoop out rounded tablespoonfuls of the caramel apple fudge and roll into 30 balls then insert a lollipop stick. Set aside for at least 20 minutes so the fudge balls will firm up.
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Heat the caramel on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often, just until melted.
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Dip the fudge balls into caramel, allowing the excess to drip off, and immediately, roll the bottom in chopped peanuts.
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Set on a non-stick baking mat or non-stick foil until they cool and harden for about 15 minutes.
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Reheat your caramel as needed to be able to dip all 30 pops.
Caramel Frosting
If you can find tubs of caramel frosting, you can add ½-1 teaspoon of the apple candy oil to give your fudge caramel apples a nice apple flavor. Star by mixing in ½ teaspoon and taste the fudge. Add more if desired.
Storage
These treats will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature or for a week if stored in the refrigerator.
Packaging
Set your fudge caramel apples in mini cupcake wrappers to serve.
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Lisa FlourMeWithLove says
These are simply adorable! My daughter needs a snack for school and these will be perfect. Thanks for sharing at Mix it up Monday 🙂
Andrea @ This Pug Life says
So cute! Love mini things... even if they aren't *really* mini caramel apples!
Debbie Chapman says
OMG These look amazing! Pinning!
Debbie @ onelittleproject.com
beth says
Thanks so much for the Pin, Debbie:)
Sue says
SO DARN CUTE!!!
Michelle Clausen says
so adorable and fun!!! I've done the 2 ingredient fudge before too, my kids love it, my I like the condensed milk kind better. But it's fast!
beth says
I can't say I've made my mind up about the frosting fudge yet, as this flavor was pretty different. I really like vanilla frosting and am going to try making that. I'm not a big fan of tubs of chocolate frosting and think I'm much prefer the chocolate/condensed milk combo.
Karen @ Sugartown Sweets says
These sound amazing! I have never made frosting fudge..didn't even know it existed. But I do know about the caramel apple frosting..hubby bought me 10 tubs 'cause I love it so much. I have to make a treat for a Thanksgiving party next week..I think I know what I'll make. And a big thank you Beth for pinning my Peppermint Mittens!
beth says
Wow, if you love the frosting that much, definitely try making the fudge. It's so easy. Your mittens are the coolest thing I've seen so far this holiday season. I really love them!
Unknown says
These are absolutely adorable! I just discovered your blog about a month ago, and have been addicted ever since. 🙂 I've done a double layer frosting fudge before w/ chocolate chips and chocolate frosting on the bottom and the top was white chocolate chips w/ strawberry frosting...It tasted like chocolate covered strawberries...YUM!
beth says
I'm so glad you have become addicted! Wow, I love chocolate covered strawberries. I need to give that fudge a try. Yum.
Lisa@hooplapalooza says
these are SO cute Beth! 🙂
Danielle @ TheBestDessertRecipes says
These are so cute! I'll definitely have to make them 🙂
Anonymous says
I love this. I pinned it twice. Trish Butler
beth says
Thanks for the pins, Trish!
Brenda @ SweetSimpleStuff says
I love it! At first glance of the photos, I thought you made caramel apples! So very cute ... must try the fudge recipe 😉
beth says
It was challenging to figure out how to show that there was fudge inside. I'm not a huge fan of pictures of food with bites taken out of them, but it had to be done:)