Dip chocolate caramel fudge into red-colored white chocolate to make these delicious Inside-Out Chocolate Caramel Apples. The fudge apples are fun to give as teachers' gifts or to serve at a fall party.
Have you ever eaten a chocolate-dipped caramel apple? The tart apple is coated in chewy caramel and coated in chocolate. Yum!
Well, I took that idea and turned it inside out!
These inside-out caramel apples are made with a blend of chocolate and caramel on the inside and apple-flavored white chocolate on the outside.
They look like real apples. Don't you think?
When you share these with that special teacher or your friends at your Autumn party, they'll be amazed when they take a bite.
So, let's make some candy apples.
Ingredients
(makes 4)
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good quality milk chocolate
Nestle La Lechera Dulce de Leche Caramel
red candy melts
LorAnn Apple or Green Apple Flavoring
green food coloring - To color the leaf.
optional: a pinch of citric acid - This will add a tart flavor to your apple-flavored white chocolate.
optional: Luster Dust - You can brush the apples with some yellow and green luster dust or spray food color onto them to give them a more natural look.
Supplies
offset spatula
wire cooling rack
plastic wrap and parchment paper
baking sheet that fits in your freezer
Instructions
Before you begin, if you aren't experienced with making chocolate, read my chocolate making tips page for information regarding choosing and melting various types of chocolate.
Make the chocolate caramel fudge.
- Melt the milk chocolate and allow it to cool, stirring it often, until it cools so that it no longer feels warm to the touch (about 91-92 degrees F).
- Stir in the Dulce de Leche. The mixture will get very thick, but you need to make sure all of the caramel is mixed into the chocolate, so use your hands if needed.
- Once well mixed, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes. When you unwrap the caramel modeling chocolate, knead it on the counter just until smooth about 30 seconds.
Shape the apples, stems, and leaves.
- Pinch off a teaspoonful of the caramel-flavored modeling chocolate and place it in a bowl.
- Add 1-3 drops of green food coloring and stir until well incorporated and green.
- Pinch off a small amount of the green-colored caramel modeling chocolate and roll it into a ball.
- Flatten and form into a leaf. Repeat to make 4 leaves (not pictured.)
- Pinch off about ½ teaspoonful of the caramel fudge and mold it into a stem.
- Repeat to create 4 stems.
- Divide remaining caramel modeling chocolate into 4 balls, roll, and shape into an apple.
- Use your finger to create an indentation on the top of each apple.
Dip the apples in melted red candy melts.
- Melt red confectionery coating/candy melts.
- Place in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat on high for 25 seconds then stir.
- Heat for 20 seconds and stir vigorously.
- If not melted, heat for 10-second increments, stirring after each, until melted. Stir in ½ dram (½ teaspoon) of the apple flavoring and citric acid, if using.
- Taste it and see if you'd like it to have a stronger apple flavor. If so, add more apple flavoring.
- Note: If your candy coating gets thick, you can add ½ teaspoon -1 teaspoon vegetable oil to thin it out.
- Dip the bottom of each apple in the candy coating.
- Smooth using an offset spatula.
- Place in the freezer for 5 minutes so that the candy coating hardens.
Cover the caramel apples in melted red candy melts.
- Set a wire cooling rack over a piece of parchment paper.
- Set caramel chocolate apple, indentation side up, on the cooling rack.
- Pour red candy coating over the apple.
- Tap the cooling rack a few times. This will help the candy coating to run down the sides of the apple.
- Make sure the entire apple is covered, especially around the bottom.
- Use a spatula to fill in any places that aren't covered in the candy coating.
Add the stem and leaf.
- Carefully lift the apple using an offset spatula and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Immediately add the stem and leaf to the indentation in the apple.
- Place in freezer for 8-10 minutes until chocolate is hardened.
- Repeat with remaining apples.
- I suggest you freeze each apple as you complete it, as the red candy coating has a tendency to dry with white streaks if left at room temperature for too long. Don't freeze the apples for too long either or they might crack, get sticky, or streak.
Storage
Store your chocolate caramel fudge apples in an airtight container for up to one month.
Package the apples in cellophane bags or caramel apple boxes to give as gifts.
To serve, use a sharp knife to cut the apple into wedges, or just take a bite!
Variations
You can also make Vanilla Fudge Apples to give to your special teachers. The fudge is soft so you can stamp sweet messages into the apples.
Related Recipes
If you are looking for more fun Back to School or Teacher Appreciation Gift ideas be sure to check out all these other amazing food craft and recipe ideas on my School & Teacher Treats Page.
Chocolate caramel fudge apples made with Dulce de Leche and milk chocolate are dipped in apple-flavored red candy melts and decorated with stems and leaves.
- 14 ounces milk chocolate
- 1 can (13.4 ounces) Nestle La Lechera Dulce de Leche Caramel
- 8 ounces red candy melts
- ½-1 dram LorAnn Apple or Green Apple Candy Oil
- 1-3 drops green food coloring
- optional: a pinch of citric acid
-
Melt the milk chocolate and allow it to cool, stirring it often, until it feels cool to the touch but is still melted.
-
Stir in the Dulce de Leche until well blended. Do not overmix or it might get greasy.
-
Wrap in plastic wrap or a zip-top bag and let it rest for 30-60 minutes until firm.
-
Unwrap the chocolate caramel fudge and knead it on the counter just until smooth about 30 seconds.
-
Pinch off a teaspoonful of the fudge and place it in a bowl.
-
Add 1-3 drops of green food coloring and stir until well incorporated and green.
-
Pinch off a small pea-size pieces of the green-colored caramel modeling chocolate and create four leaves for your apples.
-
Pinch off about ½ teaspoonful of the caramel fudge and mold it into a stem.
-
Repeat to create 4 stems.
-
Divide the remaining chocolate caramel fudge into 4 equal balls.
-
Use your finger to create an indentation on the top of each ball and shape them like an apple.
-
Place the red candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 25 seconds then stir.
-
Heat for 20 seconds and stir vigorously.If not melted, heat for 10-second increments, stirring after each, until melted.
-
Stir in ½ dram (½ teaspoon) of the apple oil and a pinch of citric acid, if using.
-
Add more flavoring to taste.
-
If your candy coating gets thick, you can add a pinch of paramount crystals (preferably) or ½-1 teaspoon of shortening or vegetable oil to thin it out.
-
Dip the bottom of each apple in the candy coating and smooth it out using a metal spatula.
-
Place in the freezer for 5 minutes so that the candy coating hardens.
-
Set a wire cooling rack over a piece of parchment paper.
-
Set the caramel chocolate apples, indentation side up, on the cooling rack.
-
Pour red candy melts over the apples.
-
Tap the cooling rack a few times. This will help the candy coating to run down the sides of the apple.
-
Make sure the entire apple is covered, especially around the bottom.
-
Use a spatula to fill in any places that aren't covered in the candy coating.
-
Add the stem and leaf to each apple.
-
Carefully lift the apple using an offset spatula and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
-
Place in freezer for 8-10 minutes until chocolate is hardened.
Tips for dipping apples:
I suggest you freeze each apple as you complete it, as the red candy coating has a tendency to dry with white streaks if left at room temperature for too long.
Don't freeze the apples for too long either or they might crack, get sticky, or streak.
Storage
Store your chocolate caramel fudge apples in an airtight container for up to one month.
Package the apples in cellophane bags or caramel apple boxes to give as
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Mama Jodi says
Wow! What a cool piece of edible art. Great job! Jodi @ www.meaningfulmama.com
Anonymous says
My mother in law is a retired teacher... May 8 is teachers day... My cherubs are making these for her... Even after you have retired your always teaching! Thanks for the sweet treat idea!
vkmiller says
I'm going to make these for my children to give to their teachers and dance instructors. They make the perfect gift and are SOOO cute!! I also buy Apple Boxes from Box and Wrap. I let my kids decorate the boxes which gives it an extra special touch.
http://www.boxandwrap.com/appleboxes.html
My Thirty Spot says
Oh my goodness! I have never seen anything like this! So creative and I bet so delish!
-Erin
www.mythirtyspot.com
Adella_Demona says
I don't have the patience, the time, or money to make something like this, but I'd gladly buy one from you to try if you shipped! They look delicious.
Beth Jackson Klosterboer says
Slee, glad to help. I hope you enjoy the recipe and be sure to send some pictures of your apples so I can share them with everyone. Have fun.
Slee says
Thanks! That's really great information. I actually think we do have a Mexican grocery store in the next village over. I'll have to go look! This is a brilliant idea and I'm excited to try it, even if I didn't have it done for the first day of school. 🙂
Beth Jackson Klosterboer says
Hi Slee, I was just shopping at a store in Cincinnati, OH called Jungle Jims and they import products from all over the world. There had to have been 6 different brands of Dulce De Leche (which is just caramelized sweetened condensed milk.) If you have a Mexican grocery store near you, you might want to check with them, as they probably carry an assortment of brands. You could also do a search on recipes to make your own Dulce de Leche. I've seen it done where the entire can is heated until the milk caramelizes and other methods where the milk is caramelized on the stove. That way you can purchase whatever brand of sweetened condensed milk you prefer. I hope this helps.
Beth @ Hungry Happenings
Slee says
i love this, but do you know of a non nestle product one could use for the carmel? we don't buy nestle products because of the company's horrific violations of the WHO Code, and other areas of corporate misconduct, but would love to try making this.
Sue says
Yummy I bet, and oh so DARLING!
Evin says
I love this!! My son LOVES food that looks like other things, but I suck at making it... he's going to be so happy I found you!
Heather @ PreschoolBuddy says
I've never seen anything like that. They look too good to eat!
Shayla says
That's so cool!!! I'm currently in a no sugar eating contest with my husband and this made me break!!!! I love the idea!
Justine says
How adorable! What a wonderful idea!
Check out my blog!
http://whatsjustinecooking.blogspot.com/
diane says
I am so glad I stumbled upon this blog, you have some great super ideas and I am so happy you are willing to share them. I cannot wait to start trying some of them, spectacular. Thanks!
diane says
I am so glad I stumbled upon this blog, you have some great super ideas, wonderful. Can't wait to start trying some, thanks for sharing.
Diane--Ohio says
These look delicious!
Erin says
These are so incredibly awesome I can't stand it! Amazing job!!!
Persnickety Hall says
Love it!!!
Tiffany says
That apple sure looks cute! I bet it tastes so good too. What a fun idea.