Inside-Out Chocolate Caramel Apples

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.

Print

Inside Out Chocolate Caramel Apples

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

 

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.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple, caramel, caramel apple, fudge

Servings: 4

Author: Beth Klosterboer

Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

1. Melt the milk chocolate and allow it to cool, stirring it often, until it feels cool to the touch but is still melted.
2. Stir in the Dulce de Leche until well blended. Do not overmix or it might get greasy.
3. Wrap in plastic wrap or a zip-top bag and let it rest for 30-60 minutes until firm.
4. Unwrap the chocolate caramel fudge and knead it on the counter just until smooth about 30 seconds.
5. Pinch off a teaspoonful of the fudge and place it in a bowl.
6. Add 1-3 drops of green food coloring and stir until well incorporated and green.
7. Pinch off a small pea-size pieces of the green-colored caramel modeling chocolate and create four leaves for your apples.
8. Pinch off about ½ teaspoonful of the caramel fudge and mold it into a stem.
9. Repeat to create 4 stems.
10. Divide the remaining chocolate caramel fudge into 4 equal balls.
11. Use your finger to create an indentation on the top of each ball and shape them like an apple.
12. Place the red candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 25 seconds then stir.
13. Heat for 20 seconds and stir vigorously.If not melted, heat for 10-second increments, stirring after each, until melted.
14. Stir in ½ dram (½ teaspoon) of the apple oil and a pinch of citric acid, if using.
15. Add more flavoring to taste.
16. 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.
17. Dip the bottom of each apple in the candy coating and smooth it out using a metal spatula.
18. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes so that the candy coating hardens.
19. Set a wire cooling rack over a piece of parchment paper.
20. Set the caramel chocolate apples, indentation side up, on the cooling rack.
21. Pour red candy melts over the apples.
22. Tap the cooling rack a few times. This will help the candy coating to run down the sides of the apple.
23. Make sure the entire apple is covered, especially around the bottom.
24. Use a spatula to fill in any places that aren't covered in the candy coating.
25. Add the stem and leaf to each apple.
26. Carefully lift the apple using an offset spatula and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
27. Place in freezer for 8-10 minutes until chocolate is hardened.

Recipe Notes

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

• Author
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Beth Klosterboer

Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com

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