Deliciously wicked Poison Apples are the perfect spooky, villainous treat for your next Halloween party! They’re easy to make in just 30 minutes, and taste like regular caramel apples. Lookout, Evil Queen!
Twist off each apple stem and insert a wooden dowel or stick about ½-inch into the apple where the stem was.
Line a large baking tray with a piece of parchment paper and lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
Add the sugar, corn syrup, water, and food coloring to a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium to medium-high heat. Stir the mixture briefly to help the sugar dissolve.
Heat the mixture until it reaches 290F on an instant-read candy thermometer (hard-crack stage). Remove the caramel from the heat.
Working quickly and carefully, dip each apple in the caramel, let the excess run off, and place it on the prepared baking tray.
Let the apples cool and then enjoy.
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Notes
What Type of Apples to Use for Candy Apples: Like regular candy apples and caramel apples, you can use any type of apple you like to make poison apples. My favorite is Granny Smith apples for their sweet/tart flavor and pretty green color. If available, use small apples instead of larger ones.
How to Wash the Apples to Remove the Wax: Apples at the grocery store are waxed to make them shiny, which can prevent the caramel from sticking to them. It helps to remove the wax before making candy apples! To do so, add a generous splash of vinegar (apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar work well) and a couple spoons of baking soda to a large bowl (it will fizz). Fill the bowl about ⅔ full with cool water. Add the apples and let them soak for 20 minutes, swishing them in the water every so often. After that, use your hands to wash the outside of the apples in the water. Rinse the apples well and dry them with a clean kitchen towel.
Food Coloring: You can use black gel food coloring, purple gel food coloring, or a mixture of red and blue gel food coloring.
To Avoid Crystallization: Only stir the mixture briefly at the beginning to help the sugar dissolve, and then don’t stir the mixture again until it’s up to temperature. If you see sugar crystals on the sides of the pot, use a kitchen brush to brush the brush the sides of the pot with water.
Dipping the Apples: If there are a lot of bubbles in the caramel when you dip the apple, your poison apples will have bubbles. They have a wart-like look, so this could be what you’re going for! But if you want a smooth finish, briefly stir the caramel before dipping each apple. Let the excess candy drip off before placing the apples onto the prepared baking tray to avoid the liquid from pooling under the apples.
Storage: These apples are best enjoyed on the same day they’re made. You can store them for 1 night at room temperature, but they will start to sweat and the candy’s texture will change.