Candy Apple Bar

Ok y'all. I love the idea of big a ol' caramel apple, but one bite has me feeling like my teeth are going to be pulled out. I find myself thinking "will I ever be free of this caramel in my mouth?" (haha!) 

I decided to mix things up a bit and slice the apples instead to make them easier to eat. I also made this whole thing into a little candy apple bar (because how fun is that?!). Kind of like an ice cream sundae bar but candy apple style. I chose to dip my caramel apples in chocolate instead of caramel because 1. I find that it sticks to the apple better and 2. it's just less caramel in your mouth. 

I made sure I had plenty of fun toppings: sprinkles, crushed pretzels, mini chocolate chips, crushed oreos, flakey sea salt, honey roasted peanuts, melted caramels to drizzle - you can be creative with it! 

I found that the whole process goes smoother if the apples are cold, so I just popped them in the fridge until I was ready to slice them. After you dip your apples, immediately sprinkle with whatever toppings you like and then pop it in the fridge to harden. You definitely want to make sure it hardens completely so it doesn't fall off the apple! 

This makes such a fun Friday night dessert activity for your family or even a fun movie night dessert with friends. You can scroll down to find all the details on how I created my little candy apple bar! 

CANDY APPLE BAR

INGREDIENTS/MATERIALS:

• 4 apples (I used two granny smith and 2 gala!)
• 1 package chocolate candy coating (I used good & gather brand)
• popsicle sticks or cake pop sticks
• parchment paper
• toppings: peanuts, sprinkles, crushed pretzels, oreos, flakey sea salt, mini marshmallows, mini choc chips, melted caramel for drizzling...whatever you like!

DIRECTIONS: 

1. First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This is what you will put your dipped apples on and it will make it easier to transfer to the fridge. 
2. Keep your apples in the fridge until you are ready to slice them. This will help with the dipping process.
3. Melt your chocolate. I started by putting it in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring, and then returning it to the microwave in 30 second increments (stirring in between). 
4. Once your chocolate is melted, slice your apples. I chose to slice it into 1/4" thin slices for this post. You can also just do apple chunks or whatever you want (I did chunks with my boys because I found it was easier for them to dip themselves). Insert popsicle sticks into the bottom of the apple slices. 
5. Dip into the chocolate, using a spoon to cover the apple slice completely. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then place on the parchment paper. 
6. Sprinkle whatever toppings you want! Once all of the apples have been sprinkled with toppings, place the whole baking sheet in the fridge for about 10 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened. 
7. ENJOY!