Mini Candy Apples Sticks (Printable Version)

Bite-sized apples coated in a crunchy candy shell, ideal for festive snacks and fun gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Apples

01 - 8 small apples (Gala or Fuji variety), or 16 crabapples

→ Candy Coating

02 - 2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup light corn syrup
04 - 1/2 cup water
05 - 1/2 teaspoon red gel food coloring

→ Assembly

06 - 16 wooden sticks (lollipop or popsicle sticks)
07 - Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

# How To Make:

01 - Wash and thoroughly dry the apples. If using large apples, cut each in half and scoop out the seeds with a small melon baller. Insert a wooden stick firmly into the stem end of each apple or apple half.
02 - Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease, or spray a silicone mat with nonstick cooking spray.
03 - In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely.
04 - Increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil without stirring. Cook until it reaches 290°F on a candy thermometer (hard crack stage), approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
05 - Remove the saucepan from the heat. Carefully stir in the red gel food coloring until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
06 - Working quickly, dip each apple into the hot candy coating, swirling to coat evenly. Let the excess drip off, then place the apple on the prepared baking sheet.
07 - Let the candy apples cool completely at room temperature until the coating hardens, approximately 10 minutes.
08 - Serve the candy apples and enjoy while the coating remains crispy.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They look like something from a candy shop but come together in under 30 minutes with ingredients you probably already have.
  • The hardest part is not eating them while they're still warm, and honestly, that's half the fun.
02 -
  • A candy thermometer is genuinely essential here—guessing the temperature will either give you soft candy that stays sticky or hard candy that shatters before you can bite it.
  • Don't refrigerate these, or the beautiful glossy shell becomes sticky and sweats, which defeats the whole purpose of making them look so pristine.
03 -
  • Keep a small bowl of warm water nearby while dipping—if the candy coating gets too thick on your apple, you can dip it quickly into warm water to soften it just enough to get a better coat without it dripping off.
  • The gel food coloring trick I learned is to always add it off the heat because boiling candy can sometimes change the color intensity in unexpected ways.
Return