Crisp, sweet and satisfying—caramel apples are the perfect fall treat. Plus, they’re easy enough for the whole family to make together. Kids love getting creative with their creations and parents love seeing their kids eat apples. Here’s how your family can make caramel apples together.

Before you begin, you need to collect the apples. You could just go to your local grocery store and pick up some apples, but why not take advantage of the season and hand-pick your apples at a local apple orchard. Traditionally, caramel apples are made with green granny smith apples but you can use any apple you’d like.

Once you get your apples home you need to give them a quick wash. Wipe them down with a few moist towels and pat them dry with a dry towel. Make sure to handle your apples carefully or they’ll get bruised.

Next you need to prepare your toppings. It’s important to prep your toppings before dipping any apples because you need to add loose toppings while the caramel is still warm and sticky. Feel free to get creative with your toppings, anything from nuts, candy, dried fruits or sprinkles will do. You could even melt chocolate or peanut butter to drizzle over your caramel apple.  

Once you have your toppings set, it’s time to start preparing the caramel. Making caramels from scratch is difficult—it requires a candy thermometer and it’s time-consuming. I recommend buying a bag of soft caramels from the store and melting them down on the stove or in the microwave in order to dip your apples. The caramel is ready to go once all the lumps have melted away and the caramel is liquid. 

When it’s time to get dipping, stick a skewer into each of your apples and dip them into the warm caramel one at a time. Quickly transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Just don’t forget to add your toppings while the caramel is still warm. Once you’re done decorating, pop your apples in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up. Take them back out and gather everyone around to enjoy the fruits of your labor!