This recipe for Homemade Crab Apple Toffee Apples is easy and will put a smile on anyone’s face. Not only is the portion size just right, but two ingredients later, you will have sticky, shiny Toffee enveloping crisp, tart apples.
Make these mini toffee apples part of your Harvest Festival gatherings, and Halloween parties. These Crab Apple Toffee Apples are giftable – simply wrap a square of clear plastic wrapping paper around each apple, and secure with a twisty tie or ribbon. The recipients will be wowed!
In Ireland Toffee Apples are commonly eaten at Halloween or on Bonfire Night. October 31st and November 5th traditionally coincide with the apple harvest in Ireland and the UK.
Ingredients
Just two ingredients are needed to make Easy Homemade Crab Apple Toffee Apples – Apples and sugar. As a result these candy Apples are vegan.
- Crab Apples: I used 16 apples that weighed in at 550g or about 1 lb 2 oz.
- Sugar: white, granulated.
- Water.
Are Toffee Apples the same as Caramel Apples?
No. Toffee Apples are Apples coated in Toffee which is strictly sugar caramelized in water. The Toffee provides the Apples with a brittle exterior. Caramel prepared for coating Apples has the addition of butter, cream and oftentimes corn syrup. The result is a softer coating on the apple.
What’s the Difference Between Crab Apples and Regular Apples?
Crab apples come from the Malus rosaceae tree, whereas regular Apples come from the Malus domestics tree, so already we can see they share the same genus but differ in the family name. Crab Apples have more in common with roses than with regular Apples.
As a result of belonging to a different family, Crab Apples grow smaller (less than 2 inches in diameter), and are tart due to the higher presence of malic acid. Nearly all fruits, especially unripe fruits contain malic acid.
As with all apples, the core and seeds should not be eaten.
A common question often asked is ‘Can I do anything with Crab Apples?’ The answer is yes! Read on….
Why Can’t I Eat Crab Apples?
Yes, they are edible. Crab Apples get a bad rap due to their tart taste, but that does not translate into them being inedible.
Yes, their tartness can be overcome with the addition of a natural sweetener like sugar or honey. Jams, jellies and applesauce are good recipes to use Crab Apples, along with this recipe of course!
Wickson Crab Apples, native to California, are the sweetest variety and the ones I used in this recipe. I bought mine at the local farmers’ market.
What are the Best Apples for Toffee Apples?
There’s really no bad Apple to use when making Toffee Apples. It’s all down to preference. I believe these Crab Apples are ideal, they provide the right amount of sweetness and crunch, but their selling point is their size. Being smaller than most Apples, they allow the consumer to eat the entire apple at one time.
For crunch I recommend Granny Smith, SweeTango, Cosmic Crisp, and Pink Lady Apples.
For sweetness, Red or Golden Delicious, Fuji and Gala are among the sweetest.
Instructions how to make Easy Homemade Crab Apple Toffee Apples
These instructions will walk you through how to make old fashioned Toffee Apples:
Pour the sugar into a heavy duty pot.
Pour water onto the sugar in the pot. Over a medium heat, start to caramelize the sugar.
While the caramel is being prepared, wash the apples in warm water.
Dry then well otherwise the caramel will not adhere to the skin of the apples.
When the caramel reaches between 240 – 280 degrees F, then take it off the heat. I lifted my caramel off the heat at 275 deg F / 135 deg C.
Poke a wooden stick into the apple, all the way through for added stability. Swirl it in the caramel, making sure to coat it up round the sides and top of the apple. Place on wax or similar non stick paper and allow to cool.
Flexibility with the Recipe
These mini Toffee Apples embrace sugar substitution, added flavorings and being sliced up – read on to find out more!
Brown sugar, monk fruit sugar, Splenda baking blend, Truvia brown sugar blend, and coconut palm sugar will replace white sugar, and in doing so, can be caramelized.
Do not use Stevia, or Xylitol, their chemical make up prevent caramelization from happening.
Ingredients to add to the molten toffee include maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
If you’re worried about breaking a tooth, consider taking the traditional lollipop style of Toffee Apples and slicing them to create candy apple slices!
Related Recipes
Homemade Dulce de Leche is a softer option for candy apples.
Use the Dulce de Leche as a key ingredient for Kid Approved Candy Apple Bar.
A Tip From Me
Easy Homemade Crab Apple Toffee Apples make unique gifts. Wrap each one in clear plastic wrapping paper, secure with a ribbon and include them in your kids’ next classroom party, harvest festival or Halloween party.
Add pink or red heart sprinkles for a Valentine themed party, or green or shamrock shaped sprinkles for a St. Patrick’s Day get together, the list is endless how to streamline these Toffee Apples to fit your next party!
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
Either you took your pot of sugar and water off the heat too soon – the temperature needs to be between 240 – 280 degrees F. I lifted my caramel off the heat at 275 deg F / 135 deg C. Or, you used too much water and didn’t wait long enough for some of the water to evaporate. Also the pot needs to be clean and clear of dirt, dust and grease. Sugar will adhere to these particles, then it will seize (harden and clump together) and the idea of caramelizing it will be a fantasy! By following the recipe card (below) you shouldn’t have any problems with caramelizing sugar in water.
It takes a little longer than if the sugar is caramelized via the ‘dry’ method (no water.) It will take around 10 minutes over a medium heat.
Wrinkly crab apples can be revived only when peeled and steeped in cold water. Peeled apples won’t work for Toffee Apples! My suggestion would be to use the old crab apples to make a jelly with.
Safety Measures When Caramelizing Sugar
While making Homemade Crab Apple Toffee Apples is easy, there is also an element of danger about it as it requires the caramelization of sugar to make Toffee.
The first thing to note, is that there should be absolutely no licking of any spoons no matter how good it smells!
Secondly, use a large pot, larger than you think you will need. This extra real estate offered in the pot will help the caramelization be more even and will reduce boil over or spillage.
Thirdly do not use a ballon whisk. This will only encourage energetic stirring which is hazardous. Use a long handled wooden spoon and slowly stir the sugared water enough to mix it but not to create bubbles.
The caramelization process can reach temperatures in the range of 350 degrees F. That’s enough to cause a second degree burn. It’s a good idea to have a bowl of iced water on stand by. If you don’t use it – that’s great, you can water the plants with it!
Easy Homemade Crab Apple Toffee Apples
Ingredients
- 24 oz sugar
- 16 crab apples
Instructions
- Pour the sugar into a heavy duty pot.
- Pour water onto the sugar in the pot. Over a medium heat, start to caramelize the sugar.
- While the caramel is being prepared, wash the apples in warm water.
- Dry then well otherwise the caramel will not adhere to the skin of the apples.
- When the caramel reaches between 240 – 280 degrees F, then take it off the heat. I lifted my caramel off the heat at 275 deg F / 135 deg C.
- Poke a wooden stick into the apple, all the way through for added stability. Swirl it in the caramel, making sure to coat it up round the sides and top of the apple. Place on wax or similar non stick paper and allow to cool.
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