Caramel Apple Recipe Without Dairy!

Name: Caramel Apple Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: PT-481786H19M15S
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk; ½ cup coconut sugar; ¼ cup maple syrup; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; 4 green apples; 4 sticks

October 24, 2024 by Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN

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When the weather turns cooler and the leaves begin changing colors, you know it’s caramel apple time. What better treat to welcome fall and all its delicious fruits and vegetables?

If you have an apple orchard near your home, you can make this caramel apple recipe into a fun family affair by taking a trip to pick up some fresh (hopefully organic!) apples. Then have the kids help with stirring the caramel and drizzling the apples and decorating them.

Then the best part — eating the caramel apples — can be guilt-free because those nutrition-rich apples are filled with fiber to improve heart health and help keep weight down — not mention phytonutrients and antioxidants to support overall health.

This dairy-free caramel apple recipe, made with beneficial coconut milk, coconut sugar and maple syrup, just sweetens the deal (pun intended).

You’re going to want to eat the caramel sauce on everything.

How to make caramel apples

Here’s how to make these easy and delicious caramel apple recipe. (Note that you’ll want to make these the day before you plan to eat them to give the caramel time to set.)

First, wash and dry four Granny Smith apples, and remove the stems. (The tart nature of green apples works well with the sweet of the caramel.)

Insert your sticks, and set the apples aside to come to room temperature. This will help the caramel stick to the apples better.

Grab a small pot, and add the coconut milk, coconut sugar and maple syrup. Place the pot over medium-high heat.

Stir the sauce as it heats to make sure the sugar and maple syrup dissolve in the milk and don’t burn. You want to bring the mixture to a rolling boil and allow it to boil for one minute.

Once the caramel has boiled for a minute, turn it down to medium-low heat and set your timer for 15 minutes. You’re going to let the caramel simmer, reduce and thicken.

Scrape down the sides of the pot, and stir the caramel every few minutes. You’ll see it begin to thicken and turn a darker brown.

At the end of the 15 minutes, it should be thick and coat the back of a spoon. If it seems like it could be thicker, allow it to simmer a couple minutes more.

Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in some vanilla extract and sea salt. Voila! Caramel sauce!

Now comes the hard part: waiting for the caramel sauce to cool. Beware of little fingers sneaking into this sauce because it’s hard to resist.

Transfer the caramel sauce to a glass bowl, and refrigerate it until it cools. Once you no longer feel any heat on the bowl, it’s ready.

Now comes the fun part in the caramel apple recipe. Stir the caramel, and holding the apples one at a time over the bowl, spoon the caramel over them to coat all sides. Then place the apples on a cookie sheet coated in parchment paper.

Put them back in the fridge to set up. This will take at least four hours, or you can leave them overnight.

Pull them out in the morning, and give them one more coating of caramel. Then refrigerate them again to allow the caramel to set.

Once the caramel apples are ready, you can add even more fun by drizzling some melted dark chocolate over them or sprinkling them with shredded coconut or your favorite chopped nuts. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Looking for another apple-based dessert? Try these apple fritters or apple galette. Yum!