Caramel Apple Dip
Posted Sep 09, 2022, Updated Oct 05, 2024
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This caramel apple dip is easy to make from scratch with 6 ingredients including butter, heavy cream and brown sugar. This smooth, creamy caramel dip makes a delicious dessert or snack.
You know it’s fall in the grocery store when you start seeing the tubs of caramel apple dip strategically placed in the produce section.
I always prefer homemade to store-bought, and this caramel dip is no exception. It’s made with 6 ingredients (no corn syrup, condensed milk, preservatives, etc.) in 15 minutes and is irresistibly delicious!
Enjoy the flavor of caramel apples, with less work with this caramel apple dip recipe.
Caramel Apple Dip: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar can be used but will impart a bolder molasses flavor.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well too.
- Heavy cream. There is no substitute for heavy cream.
- Vanilla extract. an equal amount of vanilla bean paste can be used in place of the vanilla extract.
How to Make Caramel Apple Dip
Making caramel can be tricky, but this caramel apple dip is easy to make once you get the method down! Let’s walk through the recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by adding water and brown sugar to a heavy-bottom pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves, whisking often.
Then, add the butter and whisk until it is melted. Then, bring the mixture to a boil.
Once boiling, lower the heat and cook/boil over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick and pulls away from the sides (about 10 minutes), whisking occasionally.
Then, whisk in the heavy cream and sea salt until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil again and boil for 1 minute.
After 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
Then, transfer the caramel to a glass storage dish or jar and let it cool completely before serving (mixture thickens as it cools).
Serve
Serve the caramel apple dip slightly chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy it with your favorite apple varieties, or other dippers like pretzels, graham crackers, pears, etc.
Store
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Caramel Apple Dip Recipe FAQs
You have to be able to recognize the stage between “thread” and “soft ball”. Place a glass or bowl of cold water next to you as you make the caramel. You will know you reached the correct stage when the caramel starts turning darker brown, pulls away from the sides and forms a firm “thread” when put in cold water.
Here are my top suggestions:
Honeycrisp
Pink Lady
Jazz
Granny Smith
Fuji
Gala
Besides apples, you can dip so many delicious foods in this caramel dip recipe. Try other fruits like pears, bananas, peaches, nectarines, etc. You can also enjoy this dip with pretzels, graham crackers, etc.
Yes, double the ingredients and make it in a 5-quart saucepan.
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Caramel Apple Dip Recipe (Caramel Dip)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup salted butter
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add water and brown sugar to a heavy-bottom pan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, whisking often.
- Add butter and whisk until the butter is melted.
- Once the butter is melted, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and cook/boil over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick and pulls away from the sides (about 10 minutes), whisking occasionally.
- Whisk in the heavy cream and sea salt until smooth, then bring the mixture to a boil again and boil for 1 minute.
- After 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Transfer the caramel apple dip to a glass storage dish or jar and let cool completely before serving (mixture thickens as it cools).
Video
Notes
- Light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar can be used but will impart a bolder molasses flavor.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well too.
- Heavy cream. There is no substitute for heavy cream.
- Vanilla extract. an equal amount of vanilla bean paste can be used in place of the vanilla extract.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is it possible to make this without a heavy-bottom pan? I only have one pan and don’t really have room for more.
Impeccable! Absolutely lovely. I didn’t wait to serve😓, but I loved it, it thickened very quickly, so even if I did wait, it would’ve been only 5 minutes!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! Just a couple questions from a first time carmel maker. lol
Is the butter sugar mixture suppose to reach thread (230 degrees) before adding cream?
If my sauce is too thin, can cooking it more after the cream do anything?
Have a Happy Thanksgiving! truly….
I didn’t use a candy thermometer nor a regular one; once it started to boil (for the first go-round of boiling), i waited about 15 seconds until reducing the heat.
I packed the brown sugar into the cup measurement, and if you follow everything else as stated in the instructions, it shouldn’t be too thin. It thickens significantly while cooling.
The best carmel I’ve ever tasted, no joke. Such a quick and east recipe with a wonderfully rich flavor. I’m using ot for EVERYTHING! Thanks so much for sharing!
Best caramel sauce I’ve ever tasted. Brown sugar and vanilla are the way to go!
Where did I go wrong? It’s got a caramel taste, but it’s soupy. I let it cool and stuck it in the fridge hoping, but it’s runny. I’d like to try again because fall, caramel, apples, deliciousness. I have a Thermapen but didn’t see a temp for it to come to. Definitely thinking this was a first attempt misstep. Thanks.
It sounds like you need to cook it longer.
Is this served cold or do you warm it up?
It’s served room temperature or chilled.
I wonder how it would turn out if you replaced the water in the beginning with apple cider. If anyone has tried that let us know! If I try it I’ll post the results in another comment
I tried it! It’s really good. I can’t compare to the original recipe though because it’s the first time I’ve made it.
Is the brown sugar suppose to be packed?
Yes!
Can this be nade Sugar-Free ?