Need an Easy, Unique Recipe for Halloween Treats? Try These ‘Poison’ Candy Apples

Spooky season is fast approaching, and there’s nothing spookier than a “poisoned” apple! Never fear; these candy apples for Halloween are all treat and no tricks–and the recipe is scary easy. Just grab your favorite apples (a trip to the apple orchard is encouraged, but not required), some wooden skewers, a candy thermometer, and a few basic ingredients, and you’re ready to go!

To make ‘poison’ candy apples, we’re cooking together a mixture of sugar, corn syrup, water, cinnamon, and red food coloring on the stovetop until the hard-crack stage (hence the need for the candy thermometer). Then, we’ll insert skewers into our apples and dip them into the mixture. Be sure to place the candy apples on a piece of wax or parchment paper that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray. (Yes, I earned that one the hard way!)

Once the candy coating has set, dig in! These are such a fun, old-fashioned feeling treat to have for Halloween. Plus, they fit right in at a party because of the ‘poison’ look.

When it comes to this recipe, you can use virtually any type of apple that you love. I’m partial to sweet and crisp apples like Honeycrisp and Golden Delicious. I don’t really recommend something soft like McIntosh as they’re mostly just best for eating or making applesauce.

I hope these spooky ‘poison’ apples are a hit at your Halloween festivities. Scroll for the complete recipe–and have a happy spooky season!

Candy Apple Recipe

Yields: 6-7 apples

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5-6 medium apples
• 5-6 sturdy wooden skewers (the type you buy for cake pops would work well)
• ⅓ cup corn syrup
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Red food coloring
• ½ tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Prep:

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper, and spray well with nonstick spray. Stick a wooden skewer into each apple, at the top where the stem is.

Make the Apples:

2. Add the corn syrup, granulated sugar, water, cinnamon, salt, and red food coloring to a medium saucepan.

3. Place over medium heat and stir until the mixture comes together and starts bubbling around the edges, about 4-6 minutes. Stop stirring once it starts bubbling.

4. Place a candy thermometer in the pan, and let the mixture cook until it reaches 300 degrees F, or hard crack stage, on the candy thermometer. This will take 10-14 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat as soon as it reaches 300 degrees, and let sit for a few minutes to let all the little air bubbles dissipate. Then, you’ll want to move quickly.

6. Dip your apples, one at a time, tilting the pot as needed to help coat the apples. Let excess drip back into the pot. Place on the prepared baking sheet and let set before eating.

Tip: If the mixture becomes too stiff to work with at any point, gently reheat it on the stovetop until it’s a little looser again. These are best right after they’re made. If you must, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temp. The moisture from the fridge will make the sugar coating turn wet.

Did you try this candy apple recipe? Show us your poison apples for Halloween on Tiktok and Instagram @lulus–and shop spooky stylish looks in our Halloween Dresses Shop!

This recipe comes from our food contributor, Stephanie Simmons, of Blue Bowl. Her goal with her kitchen-tested recipes is to get you excited about cooking, show you how good food can taste, and prove that you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to make a good meal.
This blog was originally published in September 2023.