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Caramel Apples

November 25, 2020 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

Add a little nostalgic whimsy to your holidays with these fun and festive caramel apples. Biting into a crisp juicy apple covered in a sweet buttery caramel coating is a crowd pleaser for both kids and adults alike!

red apples coated in caramel in cupcake wrapper, book stack in background

‘Tis the season for all things fall flavors and winter delights. Caramel and apple have built a relationship based on texture and taste, much like its cousin the candy apple, and what better way to celebrate this relationship than making homemade caramel apples!

green caramel apples

What are Caramel Apples?

This recipe provides a fool proof method of making buttery, silky smooth caramel right from scratch. For convenience sake some people may use caramel candies, but believe me when I say, it is well worth the extra steps.

There is something totally nostalgic about easy caramel apples. A crisp apple on a stick coated with a delicious caramel dip combined with the balance of sweet and tart brings us all back to the good ol’ days of summer carnivals and fall fairs.

With the holidays around the corner, we all look forward to carrying on childhood traditions with our own kids!

Set up a DIY decorating station for the kids. As soon as they’re dipped in caramel hand them off to your kids for the finishing touches.

More Recipes to Try

Candy Apple Recipe

The Best Chocolate Cream Pie

German Oven Pancakes

Brandy Pecan Baked Brie

Put out bowls of sprinkles, and chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or a chocolate drizzle. Other than eating them, decorating taffy apples is the next best thing!

Serve them on a platter at your next gathering, or package them nicely and you’ve got the perfect gift for your friends and neighbors. And if you have any caramel dip left, get fancy and make your own candy!

overhead view of baking sheet with green and red caramel apples

What You Will Need:

Candy thermometer – If you have one, it’s highly recommended that you use one. It’ll make your life easier and is a great way to avoid burning your caramel and keeping it at the right temperature and consistency.

Sticks – You can use bamboo sticks, these cute plastic “sticks”, or even cookie/lollipop sticks. (referral links here)

Ingredients:

  • Salted butter – A major component of creating a silky smooth and buttery caramel coating. The salt adds another element to the sweet caramel, especially if you choose not to add any sea salt.
  • Light brown sugar – Has a lighter flavor than its darker counterpart and gives way to that lovely light brown caramel color. Using darker brown sugar will result in darker caramel but will also have a bit of a different taste.
  • Light corn syrup – This is what helps prevent the sugar from crystallizing and becoming too hard or grainy. It leaves the coating smooth and shiny and chewier rather than solid.
  • Sea Salt – This is completely optional but a way to bring out all of the flavors, as salt tends to do.
  • Sweetened condensed milk – Condensed milk is the result of all the water being removed from milk. Sugar is then added to it. It’s thick creamy milk used for candies, caramel, fudge, and many baked goods!
  • Vanilla extract – Use whatever you have on hand.
  • White vinegar – You’ll need a bit of white vinegar and hot water to give your apples a thorough clean. It’ll help get any residual wax off the skin as well as any dirt hanging around.
ingredients for caramel apples with text overlay: green apples, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, sweetened condensed milk, sticks and candy thermometer

How to Make Caramel Apples:

Step 1: Making caramel apples is really easy, but the trick is to work quickly once you start dipping. A way to help with that is to have yourself set up properly from the beginning. Start by preparing your baking sheet with parchment paper and then cleaning your apples with the water and vinegar mixture. Wipe them down, place the stick in them and allow them to completely dry on the cookie sheet.

Step 2: While the apples are drying, grab a sauce pan and melt the butter over medium heat. Then add the brown sugar, corn syrup and optional salt. Stir and cook until it’s reached a full rolling boil. This is where you’ll want to get your thermometer to keep a close eye on the temperature.

Step 3: Add the sweetened condensed milk to the mixture and continue cooking until it has reached exactly 248 degrees on the thermometer. Any higher than that you risk overcooking and it may scorch and you’ll end up with a burnt taste. No one wants that! Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Step 4: Now is the fun part! Being very careful, because the caramel is still quite hot, grab an apple by the stick end and dip it into the caramel mixture. Swirl it around to coat the exterior and allow excess to drip off. If you plan on adding any extra decorations, now is the time to do it! Place back onto the parchment-lined sheet to cool.

4 photo collage of 1) butter in saucepan 2)brown sugar and corn syrup in saucepan 3) bubbling caramel with green apples around, and 4) pouring milk into caramel mixture

Repeat with each individual apple. They will cool within minutes at which time they’re ready to be devoured. Eat right off the stick or for smaller hands, cut them up into slices. Either way, you’re about to enjoy a sticky bite of heaven!

What are the best apples to use for caramel apples?

What’s great about this recipe is you really can use whatever apples you have on hand, especially if you’re making them at home for your family. If you’re serving them to a crowd or will be gifting them to a loved one, you might want to spend a little extra time picking out the perfect apple. Medium to small apples works best. Make sure they’re as close to “perfect” looking (no bruising if you can help it). Granny Smith apples are nice because they are tart and add a nice balance to the sweetness.

green apples coated in caramel in cupcake wrapper

Caramel Apples

Fool-proof recipe for the most delicious caramel apples – buttery, soft, melt in your mouth caramel over crisp, sweet apples!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Caramel apples
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 490kcal

Equipment

  • candy thermometer

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup salted butter
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • sprinkle of sea salt optional
  • 14 oz. sweetened, condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 apples Granny Smith, Gala
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar

Instructions

  • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Wipe down apples with a mixture of the white vinegar and 1 cup of hot water. Insert one cookie stick parallel to the stem of each apple. Place apples on prepared cookie sheet to dry completely.
  • In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
  • Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt (if using.) Stir and cook until mixture reaches a full rolling boil.
  • Place a candy thermometer into the saucepan and clip to the side so that you can monitor continually.
  • Add sweetened, condensed milk to the mixture and continue cooking and stirring until mixture reaches exactly 248 degrees on the thermometer.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
  • Working quickly, dip each apple into the caramel and swirl gently to coat. Allow excess caramel to drip off the apple; then, place apple onto the parchment paper/cookie sheet to cool.
  • The caramel will cool within minutes and the apples are ready to eat! Bite into apples right on the stick or slice and serve.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 94g | Vitamin A: 423IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 1mg

Filed Under: Desserts, Fall, Food and Recipes, Halloween, Holiday Inspiration, Thanksgiving Tagged With: apple, caramel

Cranberry Jello Salad

November 23, 2020 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

The bright, zesty flavors of raspberry, cranberry, and orange come together in this delicious cranberry jello salad. Fancy this side dish up by molding it in a bundt pan or jello mold or simply mix it up and serve it in a bowl. Either way, this cranberry jello is going to take the place of that boring old can of cranberry sauce on your holiday table.

beautiful cranberry jello salad on white serving platter with walnuts on top and cranberries and oranges as garnish

Raspberry and cranberry are such a perfect pairing and this recipe is a cinch to put together. It takes just a few minutes to mix everything and pop it in the fridge. The bright flavors are so nice to cut the heaviness between bites of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Serve this easy jello dish with your candied yams and granny’s famous dinner rolls.

side view of beautiful cranberry jello salad on white serving platter with walnuts on top and cranberries and oranges as garnish

What is Cranberry Jello Salad?

A jello side dish is a staple on the Thanksgiving table – and really, most holidays or group celebrations. This raspberry cranberry jello version makes a delicious stand in for cranberry sauce. We love the ease of using instant gelatin and the fancy convenience of the quintessential jello mold. If you’re interested in the history of jello salads, this read is super interesting!

More Recipes to Try

Chocolate Raspberry Crepes

Pistachio Pineapple Watergate Salad

Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe

Candied Yams with Marshmallows

How to Use a Jello Mold:

If you’ve never used a jello mold before, it is so simple. Prepare the mold with non-stick cooking spray to make it super easy to release the jello from the mold.

Be sure that you’re using a mold that is the right size for the recipe. If you try to fill a mold that’s gigantic, the jello will fill only a small portion and won’t look beautiful when you remove the jello. The jello won’t expand in size during molding, so you don’t have to worry about filling a mold too full, but you don’t want any of your ingredients to go to waste either! This recipe calls for a 6-cup jello mold or bundt pan – this is the mold I used (affiliate link).

Follow the recipe instructions to allow the jello enough time to set properly. This recipe requires at least 4 hours – you can whip everything up a day or two in advance and your jello salad will be ready to plate at dinnertime!

Simply turn the jello mold/pan upside down, centered on your serving plate and the cranberry jello salad will slip out of the mold and onto the plate. Some of the additional ingredients may settle in the pan and prevent the jello from a perfect molded shape. No worries! Garnish the molded jello with a sprinkling of chopped walnuts or orange zest and no one will notice a little imperfection here or there.

Ingredients:

  • fresh cranberries – these are so beautiful for garnish – you can also use frozen or skip altogether if cranberries aren’t available
  • walnuts – we love the bit of crunch and texture these add into the jello. My mom used to make two bowls of this cranberry jello – one with nuts and one without. If you don’t like walnuts, just leave them out!
  • Whole berry cranberry sauce – the whole cranberries in the canned sauce also add some texture. If you’d like to use fresh cranberry sauce, that works too!
  • raspberry gelatin – Instant gelatin makes this recipe so quick and easy to make.
  • orange zest – the burst of flavor from just a little orange zest adds so much punch to this jello.
  • sour cream – this adds a bit of creaminess and a bit of tartness as well.
ingredients for cranberry jello salad - whole walnuts, orange with zester, water, sour cream, jello in packet, and cranberry sauce in can with text overlay

How to Make Cranberry Jello Salad:

Step 1: Whisk together the boiling water and the raspberry gelatin until the gelatin dissolves.

Step 2: Stir in chopped walnuts, cranberry sauce, sour cream, and orange zest. Mix well.

Step 3: Pour jello into 6-cup mold or a serving bowl. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Step 4: Flip over the jello mold to release the jello and garnish with zest, fresh cranberries, maybe even a couple orange slices. Serve!

4 photo collage of 1)whisk mixing jello in clear bowl 2)sour cream, orange zest, walnuts added to bowl 3) jello in bundt pan jello mold 4) molded cranberry jello salad garnished on serving platter

Didn’t this cranberry jello turn out just beautiful? Gorgeous and delicious are my two favorite things!

side view of pie server scooping slice of cranberry jello salad on white serving platter with walnuts on top and cranberries and oranges as garnish
beautiful cranberry jello salad on white serving platter with walnuts on top and cranberries and oranges as garnish

Cranberry Jello Salad

The bright, zesty flavors of raspberry, cranberry, and orange come together in this delicious cranberry jello salad.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberry jello, cranberry jello salad, raspberry cranberry jello
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 4 hours
Servings: 8
Calories: 141kcal

Equipment

  • 6-cup jello mold

Ingredients

  • 3 oz. raspberry gelatin instant
  • 1 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 8 oz. whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange zest plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries for garnish

Instructions

  • Whisk together gelatin and boiling water until gelatin is dissolved. Chill/cool until thick and syrupy for the most even distribution of the additional ingredients.
  • Stir in remaining ingredients and whisk to combine well.
  • Pour jello mixture into a greased 6-cup jello mold or bundt pan. Alternately, you can just pour it into a serving bowl and skip the mold altogether!
  • Refrigerate for 3-4 hours to allow jello to set. (You can prepare in advance and chill for up to 2 days before serving).
  • Flip mold upside down on serving platter to release jello. Serve immediately garnished with fresh cranberries, more chopped walnuts, and orange zest.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Notes

Cranberry jello will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.  Do not freeze.

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 109IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

Filed Under: Desserts, Food and Recipes, Holiday Inspiration, Soups|Salads|Side Dishes, Thanksgiving

Candied Yams with Marshmallows

November 22, 2020 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

Another staple on our Thanksgiving table, and the occasional Wednesday night, we looooove our candied yams with marshmallows in this house! Cooked yams are mashed with butter and maple syrup, and a few other yummy treats and then topped with a huge pile of mini marshmallows. Pop this casserole in the oven and make the kiddos’ eyes light up when you tell them to eat their vegetables.

closeup of gold spoon scooping candied yams with toasted marshmallows from white dish

This is my girls’ favorite dish of all for Thanksgiving. In fact, we love our candied yams so much, sometimes with have this marshmallow version and a second pan of yams with brown sugar pecan streusel. Whichever way you bake ’em, this staple dish goes hand in hand with our fancied up stovetop stuffing and mom’s cranberry jello salad.

closeup of candied yams with toasted marshmallows in white dish with scoop removed

What are Candied Yams?

When I think of candied yams, I often think of cut up chunks or slices of yam or sweet potato, mixed with sugar, butter, and spices, and then baked into a caramelized dish. For this version of candied yams, we’ve mashed microwave-cooked yams and then mixed them with maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and butter – achieving that caramelized/candied taste without the extra cooking. I also find our mashed version more palatable!

More Recipes to Try

Candy Apple Recipe

The Best Chocolate Cream Pie

German Oven Pancakes

Brandy Pecan Baked Brie

How Do You Cook Yams in the Microwave?

Making baked potatoes and baked yams in the microwave is such a huge timesaver (and dish saver)! The skins do not crisp in the same way as when you bake the potatoes in the oven, but the inside tastes practically identical. Since we’re discarding the skins for this recipe, waste no time (or oven space) trying to cook these in the oven, and opt for this much quicker route.

For best results, choose yams that are similar in size. Be sure to prick the skins all over with a fork to allow the steam to escape while they’re cooking. If you don’t, the built up steam may cause the sweet potato to explode. No one has time to clean up that mess either!!

Arrange the yams in a spoke pattern in the microwave. This will ensure more even cooking. You can place them on a dish OR, for easier cleanup, just place them on a few layers of paper towel. They do seep some sticky juice while they’re cooking, so be sure those paper towels are ready to catch the drips.

Microwave for about 5 minutes to start and then add 2 minutes per additional yam. Turn the yams over halfway through cooking. You can also flip the end that faces in to the spoke pattern. Add 1-2 minutes of cook time more after the initial cooking until the yams are done. I usually squeeze the sides of the yam to tell when they’re done – they’re soft and squish easily. They are really hot at this point, though, so be careful. You can also pierce them with a fork – if the fork slides in easily, they are done.

Remove cooked yams from the microwave as they finish cooking. If you have a bit of a smaller one, it may finish cooking faster. Just pull that one out and continue cooking those that aren’t done yet.

If you have a microwave with a “baked potato” setting, go ahead and start there. It seems to do the job pretty accurately. Once your yams are cooked, allow them to cool just a little bit and then you’re ready to candy them and top them with marshmallows!

Ingredients for Candied Yams with Marshmallows:

  • 3 yams/sweet potatoes – I love garnet yams! Do double check when you’re buying your yams that you’re choosing those with orange flesh. Some yams have white flesh – they don’t look quite as appetizing and those that I’ve tried aren’t quite as sweet or moist either.
  • Butter – we always use the real stuff! I use salted butter for almost everything – if you use unsalted butter, compensate by adding 1/2 teaspoon or so of salt. You can also use a butter substitute.
  • Maple syrup – mmmm, maple syrup adds so much flavor and also sweetness to our candied yams. If you’re lucky enough to have pure maple syrup from you last trip to Vermont (hahaha), this is the time break it out from the lock box and treat yourself! You can also use pure maple syrup from your local grocery store. If you prefer maple flavored corn syrup, you can use that too.
  • Vanilla extract – Like the maple syrup, the vanilla adds another layer of flavor and dimension to our candied yams.
  • Brown sugar – Most of the sweetness is going to come from the brown sugar in this recipe – you can adjust the amount and taste the yams while you’re mixing them to achieve the level of sweetness that you’d like. The brown sugar complements the bold flavor of the yams so well.
  • Heavy Cream – Just as you’d add milk or cream to your mashed potatoes, I like to add just a splash of heavy cream to this dish as well. It adds some creaminess and also breaks up the starches just a bit for a smoother bite. Milk or a milk substitute will work here also. Or skip it altogether, they’ll still be delicious!
ingredients for candied yams including maple syrup, brown sugar, yams on white plate, mini marshmallows, a pat of butter, heavy cream in jar, and vanilla extract with text overlay

How to Make Candied Yams with Marshmallows:

Step 1: Start by cooking the yams until they’re soft. I like to cook the yams whole, with skins intact, by cooking them in the microwave just like you’d cook a regular potato in the microwave.

Slice them in half and scoop out the flesh. Pile the cooked yams in a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Now we’re going to add the “candy” part. Toss in all of the add-ins except for the marshmallows. The butter will melt down as you mix. Mash everything together with a potato masher or a fork. If you like your yams a little bit chunky, that’s just fine! Mash them down to your preferred consistency.

Step 3: Now spread the yams out in a baking dish – anything similar to a 9×13 will work. Use an oven safe dish. If you cooked your yams ahead of time and they were cool when you mixed in the add-ins, reheat or bake them for awhile before adding the marshmallows. You can also heat your yam mixture in the microwave before putting them in the oven. If you are making everything at once, they will be hot enough to just go straight to the marshmallow “top and toast.”

Step 4: Now, top your candied yams with mini marshmallows and pop it into the oven. Bake in the oven just long enough to toast your marshmallows. I

four photo collage of yams in bowl with brown sugar, mashed together, spread in white casserole dish, and covered in marshmallows

Yummmm! Try to pull those yams out of the oven right at meal time. They take only 15 minutes or so top brown the marshmallows. I usually pop them in the oven to toast as I’m making the turkey gravy. Then, we can eat the yams while the marshamallows are still all ooey gooey!

closeup of gold spoon scooping candied yams with toasted marshmallows from white dish
What is the difference between yams and sweet potatoes?

In America, the two names are frequently used interchangeably. They are almost always referencing sweet potatoes. Actual yams are a different root vegetables and are drier and much less sweet than sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes can be white, yellow/orange, and even purple! When we say candied yams here, we actually mean candied sweet potatoes. You can read more about the differences in this excellent article by Bon Apetit!

Can I skip the marshamallows?

Of course! The candied yams are super yummy on their own. You might also prefer a pecan streusel atop your candied yams.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can cook the yams up to three days in advance. Wrap cooked yams in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or scoop out the flesh and seal it in an airtight container. Reheat the yams in the microwave before adding in the “candy” to ensure that your dish is hot coming out of the oven the same time the marshmallows are toasted to perfection,

closeup of candied yams with toasted marshmallows in white dish with scoop removed

Candied Yams with Marshmallows

Yams candied with maple syrup and brown sugar and topped with gooey toasted marshmallows
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Holiday
Keyword: candied yams, candied yams with marshmallows, holiday side dishes, yams
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Cooling Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 275kcal

Ingredients

Yams

  • 3 garnet yams medium
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/8 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Topping

  • 2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

  • Wash yams thoroughly and poke on all sides with a fork to allow steam to escape while cooking.
  • Arrange yams in a spoke pattern on several layers of paper towel in the microwave.
  • Cook on the "baked potato" setting or until yams are soft all the way through when poked with a fork.
  • Remove from microwave oven and allow to sit and cool for 10 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle.
  • Slice yams in half lengthwise and scoop out cooked contents with a spoon. Discard skins.
  • In a bowl, combine yams, butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and heavy cream. Mix well, mashing with a fork or potato masher until most lumps are smooth.
  • Spread yam mixture into a 9×13 glass baking dish or similar casserole dish.
  • Sprinkle mini marshmallows evenly over the yams.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the marshmallows are toasted brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Tried this recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @girlinspired!

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 1053mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 420IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

Filed Under: Food and Recipes, Holiday Inspiration, Soups|Salads|Side Dishes, Thanksgiving

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