Ingredients
• 4 large crisp apples (e.g., Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), cored and cut into ½”-thick wedges
• 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter
• ¼ cup (60ml) light corn syrup (or maple syrup for natural version)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• Optional:
– ½ cup chopped pecans or peanuts
– Flaky sea salt for finishing
– Drizzle of melted dark chocolate after baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment (not wax paper—caramel sticks!).
- Arrange apple slices in a single layer on the sheet—slightly overlapping is OK.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil; cook 1–2 min until smooth and slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
- Carefully pour hot caramel evenly over apples, coating each slice.
- Bake 15–18 min until apples are tender and caramel is bubbling and deep amber.
- Immediately sprinkle with nuts (if using). Cool completely on pan—caramel will harden into a chewy shell.
- Break into clusters or slice into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days (or refrigerate in humid climates).
PREP TIME & NUTRITION (per serving, serves 8):
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 18 min | Total Time: 1 hr (incl. cooling) | Servings: 8 | Calories: 240 | Net Carbs: 36g | Fats: 11g | Protein: 1g