Halloween is often about scary things and packaged treats, so the traditional fall treat of caramel apples can get the short end of the stick (pardon the pun!). Caramel apples are a blank canvas for extra flavors and creativity. The National Peanut Board team created several ways to innovate with caramel apples and everyone’s favorite ingredient: peanut butter.
“Pumpkin Peanut Butter Crunch Delight”
What can’t be infused with the flavor of pumpkin? Add a spoonful of canned pumpkin to caramel-peanut butter sauce and cover the apple with crushed pretzels, peanut butter chips and white and dark chocolate drizzle. The flavor and texture is reminiscent of Cracker Jacks with a hint of pumpkin. This is a delicious flavor pairing you will enjoy!
“The Peanut President”
Create the warm, broad smile of the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter; who is also the most well-known former peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia. After dipping the apple in caramel sauce, use creamy peanut butter and crushed peanuts for hair, semi-sweet chocolates for the eyes, Fruit by the Foot ® twists to make his smile and white, spearmint gum for his teeth. And voila! There goes your nutty smile.
“S’Mores”
Blend two of your childhood campfire favorites, the caramel apple and s’mores, by creating a peanut butter s’mores caramel apple. Add layers of chocolate and marshmallow fluff after dipping the apple into the peanut butter caramel dip. Finally, dip the apple into a mixture of crushed peanuts and graham crackers. It sounds like an innovative way to satisfy your sweet tooth this fall.
“Candy Explosion”
Looking for something to satisfy your seasonal craving? Combine sweet & salty flavors along with using brightly colored candies to make your apple pop. After dipping your apple in the caramel peanut butter mixture, coat your apple with yogurt coated pretzels, M&M’s, and sprinkles. There is, of course, no reason to limit yourself to just one topping, and a candied apple is the ideal fruit on which to decorate your unique flavors.
“Thai Me Up in Nuts Apple”
This recipe started with an exotic inspiration from Thai cuisine, which uses peanuts in many ways. Toss some peanuts with peanut oil and a mixture of spices including Madras curry powder, cinnamon, cumin, salt and red pepper, then roast for 10 minutes at 300 degrees. Once cooled, add fresh cilantro and basil to the peanut mixture. Lastly, coat the apple with caramel and roll in the chopped spiced peanuts and fresh herbs.
These dipped and decorated apples are a great treat to bring along to any fall get-together. Invite your friends and their kids over and create some new fall memories of your own.