I love me a good dessert board. And a good breakfast board. Really anything sweet on a board works for me, sweet or savory actually. This caramel apple board idea is just a fun way to create an at home caramel apple bar but using caramel apple slices instead of caramel apples because at the end of the day, you always cut up caramel apples to eat them anyway. Or you should – they’re way better that way! I shared something similar with my apple party ideas a few years back but we made caramel apple nachos instead of caramel apple slices on a stick! Still delicious, just not quite as pretty!
Why You’ll Love This Idea
Easy setup and clean up – since everything is contained in its own little container and all on a board, it’s way easier to setup and clean up afterwards! Just dump what’s leftover and put leftover apple slices in a bag! Fun activity – letting kids (and adults) dip their own apple slices is actually really fun and not as frustrating as dipping whole caramel apples (although that’s fun too!)Various flavors – one of the best things about this is that instead of having to choose just one flavor for your caramel apple, you can try a bunch of different flavors. Dip one slice in chocolate and nuts and then the next in caramel and Fruity Pebbles. You can’t go wrong when you’re just trying things out on one slice!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Okay so here’s the thing, when it comes to creating any sort of dessert board, the possibilities for ingredients are endless. I’ve included a handful of different options for ingredients and what I used for this post below, but you’re welcome to get creative with your favorites!
Caramel – I recommend using a jar of old-fashioned caramel because it coats the apples well.Chocolate melts – the Ghiradelli ones work best because they don’t harden quickly and are easy to work with! You can do white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate!Apples – Granny Smith, Jonagold, Honeycrisp all work really well for this but really you could use anything you want. I like to do a combination of red and green apples, just like I recommend to serve with my caramel apple dip!
Those are my personal preferences for the actual apple coatings. Then there are toppings and that’s where the possibilities really are unlimited.
Caramel Apple Toppings
Stick with things that are smaller and work well to coat the apple slices. Here are a few ideas!
Mini chocolate candies like mini M&Ms, mini Reese’s Pieces, and even mini Buncha Crunch type candies. Nuts, mini chocolate chips, mini any other flavored chips, marshmallow bites (like the ones that go in hot chocolate bombs). Cereals like Fruity Pebbles, crushed Fruit Loops, or even Golden GrahamsDifferent types of crumbs like graham cracker crumbs, Oreo crumbers, cookie crumbs Other toppings like cinnamon sugar, coarse salt, flavored sugars
You’ll also need lollipop sticks like these ones. Don’t try to use regular skewers that are huge and expensive – the lollipop sticks do just fine!
Instructions
Okay so putting together your caramel apple board is pretty straightforward. Or if you want to go all out with a larger board, I also love my Fab Slab board! Since you’ll be putting everything in their own containers, it really doesn’t matter on that board as much! Just get one big enough to hold the things you want to serve for toppings!Place all of the toppings in a muffin tin or just put them in their own individual bowls if you’d rather – either one is totally fine! Put them all onto the board. I also like to use different shapes and sizes of topping cups to give the board variety if you’re not doing the muffin tins. It’s really up to you! Next put the bowls that will have your dipping sauces in them on the board. You can keep them empty for now – you’ll want to add the melted dipping sauces at the last minute so they stay melted for as long as possible! Slice your apples and dip them in the Sprite. You could also do lemon juice but I’ve found the Sprite works just as well and doesn’t have the same tart taste! Place the apple slices and the lollipop sticks on the board, filling in all of the space around your toppings and dipping sauce bowls. Finish off the board by melting your chocolates and pouring them into their appropriate bowls right before you’re ready to serve! That’ll keep them melted enough for dipping! If they harden at some point, just melt them again quickly! Serve the board all setup and ready to go! Let people choose their apples, stick them onto lollipop sticks, and dip away. That’s the most fun part – trying out different types of toppings on apple slices!
Expert Tips
Store leftover apples in a plastic zipper bag in the refrigerator for up to three days. Plastic wrap everything else on the board (except the caramel – put that in the fridge) if you want to bring it out again in the next day or two! Just remelt the chocolate when you’re ready and set it all up again! Use the apples to fill in the holes on the boards. You could also fill them in with larger candies just to finish off the space if you want to turn it into even more of a dessert board. Try things with caramel in them like caramel apple suckers, Rolos, and Twix Bars. Melt the chocolate either in the microwave for 30 second increments or by double boiling on the stove until melted smooth. You want them to be completely smooth so that they dip well! Pre-poke the apples with the sticks if you’re doing this with younger kids so that the apples and/or sticks don’t all get broken during the sticking process! It’s pretty easy for adults but can be more challenging for the kiddos! Have other apple themed treats like this caramel apple bark on hand to eat while they’re waiting for their turn to dip!
More Easy Apple Recipes
If you like this caramel apple board idea, you’ll love these other fun apple recipes that would go well with it!
Spiced apple cider – this delicious fall drink would be the perfect complement to your caramel apple board!Homemade apple pie – this delicious apple pie has a sweet filling on top of the most flaky pie crust, it’s homemade apple pie at its best! Caramel apple drink – if you’re looking for a fall mocktail, this one is always a big hit with both kids and adults! Easy apple crumble – warm apples topped with a crumbly and yummy topping, this one is even better served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!
