3-Ingredient Caramel Apple Bites

These easy caramel apple bites only need three ingredients. Enjoy crisp apple, rich caramel, melty chocolate, and crunchy pretzel in one perfect bite!

Rich, creamy, crunchy, sweet, and a bit tart, one stick of these caramel apple bites is literally the perfect bite.

You only need 3 ingredients for these easy fall treats, and they’re as fun to make as they are to serve and eat. 

This recipe for caramel apple bites also includes mouthwatering ideas for toppings, so grab your green apples, caramel chocolates, and pretzels because everything your sweet tooth needs this autumn is just a few scrolls down away. ?

What Are Caramel Apple Bites?

Caramel apple bites are like mini candy apples. But instead of dunking an entire apple in caramel, you’ll get a skewer with a chunk of apple, caramel, chocolate, and pretzel; a perfect bite indeed! ?

Unlike caramel apples, you don’t need to watch these caramel apple bites like a hawk when making them. In fact, the only tedious part of this recipe is slicing the apples into cubes.

What I like about these apple caramel bites is I can finally enjoy caramel apples without worrying that I’ll lose a tooth! I’m always amazed how some people can just bite into one without needing a dentist appointment afterward. ?

Any dessert on a stick will also always be fun to eat. You just grab a piece, and everything your apple caramel-loving self could possibly want is stacked on it. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Caramel Apple Bites 

• So Easy, Kids Can Make Them: This fun twist on the classic fall apple treat is so simple, even kids can make them! You don’t need to worry about burning a caramel sauce or removing the wax coating off the apples like when making a full-size caramel apple. 
• Party-Friendly: Regular caramel apples can be quite big and messy for autumn gatherings. Why commit to something that can be hard to finish when you can get the whole caramel apple experience (and more) in a ready-to-go stick?
• Perfectly Portioned: These mini caramel apple bites have every flavor and texture you want in a caramel apple. But despite the size, these skewers of tart-sweet heaven are nothing short of amazing. 

What Does Apple Caramel Bites Taste Like?

These apple caramel bites taste sweet, rich, and tart. You can even use sea salt pretzel twists if you’re into salted caramel desserts. ?

But for me, the texture of every layer is what makes these mini caramel apple bites ten times better than their big siblings.

You’ll get crunch from pretzels, juiciness from the apples, and creaminess from the caramel-filled chocolates. 

Put all the flavors and textures together in a single stick, and you have a dessert that will satisfy all your cravings.

If you’ve ever eaten a caramel apple and thought, “Oh, it could use something crunchy” or “I wish it’s not overly sweet,” then these mini apple caramels are for you. 

Ingredients For Mini Caramel Apple Bites

• Granny Smith apples – Look, I won’t judge you if you pick a sweet variety of apple for your caramel apple bites, but I think many will agree with me if I say that Granny Smith is the best one for these treats. Granny Smith apples are tart, crisp, and just *chef’s kiss* with the rich chocolate caramels. 
• Pretzel twists – You can use salted or unsalted mini pretzels in this recipe for caramel apple bites. 
• Caramel chocolates – You can use any caramel-filled chocolates. We’ll “bake” them with pretzels for a few minutes until they’re nice and melty for the juicy apple chunks. ? 

Tools Needed To Prepare Mini Caramel Apple Bites

• Knife for slicing the apples into cubes
• Foil for lining the baking sheet
• Baking sheet for baking the caramel-topped pretzels
• Skewers for assembling the mini caramel apple bites

Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Mini Caramel Apple Bites

Crushed graham crackers

If you love apple crisps, crushed graham cracker toppings will be perfect for your caramel apple pretzel bites! 

Since these caramel apple bites are probably what your fall sweet tooth’s dreams are made of, we might as well top them with something familiar in the desserts we enjoy this season.

Chopped pecans

Chopped nuts will also be delicious with these apple caramel bites. But with the many possible choices, if I have to pick just one, I vote for pecans!

Pumpkin pie spice

Sprinkle your mini caramel apple bites with something warm and cozy. What better spice blend for green apple chunks and caramel than pumpkin pie spice?

How to Make Caramel Apple Bites

Ingredients:

• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 1 pack pretzel twists
• 1 pack caramel chocolates

Tools you need:

• Knife
• Foil
• Baking sheet
• Skewers

Instructions:

STEP 1: Gather the ingredients for your caramel apple bites.

STEP 2: Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line the baking sheet with foil.

STEP 3: Arrange the pretzels over the baking sheet.

STEP 4: Place a caramel candy over each pretzel.

STEP 5: Bake for 4 minutes or until the candies are soft.

STEP 6: Cut the apples into bite-size chunks with the peel on.

STEP 7: Stick an apple cube through pretzels and caramel candies with a skewer. Repeat with all the pretzels.

What To Serve With Caramel Apple Bites

Serve your caramel apple bites with your favorite candy apple toppings!

Don’t know what sauce or drizzle to pick? The tart, sweet, creamy flavors will be scrumptious with dark chocolate sauce or peanut butter topping.

Or, if you want something new for your caramel apple toppings, go with salty treats.

Try your caramel apple pretzel bites with lightly salted pistachios, or if you’re feeling adventurous, you might enjoy them with sharp cheddar shreds; don’t knock them ’til you’ve tried them! ?

Love the pairing of caramel and apples? Check our take on caramel apple pancakes and caramel apple tart. Trust me, you’ll want these sweet, gooey apple desserts all to yourself. 

Tips About Making Apple Caramel Bites

• Another way to make this caramel apple bite recipe is to press the apples on top of the caramel candies. This makes it easier to arrange the apple caramel bites upright!
• For the best texture, let your mini caramel apple bites set at room temperature for 45 minutes. You can also refrigerate them until the chocolate caramels firm up.
• These caramel apple pretzel bites are already party-friendly with their grab-and-go size. But to keep things even more mess-free, you can place each caramel apple perfection in a mini cupcake wrapper! 

How to Store Caramel Apple Bites

• Fridge: If you happen to have leftovers (which I highly doubt ?), you can just put them in an airtight container and refrigerate them. I suggest eating them within 3 days so the textures are still enjoyable. 
• Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing apple caramel bites because of the discoloration that can happen on the chocolate caramels. The pretzels might also lose their crunch when you thaw them. 

Can You Make Caramel Apple Bites Ahead Of Time?

Yes and no.

You can jumpstart this recipe for caramel apple bites and bake the pretzels with caramel candies three days in advance. 

But for the cube-shaped apples, well, it’s better to prepare them close to your serving time. Apples are notorious for browning quickly, and they just won’t look appetizing. 

How Can You Keep Sliced Apples from Turning Brown?

Worried that your apple chunks for the caramel apple bites will turn brown too quickly? Just squeeze some lemon juice on your apples!

If you need to keep your sliced apples for longer, you can also soak them in a solution of a cup of water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. 

Just remember to rinse and pat your apples dry before using them. 

How to Get Caramel to Stick to Apples

If you’ll make your caramel apple bites with the apple cubes sitting on top of the caramel candies, it’s important that you prepare and dry your apples. 

Make a mixture of water with some salt, and soak the apple chunks for 5 minutes. Then, drain and rinse them under cold water.

Pat your apples dry, and they’re ready to go!

Now, for those who don’t want to do all this work, you can just slice your apples and dip them in salted caramel.

Try our easy caramel dip made from condensed milk! ?

 FAQ About Caramel Apples

Conclusion

Got an abundance of fresh fall apples? Make these quick and easy caramel apple bites!

You’ll only need caramel candies and mini pretzels to accompany your apples. This recipe is also a delicious way to make use of leftover apples since you’ll slice them into bite-size cubes. 

Oh, and if you’re like me, who can’t eat full-sized caramel apples because they might chip my fragile teeth, these apple caramel bites are perfect!

The crunch of pretzels with the crisp texture of tart apples and rich, creamy caramel chocolate is just absolute heaven. Reminder to self: try this recipe with salty pretzels!✍️

If you can’t get enough of caramel and apple recipes, choose from these snacks and drinks:

• Apple Sugar Cookies
• Salted Caramel Milkshake
• Apple Pear Slaw with Caramel Cider Vinaigrette
• Caramel Brulee Latte Copycat Starbucks Recipe
• Apple Crumble Cheesecake