Keep snacking simple with an apple dipper bar that can be made with a few simple, store-bought ingredients. Slicing the apples first makes them a lot easier to eat once they've been dunked in caramel and toppings.
Photography by Jackie Alpers
The Basics
To set up your apple dipper bar, round up the basic ingredients: a jar of your favorite store-bought caramel sauce, apples and the juice from half a lemon.
Preserve Freshness
Slice and core the apples, then toss with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
Warm the Caramel
Right before serving, warm the store-bought caramel sauce in a microwave-safe bowl or its own jar (with the lid off), on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until warm.
The Toppings
Next, choose your dippers. You can serve them in small decorative bowls or use a chip-and-dip platter for organizing your apple slices, dippers and caramel sauce. Check out these simple ideas — some sweet and some savory — to complete your interactive snack-time treat.
Light & Sweet
Shredded coconut: Pair coconut, which has a mild, nutty sweetness, with your sweet and tangy apple-caramel dippers.
Sprinkles: Plunge your caramel-apple slices into a bowl of festively colored sprinkles for sweetness, flair and, of course, color.
Mini marshmallows: Dip your apple slices into a bowl of miniature marshmallows for a soft, creamy contrast to the crispness of the fruit.
Graham cracker powder: Either crush graham crackers by hand or simply pulverize them in your food processor for a fine graham-cracker powder. Dip your caramel-apple slices into it for the taste of caramel-apple pie without all the work.
Dark & Rich
Chocolate chips: Dunk your apple dippers into a bowl of mini chocolate chips for the perfect combination of luscious caramel and crunchy chocolate bites. If you prefer something with a little more snap, swap your usual semisweet chips for the less sweet cocoa nibs.
Chopped nuts: Chop walnuts, pecans or almonds for a crunchy, salty addition to your apple dippers. While not technically nuts, peanuts also make a great addition to your apple slices and caramel.
Cookie crumbles: Crush chocolate chip cookies, chocolate wafers or cream-filled cookies for a sweet-on-sweet coating.
