Caramel Apple Nachos are a fun, sharable twist on traditional caramel apples โ no sticks required! Crisp sliced apples are drizzled with warm caramel and chocolate, then topped with your favorite crunchy or sweet toppings. Itโs the perfect way to enjoy a delicious fall dessert without the extra mess or effort. If you're looking for other delicious fall desserts try our easy applesauce spice cake with maple buttercream frosting.
Why Youโll Love This Recipe
- Perfect fall treat โ A fun way to enjoy your favorite fall flavors like apples, caramel, and chocolate.
- Endless options โ Top with anything from toffee bits and mini M&Ms to coconut or crushed peanuts for a yummy treat. You'll also love our easy toffee apple dip!
- Fun for the whole family โ Set up a caramel apple nacho bar with small bowls of toppings for everyone to customize their own plate. It is also an easy after school snack and fun Halloween party food.
- Quick and easy โ Ready in minutes and made with simple ingredients you likely already have on hand, and so much easier than dipping a whole apple in caramel.
- Naturally sweetened option โ The homemade date caramel is rich, creamy, and made without refined sugar.
Ingredient Notes
- Medjool dates - We prefer Medjool dates for this recipe because theyโre naturally soft, sweet, and caramel-like, creating a smooth, rich texture that blends beautifully. If you love dates, try our easy chocolate covered date snickers.
- Coconut milk - feel free to use light or full fat coconut milk for this recipe. Full fat will provide a richer and creamier date caramel.
- Apples - we prefer using a tart apple like Granny Smith for this recipe. You could also use pink lady or honey crisp.
- Toppings - the topping options are endless! Topping ideas include crushed peanuts, coconut, toffee bits (or crushed Heath bars), mini M&M, chopped pieces of candy bars, mini chocolate chips, melted chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar, or crushed pretzels.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements for this favorite fall treat.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Use the included date caramel recipe, your favorite store-bought caramel sauce, or any homemade caramel sauce you love.
- If using chocolate, you can use semisweet chips, white chocolate chips, or hot fudge for a richer flavor. If you do white chocolate chips, you can sprinkle with some cinnamon sugar to create a deconstructed version of the "apple pie" caramel apple.ย
- Drizzle melted peanut butter over the top for an irresistible combo of apples, caramel, and peanut butter.
- Topping ideas: Try Heath bits, mini M&Ms, toffee bits, crushed peanuts, coconut flakes, chopped pieces of candy bars, crushed pretzels, a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, or even a scoop of ice cream.
- Granny Smith apples add tartness that pairs perfectly with sweet caramel, but Honeycrisp or Fuji are great too.
- โArrange the caramel apple slices on a large serving platter and let guests add their favorite toppings.
- Toss the sliced apples in a bit of lemon juice before assembling to help prevent browning.
How to Make Caramel Apple Nachos With Homemade Date Caramel
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the date caramel (skip this step if using store-bought caramel). If your dates are not already soft, place them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 15 minutes to soften, then carefully drain.ย
Add the softened dates, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and salt to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend for 30โ40 seconds, or until completely smooth. Add a little extra coconut milk if needed to reach your desired consistency.
Step 2: While the dates are softening, or after making the caramel sauce, thinly slice your clean apples.ย Arrange the apple slices in a single layer on your prepared sheet pan.
Step 3: Drizzle evenly with caramel.
Sprinkle your choice of toppings over the top of the apples and serve immediately. Topping ideas include melted chocolate chips, crushed peanuts, coconut, toffee bits (or crushed Heath bars), mini M&M, chopped pieces of candy bars, mini chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar, or crushed pretzels.
Caramel Apple Nachos FAQs
These caramel apple slices are best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Keep in mind the apples will soften slightly as they sit, so itโs best to assemble just before serving.
Because of the fresh apples and warm caramel, this recipe doesnโt freeze well once assembled. However, you can freeze the date caramel on its own for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight or at room temperature, then stir until smooth before drizzling over your apples.
The best way to keep sliced apples from turning brown is to coat them lightly with lemon juice or soak them for a few minutes in a mixture of 1 tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup water. This keeps them looking fresh and crisp โ perfect for your caramel apple nachos or any fall dessert.
This caramel apple nacho recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan depending on the toppings you choose. The date caramel is dairy free.ย
Other Cozy Fall Recipes
If you make this caramel apple nachos recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Donโt forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished productโit makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Easy Caramel Apple Nachos (With Homemade Date Caramel)
Ingredients
For the date caramel (or use your favorite store bought or homemade caramel sauce)
- 12 large Medjool dates, pitted
- ยพ cup coconut milk (light or full-fat)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยผ teaspoon kosher salt
For the apple nachos
- 4 medium apples, thinly sliced
- Toppings of choice: melted chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips,crushed peanuts, coconut, toffee bits (or crushed Heath bars), mini M&M, chopped pieces of candy bars, cinnamon sugar, or crushed pretzels
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the date caramel (skip this step if using store-bought caramel). If your dates are not already soft or at room temperature, place them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 15 minutes to soften, then carefully drain.ย
- While the dates are softening (or after making the caramel sauce if you don't need to soak the dates) thinly slice your clean apples.ย Arrange the apple slices in a single layer on your prepared sheet pan.
- Add the softened dates, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and salt to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend for 30โ40 seconds, or until completely smooth. Add a little extra coconut milk if needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Arrange the apple slices in a single layer on your prepared sheet pan. Drizzle evenly with caramel.
- Sprinkle your choice of toppings over the top of the apples and serve immediately. See ingredients section for topping ideas.
Notes
- Save time/prep ahead:
- Make the date caramel ahead of time โ it keeps well for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight or at room temperature, then stir until smooth before drizzling over your apples.
- You can slice the apples a few hours in advance; just store them in cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning.
- For gatherings, pre-slice apples and set up a caramel apple nacho bar with all the choice of toppings for guests to build their own.ย
- This caramel apple nacho recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan depending on the toppings you choose. The date caramel is dairy free.ย
- The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Caramel Apple Nachos." The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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