This Creamy Caramel Apple Dip is hands down my favorite sweet dip to make for a crowd. Why, you may ask? Because I have yet to ever make it without getting requests for the recipe. It is loved by kids and adults alike. And with only 5 ingredients, it is quick and easy to make. With a combination of sweet, creamy, salty, nutty and crunchy all in one bite... it is ohhh so good. Dipping apples into this delicious dip makes it seem a bit more nutritious too:-)
The Hardest Part
The most difficult part of making this dip is deciding when to cut the apples and how to keep them from browning before you serve them. I have tried countless different natural tactics like soaking them in a lemon juice and water bath or rinsing them in ginger ale. Some of these tricks work better than others, but none of them work really well in my opinion. I usually ended up with soggy and brown apples.
One fool proof option is to cut and core the apples as close to the time you'll serve them as possible. Store the slices in the fridge reassembled so the cut sides touch each other to keep air from getting in. This works well, but they only hold for about an hour or so. That last hour before guests come is always hectic for me, so this isn't my favorite option. A more expensive option is to buy them pre-cut. They are usually treated with an ascorbic acid/citric acid combination, which does help prevent browning very well but they still end up soggy sometimes. And they are expensive!
My Favorite Solution
Lately I have been briefly soaking cut apples in a bath of salt water with great results. Here's what I do: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in every 2 cups of water. Make enough salt water to cover the apples completely. Place the cut apples into the bath and stir them around. Make sure that all of the apple pieces come apart and get a quick bath. Then pour out the salt water and rinse the apples with cool tap water. Next, store the apples covered in a dry bowl until ready to serve. You can also wait to rinse them off until just before you serve them if you prefer.
I have found that this method will keep the apples beautifully crisp with very little, if any, browning. Since they aren't soaking for very long, they don't become soggy either. They last looking great for at least 6 hours and after 24 hours only show a little browning. The last two pics below show the apples after 2 hours and after 24 hours. For more info on the science behind this method, check out this article on preventing apple browning. That article is what inspired me to give the method a shot and I am glad I did!
The Easy Stuff!
Once you’ve decided how to handle your apples, it is time to make the dip. Let the cream cheese come to room temp before combining it with the thick caramel using a hand mixer. This will ensure that you won't have any lumps. Pour it into the dish you want to serve it in. I like to use a shallow pie plate. A clear glass dish would be great for seeing the layers too! Once the cream cheese mixture has chilled completely, pour the second caramel sauce evenly on top of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle peanuts on top for the final touch.
More Gluten Free Dips!
- Unbelievable Fruit Dip
- Mediterranean Layer Dip
- Addictive Artichoke Dip
- Macadamia Nut Hummus
- Fully Loaded Guacamole
- Easy Guacamole
- Fresh Fiesta Dip
Ingredients
Creamy Caramel Apple Dip
- 1 8oz cream cheese - softened to room temp
- 1 11oz-16oz jar thick caramel or butterscotch topping
- 1 15oz-20oz jar easily pourable caramel sauce
- 1 cup roasted & salted peanuts
- 8-10 medium apples - rinsed, cored & sliced
Optional salt water bath
- 4 teaspoon Salt - **Optional
- 8 cups cool water - **Optional
Instructions
- Optional** Up to 6 hours before serving, core and cut apples into slices. In a very large bowl, dissolve 4 teaspoons of water in approximately 8 cups of cool water. If you need more water to completely cover all of your apples, keep a ratio of 1 teaspoon of salt for every 2 cups of water. Core and cut apples into slices. Place all apples into the salt water bath and stir making sure that they don’t stick together and all sides of the apple get a bath. After a minute or two, drain the salt water and rinse the apples with cool tap water. Drain the apples from the tap water and store them covered in a dry bowl in the fridge until ready to serve.
- In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese and thick caramel or butterscotch topping at a medium speed with a hand mixer until no lumps remain and uniform in color.
- Scrape mixture into a 9 inch pie plate or other shallow serving dish that is approximately 8x8 or 9x9. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Chill the caramel sauce in the fridge at this time as well.
- When ready to serve, pour the chilled caramel sauce until it completely covers the cream cheese mixture. You may not need to use all of the caramel sauce. Then sprinkle peanuts on top.
- Serve with freshly sliced apples. If you decided not to give the sliced apples a salt water bath, try to cut the apples as close to serving time as possible to prevent browning.
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