These Silly Caramel Apple Faces are not only incredibly delicious but they’ll have your little ones squealing with delight! Perfect for a fun Halloween treat!
I’ll be honest, while I love the Fall, Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. I can get into the fun costumes and thoroughly enjoy walking our neighborhood with close friends and our kiddos. But I don’t do much in the way of decorating around the house. And I definitely don’t get into the whole scary/gory stuff. No judgement for those who relish that part, it’s just not my thing.
But, with a three and five year old, I definitely find myself drawn to embracing some of the silly/spooky snack and treat ideas I’ve seen floating around Pinterest. They’re so easily amused at this age. And that joy and delight is contagious. So this year I set out to make a fun, healthy-ish treat for them. Thus we have these Silly Caramel Apple Faces.
My kids aren’t overly picky when it comes to fruits, but apples are definitely a favorite. And being that its apple season right now, it seemed an obvious choice when thinking about what to make for a festive treat. Once I’d decided on making silly apple faces, I started thinking through what ingredients I could use for each aspect. Strawberries seemed the natural choice for the tongues as they’re the perfect size and color Knowing they love pretty much any and all nuts, the almonds were an easy choice for the teeth. And of course they have my sweet tooth and adore chocolate. So making the little eyes out of white and dark chocolate was a no brainer.
But the Apple Pie Salted Caramels? These seasonal treats from Sprouts’ bulk bin section, are where all the yummy flavor comes in. They’re rich and delightful on their own. And once melted down, they made the perfect glue to hold these little faces together. So yummy.
Speaking of Sprouts, if you haven’t been lately, OR haven’t browsed the bulk bin section, GO. Along with these Apple Pie Salted Caramels, they have so many other fun pumpkin, apple, and maple flavored speciality items in for the Fall. I typically stick to the healthy snacks (roasted peas, corn, trail mix, etc) and pantry staples (nuts, quinoa, lentils, oats, flaxseed, etc) in the bulk bin section, but come Fall, I definitely indulge in a few fun treats!
ALL the reasons to love these Silly Caramel Apple Faces:
- Your kids, like mine, will giggle in delight as them
- Super fun and festive for Halloween
- Apple + caramel + chocolate = incredibly delicious!
- Easy way to sneak some wholesome ingredients (apples, strawberries, and almonds), disguised as a treat!
- Made with pantry and fridge staples + the Apple Pie Salted Caramels
As I’m sure you can imagine, my kiddos were most definitely charmed by these little faces. In truth, the amount of time it took to assemble them was more than I had anticipated. But the smiles on their faces, and the sounds of their little giggles made it more than worth the extra effort. When I teased my five year old about eating eyeballs, he roared with laughter.
In this unsettling season we all find ourselves in with Covid and so many other tensions, these are the moments I’m hanging on to. Soaking in their sweet faces and the gleam in their eyes. These sweet children, who God has given us to raise and love, are such gifts, so full of joy and merriment.
If you’re looking for a fun activity to do with your little ones, or a festive snack to bring to a small get-together, these Silly Caramel Apple Faces might be just the thing! 🎃
Silly Caramel Apple Faces
Ingredients
- 3 green apples
- 15 Salted Caramel Apple Pie Candies
- 1/2-1 tbsp milk
- 1/4 cup yogurt chips 24-30 pieces
- 2 tbsp mini semi sweet chocolate chips 24-30 pieces
- 4-6 medium strawberries stems removed and sliced
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds cut in half
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Place 24-30 yogurt chips (I made extra so I could pick and choose the ones I thought turned out best) on a flat, microwave safe plate, then microwave for 40 seconds, or until softened but not melted. Once yogurt chips are softened, place a mini semi sweet chocolate chip, flat side up, in the center of each yogurt chip to create an eyeball. Place the plate in the freezer for 8-10 minutes or until hardened.
- While the little eyes are hardening in the freezer, slice 3 green apples into 4 quarters each. Carefully remove the seeds, leaving as much of the apple as possible. Then using a sharp knife, notch out a slice of the apple on the skin side. Be careful as you make each cut so you don’t cut all the way through the apple. See pictures.
- Once apples are are cut and ready for assembly, make sure you have your 4-6 strawberries thinly sliced to create the tongues, and the 1/4 cup slivered almond cut in half to create the teeth.
- Add your 15 salted caramel apple pie candies to a microwave safe bowl along with 1/2 tbsp milk and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove, stir and microwave another 15 seconds. Once the caramels are melted, stir until a smooth consistency is reached. If the mixture seems too thick, you can add another 1 tsp or 1/2 tbsp milk and continue stirring until you have a dark creamy consistency.
- Add a small spoonful of the melted caramel mixture to each notched out apple slice, spread it on both sides and place it on a baking sheet, add the strawberry slice for the tongue, then the the slivered almonds for the teeth. I found that the closer I placed the slivered almonds to the strawberry “tongue” the easier it was to get them to stay in place. See notes.
- Once you have the caramel mixture, strawberry tongues, and slivered almond teeth on each sliced apple, place each one on a large baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- While the apple slices are refrigerating, remove the yogurt chip eyeballs from the freezer and use a small metal spatula to gently break them loose from the plate. Once you have them all ready to apply to the apple faces, add 1 tbsp honey to a small plate. Remove apple mouths from refrigerator and flip them back so they are right side up with the tongue on the lower level and so they’re ready for the eyes to be added.
- Coat the back of each yogurt chip eye with a small amount of honey and stick two to each apple face. You’ll likely need to wipe away the excess honey with a clean paper towel and press the yogurt chips down so they’ll stay in place. Return to refrigerator another 5 minutes until the eyes are set.
- Serve and enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
This post is sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market, but all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep Lemons and Basil in action!