Which variety of apple is best for making caramel apples?
Although tastes are personal, the Granny Smith is the apple that best balances caramel, due to its acidity and the contrast with the sweetness.
There's no accounting for taste: nostalgia, personal history, and the intensity with which each person perceives sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami all influence preferences. In theory, you can make caramel apples with any shiny fruit.
Honeycrisp, Gala, or McIntosh are all possible options, but there are technical details that improve any variety. The perfect apple achieves a balance between sweetness and acidity.
If preparing for a group, a neutral and broadly appealing flavor is best. Fuji, the sweetest variety, has a very intense caramel flavor, while most people prefer the contrast between sweetness and fruit offered by Granny Smith. Its acidity compared to the caramel also explains why it's so widely used in baking and cakes.
Choose medium-sized green apples, without bruises, to achieve a crisp and uniform texture, and remove the waxy layer, which prevents the caramel from adhering. Then skewer them with sticks, cover them with melted caramel from a bag of cubes, let them cool, and serve.
