These vegan chocolaty caramel apple slices are the perfect fall treat to make and enjoy with your little loved ones. Crisp apple slices are slathered in a simple, easy-to-make 5-minute vegan caramel, drizzled with chocolate, and sprinkled with nuts or seeds. The result is a fun, fuss-free caramel apple snack!
As my due date (December 1st) draws closer, I find myself increasingly entangled in thoughts about what it will be like to become a parent.
Sure, from my background and experience working as a psychologist, I have a firm understanding of development from an emotional, behavioral, and cognitive perspective. And in my role as a psychologist, sometimes parents even asked me, a non-parent, for parenting advice. I never felt comfortable providing that sort of delicate guidance without having kids of my own, but nonetheless offered up any words of wisdom I could with the caveat, “Although I’m not yet a parent myself…”
But other than this sort of parental guiding at a distance and caring for our sweet cat Jack, I don’t have a whole lot of parenting experience. Although I suppose that no one really does before they plunge headfirst into parenthood, right? And yet most people seem to figure it out just fine. And I’m lucky to have not two but four wonderful parents to turn to for guidance along the way—each with their own individual but effective approach to parenting.
I’m rambling a bit as I tend to do, but this time I’m blaming it on the caramel apple slices.
Something about caramel apples and this time of year make me think about my mom and the courage she had as a parent after she and my dad split up many years ago. She had primary custody of my brother Brad and me and worked two jobs just to make ends meet. The first few years weren’t easy on any of us, and yet they taught us so much. About family, love, hard work, humility, and patience.
There were many things we couldn’t afford during that time, but my mom showered us in love and made sure to protect certain traditions. Traditions like caramel apples in the fall and long john donuts for birthdays. It was the little things that eased the transition from stability to uncertainty—they provided a sort of emotional anchor to hold on to when everything seemed to be so different than it once was.
We got through it though. Caramel apples and vanilla donuts in hand.
And for the record, divorce was the best thing to happen to our family. Yes, it caused a few years of division, but those times passed and transformed into decades of expansion through remarriage, more siblings, and countless joint family celebrations.
Cheers to that.
Cheers also to the conclusion of this rather sidewinding post intro (I blame pregnancy brain) and the beginnings of caramel apple slice discussions.
These vegan chocolaty caramel apple slices are the perfect fall treat to make and enjoy with your little loved ones.
Crisp apple slices are slathered in a simple, easy-to-make 5-minute vegan caramel, drizzled with chocolate, and sprinkled with nuts or seeds.
Seriously, it’s as simple as that.
Slice up two crisp red apples or two granny smith apples (or heck, one of each), and lay them out on a parchment-lined pan…
Slather each apple slice with a generous spoonful of vegan caramel.
Then, pop the pan in the freezer for about 15 minutes to set.
While the caramel layer sets, melt a bit of non-dairy chocolate in a double boiler or bain marie (or go extra simple and temper it in the microwave—heating in 15-second blasts and stirring in between to avoid scorching).
Once the chocolate is melted, lavishly drizzle it over the apple slices and sprinkle with nuts and/or seeds. I went with raw sunflower seeds and chopped roasted peanuts, but feel free to get creative here (e.g., for a turtle-like treat, sprinkle with chopped pecans).
Then, return the pan to the freezer for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
These treats are best enjoyed fresh since they involve sliced apples; however, if absolutely needed, leftovers will hold up for about a day in the refrigerator. Just be mindful that the apples may brown and soften a bit.
I hope you enjoy these festive fall treats!
Vegan Chocolaty Caramel Apple Slices
Ingredients
- 2 large crisp red apples (e.g., Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, etc. or Granny Smith apples), sliced vertically and seeded
- 1 recipe 5-Minute Vegan Caramel (cooled to room temperature)*
- 1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
- Sunflower seeds or chopped peanuts, to taste*
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet (one that can fit in your freezer) with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Spread the apple slices out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Spoon a bit of the caramel onto each apple slice and gently spread it evenly over the surface. Repeat, ensuring that all apple slices have been coated in caramel**. Transfer the pan to the freezer for at least 15 minutes, or until the caramel has set.
- In a double-boiler or bain marie, melt the chocolate chips over low heat until smooth and glossy, whisking occasionally.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or bain marie until smooth and glossy, whisking occasionally.
- Once the caramel has set, drizzle the chocolate over the apple slices and sprinkle with the sunflower seeds or chopped peanuts.
- Return the pan to the freezer for 10 minutes, or until the chocolate layer has set. Do not let the apple slices freeze through, or they're thaw and become soft/mushy.
- Enjoy.
- These apple slices are best enjoyed fresh; however, if absolutely needed, store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Just note that the apples may brown a bit and become mushy the longer they sit.
These are all kinds of WOW! So delicious looking!
Thanks, Jennifer!
I can’t wait to make these this weekend! For what it’s worth, the best ‘advice’ I received before having my twins was from a friend who had had twins a couple of years earlier: she said the night that she and her husband brought their twins home, they looked at each other and agreed that this was a big mistake they’d made! I know it seems counterintuitive, but that both made me laugh and made me feel relaxed that if they were overwhelmed, it was okay for us to feel overwhelmed as well. (And, of course, they fairly quickly decided it was NOT a mistake and they are fantastic parents!)
Connie, thank you for sharing this story! Totally made me chuckle and put my mind at ease, too. I so appreciate hearing real, true parenting stories and woes. It’s incredibly refreshing, especially in a time when we can all be so quick to curate the stories of our lives in a way that only showcases the pretty, “perfect” stuff.
Exactly – society tends to tell us we should only talk about how ‘wondrous’ and ‘magical’ the experience is, and it can be. But there is always more than one side to any experience. Works the other way, too. Everyone talks about how awful teenagers are, and I’m quite enjoying mine (they just turned 13) – not every minute, but most of the time (-: Anyway, wishing you well, and am so much enjoying your cookbook and all your postings!