You can even use a wooden chopstick as your stick. Some other things to think about when assembling caramel apples is to choose crisp apples and use a sturdy stick.

I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when Kraft came out with caramel bits, no more unwrapping dozens of little caramel squares for me. If you prefer to make your own caramel Martha Stewart has a caramel recipe. I used a crock-pot to keep melted Kraft caramel bits warm while everyone dipped their apples. If anyone knows of a different way to make caramel apples please fill me in. It’s important the caramel is still hot when you roll the toppings on so they’ll stick. I’m not quite sure how the toppings stuck to the apples. Let me paint you a picture, dipped caramel apples sitting atop a small hay bale and cute little wooden baskets filled with different toppings. The images I found on pinterest were perfectly styled. I had a station set up with several different toppings. Last year I was determined to set up a caramel apple bar for some friends after seeing the idea on pinterest.

If you’ve decided to segregate your toppings by scrumptious recipes, don’t forget to print off a few recipe cards to display for a tasty recommendation.One of my favorite things about Fall is caramel apples! It’s one of my mother’s favorite Fall treats and growing up it quickly became one of mine as well.

Create an assembly line type of method, or place your dipping bowls at the ends of the table. If your guests have to reach over a valley of toppings to dip their apple in caramel, there’s a good chance your display will be covered in strings of hardened caramel before the night is through.

Think ahead when arranging your candy apple bar.

Cover and cook until the caramel is melted.

Fill the crockpot with water (don’t get any in the caramel bowl).

Keep your dipping options nice and warm with a few crock pots! If you don’t want to deal with the task of cleaning old, sticky caramel out of a crock pot, try this nifty trick!

Don’t forget that when melted caramel cools, it hardens.

Cover your serving table with a disposable table cloth and if your candy apple bar is indoors, you may want to consider a drip cloth or an old rug around the base of the table.

You can count on a mess it comes with the title.Once the plans are squared away, you can relax a little the hard part is over! Setting up your candy apple bar is where the fun begins! Here are a few things to consider before you set up: Choose a serving method that works best for your crowd! You can stick with the traditional whole apple style, or you can dare to mix things up like these bloggers did!.Limit yourself to one or two dishes for every topping. Because you planned your topping list ahead of time, you won’t overdo it with the amount of cute, thrift store serving dishes you choose to buy.Decide whether you’ll offer a whole spread of toppings, or narrow down the selection to make certain combinations or coordinate with your theme. Refrain from topping overload by planning your shopping list ahead of time.This will make a huge difference in your display! What kind of decorations will you have? Do you have cute labels to tie it all in? Choose a color scheme or theme for your candied apple bar.That way, they can enjoy creating their own candied apples and you can enjoy a candied apple bar that isn’t left in a messy shamble. Will there be a lot of children at your event? Consider a separate candied apple bar for the little ones.Before gathering the goodies, do a headcount of how many guests you’re expecting and plan accordingly.Plan your budget and your shopping list ahead of time to avoid overspending, and map out your design ahead of time for a beautiful display! The key to creating a successful candied apple bar without breaking the bank is planning.

Candy apple bar