Pumpkin pie and s’mores cookies are delicious, but TikTok’s slow-cooker caramel-apple boards might be our new favorite fall treat. Made for anyone with a sweet tooth, the fall dessert buffets — made popular by content creators such as Samantha Bauchmann — are inspired by the classic caramel apples that stick to our teeth and make eating fruit feel decadent. Instead of biting into an entire apple, however, the trend encourages at-home cooks to preslice the apples and use a slow cooker, instant pot, or Crock-Pot to keep the dipping sauces warm. It’s basically a dessert smorgasbord, and the fall dinner-party possibilities are endless.
While I don’t mind spending a few hours baking fall desserts each year, the best part about crafting a personal slow-cooker caramel-apple board is definitely how easily it comes together. To re-create the dessert trend at home, simply slice up your favorite variety of apple and fill a cupcake tin with your toppings of choice. With most of the work out of the way, all you have to do next is fill individual mason jars with your candies of choice — caramel candies, milk chocolate chips, peanut butter cups — and set them in a slow cooker filled with water to melt. Once the dipping sauces have melted, leave them in the water to stay warm and prevent them from resolidifying. Finally, dip your apple slices in the sauces using wooden skewers, add your toppings, and enjoy!
In addition to the straightforward preparation process, these candy-apple boards are an opportunity to get creative with your toppings. Of course, you can’t go wrong with a classic Granny Smith apple slice dipped in caramel or a Honeycrisp slice smothered in chocolate. With so many options to customize the desserts, though, I might just have to put all of the topping combinations to the test. From chocolate sauce and mini marshmallows to melted caramel and chopped pecans, feel free to get creative with your sweet combinations. If you’re looking for a sweet-and-salty treat, you can even top your candy apples with crushed-up pretzels, salted peanuts, or bacon bits.
Between this and hot chocolate charcuterie boards, this fall definitely seems like it’s going to be sweet. See how to make your own slow-cooker candy apple boards for your next dinner party ahead.