How to - Sorghum Caramel Apples
Posted on Sep 28, 2018
Fall is one of our favorite times of the year! It brings a bountiful harvest, tasty food, delightful weather and fun activities. October also just so happens to be National Apple Month. What better way to celebrate fall than with a favorite sweet treat - caramel apples!
If you are a fan of caramel apples, you will love these Sorghum Caramel Apples (link to recipe on site). Made with natural sweeteners, these tasty treats are a healthier alternative to traditional caramel apples. Sorghum adds a twist to the recipe in two unique ways. Sorghum syrup boosts the sweetness of the caramel and the popped sorghum adds a nice crunch to the topping.
Make Something Delicious
These delicious Sorghum Caramel Apples come together in just 30 minutes. Serve them as a sweet treat all season long (or all year if that’s your thing)! Live near an apple orchard? Make it even more fun by going apple picking with the family and making this recipe together!
What you’ll need:
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1 cup pitted dates1 teaspoon sorghum syrup
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2 tablespoons grapeseed, avocado or coconut oil
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1/2 cup light coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
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1/4 cup pumpkin puree or nut or seed butter
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1 tablespoon vanilla extract
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Pinch of salt
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4 honeycrisp or granny smith cut into 8 wedges
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1/4 cup whole grain dry sorghum or 3/4 cup popped sorghum
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1/2 cup 85% Pascha chocolate chips (1/4 cup to melt and 1/4 cup to use on the apple wedges)
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1 teaspoon avocado, grapeseed or coconut oil
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Candy paper liners (optional)
First, let’s make the caramel sauce. This caramel sauce is unique because it combines not-so-typical ingredients for a healthy, tasty alternative. In a small pot, bring the prunes, coconut milk and coconut oil to a simmer over low-medium heat. After 2-3 minutes reduce the heat to low and simmer the dates for approximately 10 minutes. Once complete, remove from the stove and let cool for a few minutes.
To a food processor or high speed blender, add cooked prune and coconut mixture, sorghum syrup, pumpkin puree or nut butter, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Blend ingredients together until the caramel sauce is smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add another tablespoon or two of coconut milk or milk of your choice to the sauce. Pour the completed caramel sauce in a small bowl for dipping and set aside.
You can purchase popped sorghum from a number of different places online. If you purchase sorghum that is already popped, you’ll need ¾ cup for the recipe. If you would like to pop your sorghum at home, preheat a saucepan over medium heat. To get the best popping results, it is important the saucepan is very hot. Test if your pot is ready by sprinkling a drop of water to see if it sizzles and evaporates. Place 1/4 cup whole grain sorghum into the preheated pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Shake the pan to prevent burning until the sorghum starts popping. Once the popping slows to 6-8 seconds between pops, remove from the heat and pour onto the parchment lined baking sheet to cool. The popping process takes about 3 minutes.
Not all the sorghum grain will pop but you can still eat the unpopped kernels. If you have not popped sorghum before, popping a test batch can be helpful to see how the sorghum pops. You can follow the same steps above but using one tablespoon of sorghum at a time.
To make the topping, add the popped sorghum, pumpkin seeds and chocolate to a medium bowl and combine. Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a spatula or butter knife, spread the caramel sauce over the apple wedge. Then dip each wedge into the topping mixture. Place each wedge in a paper liner and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Once complete, return the wedges to the refrigerator to set for 10 minutes or until serving. Apple wedges can be refrigerated for up to one day.
Enjoy as a fall-inspired snack for a fun night in with the family or serve at your Halloween parties!