Caramel Apple Salad is one of the BEST salads ever! It’s actually a dessert salad, but since it has fruit I like to call it a salad and serve it right along with main dishes! It’s especially good for potlucks and BBQs!
Snicker Caramel Apple Salad Ingredients
Caramel Apple Salad is made with simple ingredients. The classic Caramel Apple Salad recipe is made with Snickers candy bars. Here are a bunch of options for switching it up and using whatever items you have in your pantry, or making it taste exactly like what you want it to!
- Apples – Honeycrisp are my favorites, but granny smith is also great
- Instant Pudding – I usually use vanilla, but butterscotch and caramel are amazing too
- Milk – for mixing with the pudding
- Whipped Cream – I prefer whipping heavy cream, but you can use whipped topping
- Candy Bars – Snickers are the most commonly used for this recipe. Twix and Reese’s are great too!
- Caramel – Ice cream topping is easiest, but you can use caramel tidbits or caramel candy and melt them to make the caramel.
- Marshmallows – they make a fun addition
- Pineapple – you can substitute part of the apples with pineapple if you’d like!
- Peanuts – adds a salty and crunchy element
How to make Caramel Apple Salad
STEP 1: Mix pudding mix and milk together.
STEP 2: Fold in whipped cream or whipped topping. I like whipped cream because it’s really made with cream. Whipped topping is handy because all you have to do is open the lid and it’s ready.
STEP 3: Dice apples and Snickers, or another candy bar. I used Reeses to make my salad this time.
STEP 4: Fold apples into pudding mixture.
STEP 5: Fold candy bars into the salad. Save a few for garnish if you’d like.
STEP 6: Drizzle caramel ice cream topping over salad. Refrigerate for a few hours. Serve!
Other Fruit Salad Recipes
My middle child turns his nose up at vegetable side dishes and green salads, but fruit Salads are always popular with everyone at my house! Check out these fruit salad recipes we love!
- Apple Fruit Salad – with Greek yogurt
- Grape Salad – only a few ingredients, my favorite salad
- Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes – side dish or main dish salad
- Raspberry Vanilla Fruit Salad – with honey and raspberry jam
- Perfect Fresh Fruit Salad – with powdered sugar
- Watermelon and Feta Salad – sweet and salty
- Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Appetizer – serve with crackers
- Chicken Salad with apples – amazing on croissants for a savory apple recipe
- Salted Caramel Apple Dip – a skinny version
Other Easy Apple Recipes
Here are a few other quick and easy apple desserts recipes, and other ideas to what to do with excess apples!
- Apple Monkey Bread – like apple pie for breakfast
- Baked Apple French Toast – an overnight breakfast recipe
- Apple Cookies – no-bake, with oatmeal
- Caramel Apple Magic Bars – gooey and decadent
- Puff Pastry Apple Tart – so easy and gorgeous
Caramel Apple Salad Recipe
So, this dessert salad really is more like a dessert than a salad, considering it has candy bars and pudding in it. Who cares? It’s simple to make, always a hit at parties, and I say if you can eat dessert and pass it off as a salad why not! This is the salad you should make this fall!
Caramel Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 4 apples diced (I used granny smith and honey crisp)
- 5.1 ounce instant vanilla pudding
- 1 cup milk
- 8 ounce whipped topping
- 2 Snickers diced
- 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping for garnish
Instructions
- Mix milk and pudding together.
- Fold in whipped topping.
- Dice apples and Snickers. Fold apples into whipped topping mixture. Reserve a few of the diced candy bars for garnish. Fold the remaining Snickers into the salad.
- Sprinkle reserved candy bars on top of salad. Drizzle with caramel ice cream topping.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve!
Notes
- Freshly whipped cream can be used instead of whipped topping. I actually prefer making whipped cream because it’s made with real cream.
- Use a variety of apples or another kind.
- Use different kinds of candy bars; Reese’s, Twix, and Peanut Butter Cups are great options!
Nutrition
Rosa Carpanzano says
Sounds delish! Can it be made the day before?
Amy Engberson says
I wouldn’t recommend making this salad the day before because the apples will get brown and might make the salad a bit soggy. You could make the pudding mixture and chop the candy bars the day before. Then the next day and then all that would be left is dicing the apples, adding them to the salad, and stirring everything together. Being able to do as much ahead of time as possible is so helpful!
Angie says
I substitute Snickers for the peanut butter cups. Yummm!
Amy Engberson says
That’s a delicious option too! Love it!
Alexis says
Do you make the pudding by the instructions on the packet first? Or just mix with the cup of milk? Maybe a silly question but had this at a gathering and couldn’t stop obsessing over it!
Amy Engberson says
Hi Alexis! Great question! Just mix the dry pudding mix with the milk and it should work perfectly! I love this salad too!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
The tree may be small, but look at all those wonderful apples it’s producing! I love this salad. My aunt use to make something similar many years ago.
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
Love this twist on an old friend!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
This is totally happening for dessert this Sunday! I love everything with chocolate and caramel in it!!
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
I’ve always wanted to try making these “sweet” sorts of salad recipes I see floating around. This one looks amazing!
Amy Engberson says
For some reason a salad that has candy bars in it just doesn’t seem like it should be called a salad…but I think I can live with eating something that tastes like dessert and calling it salad!
Maryanne | the little epicurean says
You had me at Reese’s! My family would LOVE this recipe!
Jenny | Honey and Birch says
Amy, this sounds so good! I love a great dessert salad.
Amy Engberson says
Me too! It’s almost like having permission to eat dessert and call it salad, then have dessert too! Can’t go wrong with that!