Candy Apples vs Caramel Apples: What's the Difference? (2026)

The difference is the coating: a candy apple wears a thin, hard shell of cooked red candy that cracks when you bite it, while a caramel apple is wrapped in a soft, chewy layer of caramel — and the ones we make get dipped in milk, dark, or white chocolate on top of that caramel. We dip both styles in small batches at the factory, so this comparison comes straight from the dipping room.

Key Takeaways

• Classic Red Candy Apples are $72 for a 6-pack of individually wrapped Granny Smith apples in a glossy hard red candy shell. That works out to $12 an apple.
• The Caramel Chocolate Apple is $14: a Granny Smith apple dipped in caramel, coated in your choice of milk, dark, or white chocolate, and finished with sprinkles, pecans, both, or nothing.
• Candy apples keep 5 to 7 days in a cool, dry spot and should never go in the refrigerator, because condensation ruins the candy shell. Caramel chocolate apples keep 7 to 10 days refrigerated.
• Both start with the same fruit: big, crisp Granny Smith apples, because the tart apple balances the sweet coating.
• Order before 2 PM EST and we deliver that day across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties; both styles also ship nationwide, with cold packs when the weather calls for them.

What's the Difference Between a Candy Apple and a Caramel Apple?

A candy apple is dipped in a hot sugar syrup that hardens into a thin, glassy red shell. A caramel apple is dipped in soft caramel that stays chewy. They are completely different coatings on the same crisp fruit. Candy apples crack when you bite them; caramel apples give. At our factory we take the caramel version one step further and coat it in chocolate, which is why ours is called the Caramel Chocolate Apple.

	Candy Apple	Caramel Chocolate Apple
Coating	Hard red candy shell	Soft caramel + chocolate coat
The bite	Cracks, then crisp apple	Chewy, then crisp apple
Price	$72 for a 6-pack ($12 per apple)	$14
Storage	Cool and dry — never the fridge	Refrigerate
Keeps for	5–7 days	Best in 5–7 days; up to 7–10 days refrigerated
Dietary	Dairy-free	Vegan option: dark chocolate, no caramel

Every number in that table comes from our live product pages, and both apples are dipped the day they go out.

Which Lasts Longer, a Candy Apple or a Caramel Apple?

A caramel chocolate apple lasts a little longer, 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator, while a candy apple is best within 5 to 7 days, and the fridge ruins it. The shell is sugar cooked to the hard-crack stage, and hard-crack sugar hates moisture: the condensation that forms in a fridge turns a glossy shell sticky and dull. We see it firsthand in South Florida, where humidity alone can soften a shell, which is why every candy apple is wrapped as soon as it sets. Keep a candy apple in a cool, dry place out of the sun instead.

The caramel version takes the fridge well because caramel and chocolate don't mind the cold the way a candy shell does. If you want the full storage rundown for the caramel style, we wrote a separate guide on how long caramel apples last.

How Are Candy Apples and Caramel Apples Made?

Both start with big, crisp Granny Smith apples, hand-picked at the markets. The tartness is the whole point, because the coating brings the sugar. For candy apples, we cook the red candy coating in a steel pot and dip each apple so it sets into a thin, even shell, then wrap every apple individually. For caramel chocolate apples, each apple goes into warm caramel first, then gets coated in the chocolate you choose — milk, dark, or white — and finished with the toppings you pick: sprinkles, pecans, both, or none.

"People assume the apple is just a base, but the apple is half the recipe. A soft or mealy apple ruins either version, which is why we're picky about the fruit before it ever sees the pot." — Michael Briansky, Owner

We dip in small batches, so an apple ordered this week was dipped this week. There's also a middle path most people don't know about: the Caramel Chocolate Apple comes in a caramel-only version with no chocolate at all, which is the closest thing to the caramel apple you grew up with at the fair.

How Many Ways Can You Order a Caramel Chocolate Apple?

Twenty. The product page lists four topping choices across five coatings, and every one of them is $14. The coatings are milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, caramel only with no chocolate, and a vegan version made with dark chocolate and no caramel. The toppings are no topping, sprinkles, pecans, or sprinkles and pecans together.

That range is the practical difference between the two styles when you're ordering for someone else. A candy apple is one thing done one way: a glossy red shell over a crisp apple, wrapped and ready. A Caramel Chocolate Apple is built from choices: pick the chocolate they actually eat, add the pecans if they like crunch, skip the toppings if they don't. If you know the person's chocolate preference, the caramel version lets you use it.

Are Candy Apples Just a Fall Thing?

No, we dip candy apples and caramel chocolate apples year-round, though fall is when the orders stack up. The red candy apple is a Rosh Hashanah classic, a sweet start to the new year on a crisp apple, and from there the same apples carry straight through the fall holiday tables, school events, and party-favor season. Because each candy apple comes individually wrapped, hosts order the 6-pack and set one at each place instead of a dessert course.

In South Florida the weather never forces a pause, and the apples never travel far: everything is dipped at the factory and driven out that day on local orders.

Which One Should You Send as a Gift?

Send candy apples when you want something classic and individually wrapped: the 6-pack at $72 works as party favors, place settings, or a fall holiday table. Send the caramel chocolate apple when the person loves chocolate or you want to pick their chocolate and toppings yourself. The candy apple 6-pack arrives as six separate wrapped apples, so guests don't need to cut anything.

For dietary needs, the caramel chocolate apple has a vegan option made with dark chocolate and no caramel. Add a free gift message at checkout and we print it exactly as written — we leave prices and invoices out of the box.

Where Can I Buy Candy Apples in Miami?

You can buy candy apples and caramel chocolate apples at our factory store at 18435 NE 19th Ave, or order them online for delivery across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach — Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Hollywood, Boca Raton, and everywhere between. Order before 2 PM EST and the apples are at the door that day; pick a later delivery date at checkout if the party is next weekend.

Local deliveries go out on Sundays even though the store is closed; there are no Saturday deliveries. Outside South Florida, we ship nationwide in insulated packaging, with cold packs whenever the weather calls for them. Our 1,300+ reviews average 4.9 stars, so the box arrives with its reputation already earned.

Quick Facts

• A 6-pack of Classic Red Candy Apples is $72, which comes to $12 an apple, and the Caramel Chocolate Apple is $14. All of them are dipped in small batches at the factory.
• Candy apples keep 5 to 7 days in a cool, dry spot and should never be refrigerated; caramel chocolate apples keep 7 to 10 days refrigerated.
• Both are made with Granny Smith apples, and both ship nationwide or arrive the day you order in South Florida, with a 2 PM EST cutoff.
• We are Kosher Miami certified.
• Miami New Times readers voted us Best Chocolate Shop in the Best of Miami 2026 Readers' Choice awards, and our factory and storefront at 18435 NE 19th Ave, North Miami Beach, FL 33179 is open to walk-ins.

What Customers Ask Us

What kind of apples do you use?

Big, juicy Granny Smith apples — hand-picked at the markets.

How long do the caramel apples stay fresh?

They are best within 5 to 7 days, and they keep up to 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator.

Is it packed with ice when it's shipped?

Cold packs, yes — whenever the weather calls for it, inside insulated packaging.

What's the latest I can order for delivery today?

2 PM EST is the cutoff for local delivery today.

About Us

The Sweet Tooth is a working chocolate factory and gift store at 18435 NE 19th Ave — family-owned today, dipping everything from strawberries to candy apples on site. We deliver across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties and ship nationwide. For help with an order, email orders@thesweettooth.com or visit thesweettooth.com.

Send an Apple They'll Remember

Pick the Classic Red Candy Apples 6-pack or the Caramel Chocolate Apple with your chocolate and toppings, and write your gift message at checkout.

Last updated: October 2026