It’s nearly time to transition from peach season to apple season and I can’t think of a better way to do that than this Snickers Caramel Apple Salad, a classic easy recipe that’s a real favorite with kids and makes a fabulous fall snack.
Snickers Caramel Apple Salad is a great make-ahead recipe for potlucks and block parties and can easily feed a crowd.
Calling it a salad confuses some people in the same way that Watergate Salad does. It’s really a dessert. And it reminds me of the time years ago I took my niece and nephew to Cracker Barrel. My nephew was only 2 or 3 at the time and I told him he could pick out some candy. “Mommy doesn’t allow us to have candy,” he said. But he was looking around at the assortment of candy with huge eyes. He heard his sister say look at these Peanuts. They were those marshmallow peanuts that aren’t peanuts at all. But I could tell the wheels started turning in my nephew’s brain when his eyes suddenly doubled in size and a devious grin spread across his face. It occured to him that he could eat this candy and tell his mother he ate peanuts. LOL!
And I am sure he would happily eat this dessert and tell his mother he ate salad! Don’t you love the minds of small children?
Ingredients Needed
Only a few simple ingredients are needed: instant vanilla pudding mix, cool whip, chopped apples, snickers bars (the best part!), and I like to throw a few marshmallows in too, but they are optional. The whole thing gets drizzled with caramel sauce.
Lately I’m really loving Smucker’s Salted Caramel Topping
. It has just the right balance of sweet and salty and it is perfect for this Snickers Caramel Apple Salad.
Type Of Apples
You can use whatever apples you like. A lot of people like the tartness of Granny Smith with the sweetness of the other ingredients. I usually do a mixture of Granny Smith and something like Red Delicious or Gala.
Snickers Caramel Apple Salad Recipe Tips
This recipe is also really good made with crushed Butterfingers or toffee bits instead of Snickers.
The Snickers can get a little hard in the refrigerator. To prevent this, you can mix the Snickers in just before serving.
Storage
Best eaten the day it is made but will keep for 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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More Apple Recipes
- Caramel Apple Bread
- Frisky Apple Fritters
- Oatmeal Crumb Apple Bars
- Caramel Apple Pound Cake
- Crock Pot Butterscotch Apple Crisp
Watch our short video on How To Make Snickers Caramel Apple Salad
Snickers Caramel Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 6 small apples, cored and chopped (I like to use a blend of Granny Smith and Red Delicious)
- 6 (1.86-ounce) Snickers Bars, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 (5.1-ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix,
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 (12-ounce) container Cool Whip
- 1 cup marshmallows, optional
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce
Instructions
- Whisk together pudding mix and milk in a large bowl. Fold in Cool Whip.
- Fold in apples, chopped Snickers, and marshmallows.
- Drizzle caramel sauce on top.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve (at least 1 hour.)
Notes
Nutrition
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Originally published August 22, 2015.
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My apples turned brown pretty quickly, so it didn’t look as appetizing. Is there a way they won’t brown as quickly?
If you get them fully coated as quickly after cutting them as possible, they shouldn’t turn brown. It is only the air coming in contact with the apple that cause the brown color.
You can help prevent sliced apples from turning brown by soaking them in lemon juice. Pour lemon juice over the cut apples then drain.
If you dip you apples in7up or other citrus juice it will keep them from turning brown. I like 7 up better than lemon juice because it doesn’t leave a flavor in the apples
I mixed in some Heath toffee bits, and it gave it an extra little crunch! Delicious!
Can you use a bit of marshmallow cream instead of the mini marshmallows.
They’d g this out tomorrow! Wish me luck.
I add dry roasted peanuts to the salad to cut down on the sweetness and it’s great!
Can you use honey crisp apples. This is all I have on hand
I am going to try making this with sugar free pudding, sugar free caramel sauce, and sugar free pudding to cut down on the sugars/carbs.
How was it? Im diabetic and this has way too much sugar
My husband is a a diabetic and I used Smucker sugar free Carmel and not as many snickers. Added more peanuts.
Hi! I just saw this recipe last night and I decided that I really wanted to make it but I looked in my cupboard and i didn’t have pudding or the snickers. So, I instead but banana flavored cream cheese and for the candy I put junior mints and it was amazing! I had no idea that banana and mint would go together! I honestly recommend 🙂
They don’t.
How many will this feed
Can this recipe be doubled and put into shot glasses for a party?
Absolutely!
My great grandmother used to make this every 4th and now I can! Thank you she passed and this tastes exactly like hers. Directions were easy and everything turned out great.
Do the apples need to be pealed?
You can peel them or leave the skins on. Whichever you prefer.
This recipe has become a favorite!
I make this for the 4th of July family picnic every year and it’s gone instantly
As soon as I whisked the milk and pudding mix together it went to junk. I still finished it and it is just clumps if vanilla all over.
Did you use instant pudding or the kind that neeeds to be cooked?
I also made the apple snickers salad and as soon as I whisked milk and pudding it was like cake batterand I did use instant pudding
I use a whisk and sprinkle the pudding mix over the milk as I whisk. This avoids lumps. It’s very thick and you have to fold the cool whip in carefully. I have discovered that when you add the apples and refrigerate it, it becomes thinner as the fruit gives off liquid, so that salad becomes more watery. If it doesn’t start out thick, you end up with a runny mess. This recipe is PERFECT!
I just went to the store to get the ingredients for this…. accidentally got the kind I need to cook. Is there a way I can make it work with the kind you need to cook??
You would need to use instant pudding mix. If you don’t have it, leave out the pudding and milk. Just use Cool Whip.
Do you serve this as a dip or you just take a bowl full of it and eat it? If its a dip, what would you dip in it?
Sounds Delish
It’s probabley too chunky to eat as a dip, but if you cut the apples really small it might work. Would taste great with some homemade baked tortilla chips sprinkled with a little cinnamon and sugar!
My thoughts on the dip would be to add everything together BUT the apples. Then you could use sliced apples to dip in it…might work, but haven’t tried it yet.
I’ve never tried this salad before and I was wondering if you could put red grapes in it also? It sounds just wonderful.
I’ve never made this before but was wondering if adding red grapes along with the apples would be good? What are your thoughts?
Yes, I think that would be delicious!
I add 1 package of cream cheese and 1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter. I substitute Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Twix for the candy.
I used 1/2 pkg. Vanilla and 1/2 pkg butterscotch pudding. Very delicious.
What a great idea!
Can you make this with Milky Way candy bars, looks yummy but my husband can’t have nuts?
That is how I make it and it tastes amazing!!
This was an absolute hit at our family reunion! Thanks!