Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Fudge Recipe
This post contains affiliate links and I may receive commission if you visit a link and buy something. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra, and I only recommend products and services I trust.
I love making seasonal fudge flavours and autumn is such a great season when it comes to tastes and smells. We’ve already made a Slow Cooker Pumpkin Fudge and the next things that reminds me of autumn is toffee apples and so I thought I’d make a Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Fudge with all that tastes of autumn.
How do you make easy Caramel Apple Slow Cooker Fudge?
For this recipe you just need Carnation Caramel, chocolate and dried apples, cut into bitesize pieces. We used a mixture of milk chocolate and white chocolate for this recipe but you can use whatever you have to hand and whatever flavour you prefer. I love the creamy richness that the mix of milk chocolate and white chocolate give.
You can also use chocolate bars or chocolate chips – milk chocolate chips and white chocolate chips do melt a lot quicker in the slow cooker but aside from that there isn’t any real difference. We’ve also found that using cheap chocolate doesn’t effect the fudge quality – it still tastes delicious!
Can you really make this slow cooker caramel fudge recipe without condensed milk?
Any regular reader will know that our slow cooker fudge recipes tend to be based around condensed milk and chocolate. You might be sceptical to read that this recipe doesn’t need condensed milk and instead uses Carnation Caramel.
The Carnation Caramel 397g tins are the perfect answer to making fudge without Carnation sweetened condensed milk. This super easy three ingredient fudge is so simple to make, tastes fantastic and has been enjoyed by everyone who has tried it. It’s different – but it works. You just need tinned caramel, chocolate and chopped dried apple.
How do you make slow cooker fudge?
This three ingredient chocolate fudge is made in just 40 minutes in the slow cooker. Stirring in ten minute intervals, you can get on with other kitchen jobs happily whilst it’s cooking. It’s so easy and something the children love helping with too.
Many people also create microwave fudge but I prefer using the slow cooker or crock pot as I feel like I have more control over the cooking process. It’s also pretty foolproof. As long as you stir the fudge mixture regularly and use the right quantities of ingredients not much can go wrong. Make sure you fully line your tin with baking paper for the best results and a nice clean finish too.
If you want to make this into a microwave caramel fudge recipe, heat the caramel and chocolate on short bursts in the microwave using a microwave safe bowl, stirring in between. When the mixture is thick and well combined, continue with the recipe. But, for us the best homemade caramel fudge is made in the slow cooker!
Can you make slow cooker fudge with evaporated milk?
Our slow cooker fudge works because Carnation condensed milk or Carnation caramel has a really high sugar content, needed to create that beautifully rich fudge. Evaporated milk isn’t the same, doesn’t have that sugar content and isn’t thick enough to help the fudge thicken and set. You can’t use evaporated milk in these recipes – so get some condensed milk instead.
Do you cook slow cooker fudge high or low temperature?
We always cook fudge on a high slow cooker temperature setting and it takes around 40 minutes in total. You could make it on the low setting but it would take longer and would still need to be stirred regularly. You may as well keep the slow cooker on high and be done in under an hour!
When cooking, is the slow cooker fudge lid on or off?
When making slow cooker fudge, you need to remove the slow cooker lid otherwise excess moisture would be retained in the slow cooker pot and the fudge wouldn’t thicken as it needs to.
How long does this homemade slow cooker fudge keep for?
Slow Cooker fudge keeps well in an airtight container for weeks in the fridge. It never lasts very long in our house but it’s good to know that you can savour it over an extended period rather than eat it all in one go like us!
Home made fudge is such a great gift to make – presented simply in individual clear gift bags tied with a ribbon. It’s so nice to give at Christmas, as an end of term gift or pretty much any other time through the year.
This fudge tastes just like caramel apples and if you close your eyes it’s like a rich, sweet apple cider in the autumn. It tastes great and is perfect to share.
What other slow cooker fudge recipes can we make?
If you’re looking for other easy fudge flavours to try you can see all our slow cooker recipes to date here and we’d have to recommend our Slow Cooker Malteser Fudge, Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge, After Eight Fudge, Terry’s Chocolate Orange Fudge and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Fudge too. We’ve also made an easy Chocolate Salted Caramel Fudge too – you really can’t beat slow cooker salted caramel!
If you’re looking for other things to make with Nestle Carnation Caramel I’d suggest banoffee pie or a nice caramel slice with a crumbly shortbread base. You could also drizzle it over ice cream or make a caramel apple tart! You can see all our Carnation Caramel recipes and ideas here.
What equipment do you need to make this slow cooker chocolate caramel fudge?
Slow cooker fudge doesn’t need anything special to make it, and you probably already have everything you need at home, but this is the equipment we use:
- A slow cooker
- A wooden spoon
- A spatula
- A square baking tin – we use a 20cm square tin
- Baking paper sheets or baking parchment
- Good quality knives to cut the fudge into pieces
- Airtight containers for storage
- Food gift bags to package it up and give the fudge as gifts
Once you’ve got everything you need to make the fudge you can just keep making it again and again – in so many different flavours too!
So here’s our ultimate fudge recipe – the super easy Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Fudge:
Ingredients
- A 397 ml tin Carnation Caramel
- 500g chocolate – milk chocolate or white chocolate. Can be bars or chocolate chips at room temperature.
- 100g dried apple, cut into bite size pieces
Instructions
- Break the chocolate up and add to the slow cooker bowl with the caramel.
- Turn the slow cooker on to high and leave to cook for 40 minutes with the lid off, stirring constantly, every ten minutes or so.
- When melted, thick and well combined, remove from the heat and stir in the apple pieces
- Pour the fudge mixture into a baking tin lined with parchment paper or silicone baking tray
- Put in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours. Cut into pieces and enjoy.
If you’d like to pin or print this Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Fudge recipe for later you can do so at the bottom of the page. Happy baking!
Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Fudge Recipe
Ingredients
- 397 ml Carnation Caramel
- 500 g chocolate milk chocolate or white chocolate. Can be bars or chocolate chips at room temperature.
- 100 g dried apple cut into bite size pieces
Instructions
- Break the chocolate up and add to the slow cooker bowl with the caramel.
- Turn the slow cooker on to high and leave to cook for 40 minutes with the lid off, stirring constantly, every ten minutes or so.
- When melted, thick and well combined, remove from the heat and stir in the apple pieces
- Pour the fudge mixture into a baking tin lined with parchment paper or silicone baking tray
- Put in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours. Cut into pieces and enjoy.
*Note: Nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published.