If you’re some-bunny who loves to celebrate all the holidays in style, you’re going to love my Easter Candy Apples — they’re destined to be a hit at all your spring gatherings! Sweet, juicy apples are dipped in white chocolate coating and decorated to look like Easter bunnies using an array of sprinkles, candy, and icing for an adorably festive treat.
Candied apples are one of my favorite desserts, so I think it rather unfair that they’re relegated to the fall. Since I believe something so delicious deserves more time, I created these Easter bunny candy apples to brighten them up for a new season!
These Easter-themed candy apples are as cute as they are delicious. The fact that they’re a relatively *healthy* treat (they’re made from fruit, after all) is simply icing on the apple. 😉
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About These Easter Bunny Candy Apples
This fun and festive recipe was inspired by my Easter chocolate-covered Oreos. The pretty pastel colors and chocolate coating of the cookies worked so well, I knew they’d be my “in” to make candied apples a springtime treat.
These delicious Easter bunny candy apples are the perfect dessert to add to your Easter dessert spread, use as name tag holders for your Easter table, or to wrap in cellophane and add some personality to your Easter baskets.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It requires only a few ingredients and zero baking.
- Kids love to assist in decorating these versatile treats.
- Since they’re already pre-portioned into individual servings, they are perfect to share at school events, Easter parties, or any other gatherings.
Looking for more ways to add cute and edible Easter-themed decor to your event? Check out my recipe for Easter Nests next!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This homemade candied apple recipe only takes a handful of ingredients to make, and they're all easily found at your local grocery store. See the recipe card at the end of the post for exact amounts.
- Apples - Depending on your flavor preference you can make either red candied apples or green candied apples. I suggest using any variety that you enjoy eating out of hand. You can also substitute pears, papayas, or passion fruit for a less round bunny face, or use apricots or kiwis for smaller treats.
- White chocolate chips - You can also use white baking chips or white chocolate melts if you can’t find true white chocolate chips. Alternatively, consider using chopped-up white chocolate bars instead!
- Pastel-colored sprinkles - You can substitute the pastel sprinkles for any color of sprinkles you prefer, so feel free to get creative!
- Pink icing - For adding depth to the ears and adding a bunny mouth. You can substitute pink icing for brown, red, or your favorite color icing instead.
- Large pink heart sprinkles - For making sweet little bunny noses. Try swapping in sour heart-shaped runt candy or any heart-shaped candy like cinnamon hearts.
- Large candy eyes - Use icing, chocolate chips, or raisins instead and make your own eyeballs.
Optional Variations
While I love these adorable bunny-shaped homemade candy apples just the way they’re written, feel free to express your inner artiste and make any changes you like! Here are just a few ideas to get your creative wheels turning:
- Dip Differently - If a thick chocolate layer isn’t your idea of fun, dip or roll the apples in marshmallow fluff, peanut butter, caramel, or chocolate sauce before rolling in nuts, candies, sprinkles, crushed cookies, or chocolate chips.
- Add an Extract - Add a flavorful twist by mixing the melted white chocolate with a teaspoon or two of lemon, almond, vanilla, peppermint, coconut, banana, or maple extract before decorating or rolling into sprinkles.
- Adjust Your Dip - You can also add lots of flavor to the white chocolate by adding ¼ cup of peanut butter, caramel sauce, or hazelnut spread.
- Try Different Chocolate - You can substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk or dark chocolate, brown or pastel-colored candy melting wafers, or your favorite chocolate bars instead.
- Add Crunch or Chew - Add Rice Krispies, crushed pretzels, M&M's, jelly beans, gummy worms, gummy bears, or mini marshmallows to your final design for extra texture.
- Go Nuts - Add some chopped or crushed peanuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, or hazelnuts.
- Swap in Chocolate or Caramel Sauce - Use it to hold the eyes and nose in place if desired.
- More Decorating - Add whiskers and a tail to each bunny using chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks, marshmallows, or whatever your imagination comes up with.
Be sure to tag @kitchendivas in your social media posts showing off your cute creations. Ken & I would love to cheer you on!
How To Make Candied Apples, Easter-Style
My Easter-themed candy apple design might look difficult to make, but in reality, it's very simple to do. The overview is below, but you'll find the complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Prep: Make sure the apples are washed, dried, have their stems removed, and are at room temperature before starting the recipe.
Step 1: Cut an apple into 10 even slices. Then, insert 2 toothpicks into each whole apple.
Step 2: Add ears & melt chocolate. Place an apple slice on each toothpick to make ears. Then, melt the white chocolate chips in a large bowl.
Step 3: Add a handle and dip the bunny in the chocolate. Place a popsicle stick or rod into the center top of the apple and spoon melted white chocolate over it, rotating to fully cover it. Set it aside and let the chocolate harden. Repeat for all apples.
Step 4: Repeat the chocolate-dipping and hardening process until your apple is fully coated and no apple can be seen through the chocolate. Repeat for all apples.
Step 5: Give your bunny a shirt. When the apples are fully coated and hardened, dip the bottom in white chocolate and roll in sprinkles to coat.
Step 6: Make the nose and mouth. Pipe pink icing on the apple to make a smile and place dots where the nose and eyes will be. Then, place the heart-shaped nose and candy eyes on the apple bunny.
Step 7: Spread icing in the center of each ear to finish. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: You can store leftover candy apples, covered, for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, but they're best when enjoyed as soon as possible.
Freezer: Unfortunately, these Easter bunny candy apples don't freeze well.
Make Ahead: You can make this Easter-themed candy apple recipe a day or two in advance and chill until ready to serve. Follow the instructions, up through the coating and assembling steps, but leave off the sprinkles until you’re ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
These Easter Bunny Apples make a great snack or dessert for any occasion. Try serving them with some fresh fruit, yogurt, granola, or ice cream for a delicious treat! They can also be added to breakfast buffet tables or enjoyed as an afternoon snack. They’d also make a great option for selling at a Bake Sale.
Expert Tips
Making homemade candy apples is simple enough for even the kiddos to get involved, but you’ll need to keep a few things in mind:
- Prep your apples. Make sure the apples are washed and dried, have the stem removed, and are at room temperature before starting the recipe so your chocolate will stick.
- Use a popsicle stick inserted into the center top of each apple before dipping it in white chocolate to help keep your hands clean.
- Use a sharp knife when cutting the apple slices so that you get even pieces and no jagged edges. Make sure to safely store the knife away from the decorating table if you have little ones helping you.
- Place two toothpicks on either side of your apple’s top and insert two apple slices as “ears” so they can be held in place with white chocolate later on. I suggest the adults do this part if you’re working with younger kids.
- If your white chocolate chips will not become smooth during melting, add a teaspoon or two of coconut or vegetable oil and stir until blended.
- Use a spoon to make sure your entire apple is covered in white chocolate and no apple can be seen at all.
- Hold and gently tap your hand, not the stick, over the bowl, allowing the excess chocolate to drip off each apple.
- Place apples onto parchment-covered baking sheets after coating them in chocolate to keep clean-up to a minimum. Allow them time to set and dry before re-dipping and adding another layer of white chocolate to create a strong outside coating.
- Once your apple is totally covered in white chocolate, and the last layer is hard or set, dip the bottom inch of each apple into melted white chocolate and then quickly dip it into sprinkles, rolling around to make sure sprinkles are distributed as evenly as possible. The sprinkles can melt from the leftover heat from the warm chocolate, so again, work quickly.
- Again, allow them to dry on parchment-covered baking sheets before continuing to decorate.
- Make sure all ingredients are pre-measured before starting the recipe.
- When using candy eyes and heart sprinkle nose, press down firmly on each piece so they stick properly.
Top Tip
Let the excess melted chocolate drip off of the apple during every dipping. You want a finished product that's as smooth as possible.
FAQ
My favorites are Honeycrisp and Granny Smith. However, feel free to use Gala apples, Red Delicious, Fuji, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, or whatever variety of apple you prefer to eat.
You will need to make sure the apples are washed very well to remove the wax coating from them. Also, make sure they are at room temperature. Apples removed from a refrigerator will sweat, causing condensation that prevents the chocolate from sticking to the apple surface.
Make sure you are drying the ears with a paper towel well before coating them in chocolate so the chocolate can adhere to the surface.
Yes, you can use any store-bought variety or the high-quality real white chocolate kind which are less processed and contain fewer additives. Depending on the quality, you may need to add a teaspoon or two of coconut oil or vegetable oil to smooth your chocolate out while melting.
No! If your apples are chilled when the white chocolate hits them it will immediately harden instead of flowing around the apple and creating a smooth texture. Start with room temp apples for the best results.
The easiest solution is to use a plastic sandwich bag with the corner snipped off, but the results won't be super precise. You can also make a piping bag out of parchment paper for tighter lines.
More Fun Recipes
Do you like decorating? Here are some recipes you may also like to try
Easter Bunny Apples
Equipment
- Resealable bag with corner cut off or piping bag
- popsicle sticks or rods
Ingredients
- 6 Apples washed with stem removed and at room temperature
- 1 bag (12 oz) white chocolate chips
- 1 cup pastel-colored sprinkles
- 5 tablespoons pink icing
- 5 large pink heart sprinkles
- 10 large candy eyes
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, cut one of your apples into 10 even slices, minus the core.
- Place 2 toothpicks on either side of the top of your apples, pointed slightly outward.
- Place 2 apple slices, with the cut side out, onto the toothpicks to make bunny ears. Pat the ears dry with a paper towel and set aside.
- In a medium heat-safe bowl, heat your white chocolate chips according to package instructions until you have smooth white chocolate.
- Place a popsicle stick or rod into the center top of the apple and hold your assembled bunny apple over your bowl of white chocolate and spoon the white chocolate evenly over the apple, covering all sides and ears. Set the apple aside, top side up, until the white chocolate has hardened. Repeat this white chocolate process one or two more times until the bunny apples are fully coated in smooth white chocolate and no apple is showing through. Make sure each layer of white chocolate has fully hardened before applying another layer.
- Once your last layer has hardened, dip just the bottom inch of the apple in white chocolate and quickly dip it into your sprinkles, rolling it slightly so that the wet white chocolate is covered in sprinkles. Set them aside to harden.
- Using a pipping bag or a plastic bag with a hole cut in the corner, pipe a pink icing smile, a dot where the nose will be, and dots where the eyes will be. Place candy eyes and heart sprinkle nose on those icing dots using the icing as glue to hold them on.
- Lastly, spread pink icing in the center of each ear using a small knife.
- Once all icing and white chocolate has fully hardened, serve at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
These Easter Bunny Apples are best served right away. They can be stored covered in your refrigerator for up to 3 days but are best enjoyed as soon as possible. I do not recommend freezing these Easter Bunny Apples.
- Make sure the apples are washed, dried, with stem removed, at room temperature before starting the recipe so you chocolate will stick.
- Insert a popsicle stick or rod into the center top of each apple before dipping in white chocolate.
- Use a sharp knife when cutting the apple slices so that you get even pieces and no jagged edges.
- Place two toothpicks on either side of your apple’s top and insert two apple slices as “ears” so they can be held in place with white chocolate later on.
- If your white chocolate chips will not become smooth add a teaspoon or two of coconut or vegetable oil and stir until blended.
- Use a spoon to make sure your entire apple is covered in white chocolate and no apple can be seen at all.
- Hold and gently tap your hand, not the stick, over the bowl allowing the excess chocolate to drip off each apple.
- Place apples onto parchment covered baking sheets after coating them in chocolate and allow them time to set and dry before dipping again and adding another layer of white chocolate to create a strong outside coating.
- Once your apple is totally covered in white chocolate, and last layer is hard or set, dip each apple one inch from bottom into melted white chocolated and then quickly dip into sprinkles, rolling around to make sure sprinkles are distributed as evenly as possible and allow to dry on parchment covered baking sheets.
- Use a pipping bag or resealable bag with corner cut off, pipe pink icing smile onto each bunny face as well as dots where their eyes and nose will be. These dots are the glue to attach your candy eyes or heart noses onto your apples securely!
- Smooth and spread pink icing in the center of each bunny ear using a small knife.
- Make sure all ingredients you'll need are pre-measured before starting the recipe.
- Work quickly while decorating your apples into the sprinkles as sprinkles can melt from leftover heat from the apples.
- When using candy eyes and heart sprinkle nose, press down firmly on each piece so they stick properly.
Nutrition
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