HOW-TO: Set Up a Caramel Apple Bar for Your Fall Wedding!

September 2, 2015

Apple season has begun! So a Caramel Apple Bar would be just the thing to delight guests with at your autumn wedding. Imagine everyone gathering round to choose their own toppings, dips, and garnishes—whether as yummy apple snacks as they move from ceremony to reception, or as an additional dessert option to your wedding cake. Come and see our tips for setting up a super-appealing caramel apple station with all the fixin’s!

Caramel Apple Bar: The Goodies & the Serve Ware

Step #1: Source the crispest, freshest apples you can find. You can combine red varieties with green Granny Smith ones for a pretty display. If you have a family orchard, lucky you! Or simply buy from your nearby farmers’ market or see some links to online sources below. Then, you may opt to set out whole apples on wooden twigs for a rustic look, or slice them into bite-sized wedges on skewers Or do both!

Online sources of apples in bulk:
Bulk Natural Foods / Nature’s Finest Produce / Martin’s Fruit Farm

Step #2: Set out a yummy selection of dips and toppings.

Of course, a caramel apple bar must have caramel! You can make your own with this recipe from My Frugal Adventures. Then, offer up other dips like chocolate sauce or others made with toffee, peanut butter, maple syrup, ‘ice cream’ and more (see dip options from Cheatsheet).

For toppings, think mini marshmallows, crushed peanuts, chocolate chips, candy corn, M&Ms®, grated coconut, sprinkles, or anything else you fancy!

Step #3: Use serveware that’s handy and pretty!

Depending on how casual or more formal your event is, be resourceful in choosing containers for your apple station. These could range from candy bowls to ramekin dishes to mason jars to muffin baking trays to set out the toppings. Then for the dips, you could have larger bowls, mugs, even syrup dispensers if you want to control spills.

Caramel Apple Bar: Decorations and Supplies

Step #4: Set out supplies for mess-free enjoyment.

Think of what would make it easier and neater for guests to serve themselves: lots of paper napkins, dessert plates, small forks and teaspoons, and skewers. For the toppings, individual scoopers are best and maybe mini food tongs to handle small items.

Step #5: Create an appealing fall display!

Here’s where that cozy autumn charm comes in. Decorate your station with gingham or burlap fabrics, rustic-style bunting accented with leaves, acorns, or pine cones, and hand-written chalkboard signage. Then as ‘pedestals’ for the goodies on display, use wood slices, upturned bushel baskets, wooden crates, or tin buckets.

For guests to take home as favors, why not jars of homemade caramel sauce—or other caramel favors like those we have here? Or apple-themed goodies we featured here? Or prepared caramel apples in fabric wraps? So many yummy options!

Image credits:
1 – Intimate Weddings (image attributed to My DIY Wedding) / 2a – My Frugal Adventures / 2b – My Kitchen Escapades / 3 – Craftberry Bush / 4 – Ann’s Bridal Bargains / 5 – Champagne Wedding Coordination (display by Blissfully Sweet)

UPDATE – 22 May 2019

Much as we all love candied apples, you do still want to present them as enticingly and stylishly as possible at your fall wedding. So here is a fresh round of ideas and inspiration, plus product picks to help you do just that! (*this post contains affiliate links)

Inspiration for a Caramel Apple Wedding Station

1 – Candy Apple Buffet

A “Sweet Autumn” theme is the focus of this candy apple buffet from La Dolce Idea’s Fan Mail. Love how apples of different colors add to the decorative effect. Plus, this is a make-your-own presentation with huge containers of dipping sauces and an array of toppings.

2 – Caramel Apple Buffet Station
Here’s another very doable setup, found on Crystal Ballroom. It’s a caramel apple dipping station offering up regular-sized and mini apples, caramel and melted chocolate kept warm in a chafing dish, and various toppings in simple white bowls.

3 – Rustic Farmhouse Style Caramel Apple Bar

Farmhouse charm is the appeal of this delightful caramel apple bar from Tara and Renata. Details we love are the mini bushel basket and soda bottle crate for holding the apples, vintage-style birdcages, and the cutest chalkboard sign.

4 – Caramel Apple Bar (Country Style)

Among the many food station offerings from City BBQ is this caramel apple bar that you can definitely take cues from. Take note of the country charm of red checkered linens, large cooking pots, wooden accessories, an apple-shaped sign, and single-serve food trays for guests.

5 – Bright Red and White Caramel Apple Display

Talk about sweet and simple! How cute are these bright red apples on actual wooden twig skewers displayed on crisp white trays and a little “stool” pedestal. Credit goes to Maddy Cakes Muse, as featured on Lemon Drop Team.

6 – Rustic Fall Apple Bar

You can play up the woodland ambiance of fall in a caramel apple station, like this one from Bon Appetit Crepe Company. Have a pumpkin (actual or faux) serve as a centerpiece, add a scattering of autumn leaves, and display the candied apples on wooden serve ware. Pretty!

Caramel Apple Recipes: From Dips to Toppings

Now, for what to serve on your candied apple station that guests will find exciting and irresistible! See these recipes we found that offer up less refined sugar options using honey, dark chocolate, dates, and almond butter dipping sauces.