Candy Apples: Why aren’t these Fall treats getting enough love in 2023?

UNITED STATES - 2020/01/26: Candy apple treats. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - 2020/01/26: Candy apple treats. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)

When we think of Fall, there are a lot of treats and flavors that come to mind. And for me, one of those treats is candy apples.

However, when we look around at all the popular Fall flavors and treats right now, the one thing that seems to be in short supply is candy apples. In fact, even I forget about them at times until something reminds me.

A recent reminder of these iconic treats came courtesy of a local Starbucks. At a Target Starbucks location near me, their drink of the week was a Candy Apple Latte. It sounded amazing and it was a pretty stark reminder that Pumpkin Spice is not the only iconic flavor of the Fall.

As a kid, candy apples at the Fall festivals was a must have, right alongside fried dough and cotton candy. But in the past few years, it feels like candy apples have fallen by the wayside, even as they have definitely gotten plenty of upgrades and makeovers over the years. From designer apples covered in chocolates and caramels, to candy coated apples with sprinkles and more, there are a lot of ways to enjoy a coated apple these days, but why doesn’t it get the same love that it used to.

Candy apples are still an iconic Fall treat and they deserve more love

Considering Fall is the season of fresh apples it makes sense that treats with apples are popular at this time of year. And yet, for some reason candy apples seem to be getting less attention this year than ever before.

Is it because it is sugar coated around an apple? Is it because some of us are more worried about our teeth than we used to be? We really don’t know what it is about the candy apple that has led to what appears to be a decline in popularity.

We aren’t seeing them in the grocery story like we used to and we haven’t even seen the kits that let you make the caramel or candy coated apples at home in our stores. The kits are available online, which is good at least, but still the fact that it seems so hard to find them makes us sad.

While there are still places that offer candy apples, including the elevated ones that take the apples to a whole new level, it just doesn’t feel the same. But we will take what we can get, at least for now. And hopefully next year things change and the candy apple is once again back in favor, with people enjoying this classic treat on repeat.

If you love candy apples as much as we do, you can still snag the Concord Farms Candy Apple kit that lets you make up to 10 candy apples at home. Or, if you prefer one that is already made and ready for you to dive into, why not check out Harry & David, where you can get seasonal apples and even birthday apples (they may not be candy coated, but we still love these chocolate covered apples). And if you want the iconic Candy Apples, check out Nandy’s Candy, where they are made throughout the apple season.

What do you think fellow guilty eaters? Are you a fan of candy apples? What do you think about how sparse the candy apples have been this season? Let us know what you think over on our social media channels.