Will You Crave These Boozy Caramel Grapes?

One of my favorite fall traditions involves arguing about caramel apples with my New Englander of a boyfriend. He—a man who is wrong—thinks being from Connecticut gives him special insight into what fall “is.” He insists that candy apples—which are hard to eat and stupid—are superior.

Jokes on him, however, because he doesn’t know how to make candy apples, and I refuse to make anything but caramel; in this way, this house remains a caramel apple house. Recently though, I’ve considered expanding to make room in my home (and mouth, and heart) for some vodka-soaked, caramel-dipped green grapes. They are sweet, they are tart, they are coated in peanuts. I love them.

And, yes, it may seem like I gave away the ending of this video, but many questions remain: Does the vodka come through? Do all forms of caramel work? Should you wash the grapes first? Those are just a few of the riddles that will be answered therein.

I think this recipe was designed to serve as a party snack, but we’re not having many parties these days. Luckily, it works equally as well as a “sitting on the couch by yourself snack,” a “Monday night” snack, or a “hiding under a bridge” snack. You don’t even have to wait for the caramel to set. Just stab a grape with a toothpick, dip it in caramel, press it into a pile of chopped peanuts, and shove it in your mouth. I won’t call it “elegant,” but it is straightforward, it is delicious, and it is not coated in a too-hard, overly-sweet candy shell.