(Family Features) Perfect for entertaining or simply enjoying after a long day at the office, easy snacks with a few ingredients can help satisfy cravings without spoiling dinner plans. Versatile produce, like apples, provide a sweet, fruity backdrop in favorite recipes that can be enjoyed year-round.

Take these Country Caramel Apples, for example, which include apples, caramel dip and crushed pecans to make hosting duties fun and convenient. The combination of sweet and savory makes it the ultimate apple experience with the craveable texture and crunch of Envy Apples lending an uplifting aroma and flavor.

Providing a balanced sweetness with flesh that remains whiter longer, even after cutting, this leading apple variety makes entertaining easy, regardless of the occasion. Just carve small pieces out with a melon ball scoop, coat with caramel dip, roll in crushed pecans and serve with toothpicks to make snack time a breeze.

Discover more simple snack ideas for easy entertaining at EnvyApple.com.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

Country Caramel Apples

• 3          Envy Apples
• 1          bag crushed pecans
• 1          jar caramel dip

1. Using melon ball scoop, carve round apple pieces, starting at skin and rotating inward.
2. Insert long toothpick into each round apple piece.
3. Place crushed pecans in small bowl.
4. Roll round apple pieces in caramel dip then roll in crushed pecans.
5. Place coated apple bites on serving tray and refrigerate until just prior to serving.

Source: Envy Apples

(Culinary.net) Halloween calls for candies and treats of all kinds as trick-or-treaters roam neighborhoods, but don’t forget to stock your own snack supply with homemade goodies.

Skip the store-bought sweets this year and instead opt for ideas like these that can be whipped up in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Party Mix
As one of the easiest recipes you could imagine, a Halloween-themed party mix simply calls for your favorite snack-type foods tossed together in a group-sized bowl or individual containers. You can try just about anything from candy corns and miniature chocolates to pretzels, popcorn and more.

Spooky Cupcakes
Kid-friendly treats are the name of the game when it comes to Halloween, and there’s almost no better way to get children involved in the kitchen than with some personalized decorations. Bake your preferred cupcakes – chocolate or vanilla – then call on the kiddos to use icing and toppings for creepy custom creations.

Pumpkin Pie
There’s nothing wrong with going with a classic. While it may not scream All Hallows’ Eve, pumpkin is the flavor of the season, which makes pumpkin pie a traditional taste this time of year. Because most versions call for a fairly small number of ingredients, it’s a simple way to bake a desirable dessert. Plus, you can easily give pumpkin pie some Halloween flair using whipped cream to “draw” a spooky Jack-o-lantern-like face.

Creepy Cookies
Whether your family craves chocolate chip or prefers the sweetness of sugar cookies, you can lay out your favorite dough and use seasonal cookie cutters – think Frankenstein, witches, ghosts, spiders and more – for a frightful bite.

Caramel-Dipped Apples
Skip out on bobbing for apples and instead dip yours in caramel for a traditional Halloween treat. Just insert wooden skewers in the tops of your apples, dip the opposite end into melted caramel and enjoy. To add a bit of fun and flavor, sprinkle chopped nuts or crushed candies on the caramel end of each apple.

Find more snacks, desserts and treats at Culinary.net.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images