Wash and dry the apples thoroughly, as any water left on the apples can cause bubbles when coating. Remove the stems and insert wooden skewers. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease it to prevent sticking.

In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, light corn syrup, water, and maple syrup. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved completely, about 3-5 minutes.

Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Insert a candy thermometer into the mixture and continue boiling until it reaches the hard crack stage, which is around 300°F. This will take approximately 15-20 minutes. If you do not have a thermometer, spoon some of the syrup into a bowl of cold water. If the syrup instantly hardens, then it is ready.

Once the candy syrup reaches the correct temperature, remove the saucepan from the heat. Let it sit for a few minutes until the bubbles subside. Then, carefully stir in the black gel food coloring. Be cautious as the mixture may bubble and release steam. Add more black food coloring depending on how dark you want the syrup to be.

Tip the pot at a 45° angle so all of the candy syrup goes to one side. Holding the skewer, dip each apple into the black candy syrup, swirling it around to ensure even coating. Allow any excess syrup to drip off. Keep the pot on medium-low heat to prevent the syrup from hardening. If it starts to harden it becomes increasingly difficult to dip between apples.

Place the coated apples onto the prepared baking sheet and let them cool and harden completely to room temperature. This process will take about an hour or so.

Once the black candy coating has completely hardened, your Halloween Black Candy Apples are ready to serve! You can display them on a tray or wrap them individually in cellophane with festive ribbons for gifting.