Salted Coconut Caramel Apple Nachos

For the caramel:

1 13.5-oz. can full-fat coconut milk

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2-4 tart apples, such as Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith

Toppings of your choice, such as:

Chopped nuts

Dried cranberries

Pumpkin seeds

Chocolate chips

Shredded coconut

Ground cinnamon

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together coconut milk and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. 
2. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer the coconut-sugar mixture for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the mixture simmers, it will darken in color and thicken. 
3. After 30 minutes, test the caramel by placing a metal spoon in the mixture - the caramel should coat the spoon. 
4. Remove the caramel from the heat, and stir in the vanilla extract and sea salt. 
5. Allow the caramel to cool for about 15 minutes before use. The caramel will thicken as it cools, although it does stay pretty runny. 
6. While the caramel is cooling, prepare the apples: remove the stem and core from the apples. Cut into quarters, and then slice each quarter into quarters. 
7. To assemble the nachos, place 8-10 apple slices on a small plate. Drizzle with cooled caramel sauce. Scatter desired toppings over the top. Drizzle again with additional caramel sauce (optional). 
8. Store leftover caramel sauce in the refrigerator for up to one week.