caramel candy

These soft and chew caramels are an easy, homemade holiday gift for family, friends, neighbors, teachers, and most importantly, yourself. They&#039;re soft and chewy, creamy and sweet, with a healthy dusting of flaky sea salt for the perfect sweet-savory bite.

Homemade Caramel Candy

c white sugar

c packed light brown sugar

corn syrup

heavy cream

unsalted butter

tsp vanilla extract

tsp fine sea salt

sea salt

Prep baking dish.

Line the baking dish with parchment paper, leaving enough hanging over two opposite sides to easily lift the cooled caramels out of the pan. Liberally grease the parchment with butter or cooking spray.

Combine ingredients.

Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream and butter in a 6-quart dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot. Heat over medium heat and stir constantly until all ingredients are melted and blended together.

Add candy thermometer.

Affix a candy thermometer to the side of the pot, roughly 1&quot; above the bottom of the pot. Postion the thermometer so that it&#039;s submerged below the surface of the caramels throughout the cooking process. Increase the heat to high and bring the sugar mixture to a boil. 

Simmer.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and let the sugar mixture simmer with slow, medium-sized bubbles until the candy thermometer reaches 245-250°F. Stir every 10 minutes. It will take 40-45 minutes to reach the correct temperature. NOTE:   watch the thermometer carefully after it reaches 230°F, as the temperature increases pretty quickly after that point.

Pour caramels.

Once the mixture hits 245-250°F, immediately remove from heat and pour in 1/2 tsp fine sea salt and the vanilla. The mixture will vigorously bubble (this is the alcohol in the vanilla boiling off). Stir in the vanilla until evenly incorporated, then pour the caramel into the prepared baking dish. Use oven mitts to protect your hands and wrists from any splatter (it&#039;s extremely hot!). Allow the caramel to cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes and then sprinkle half the maldon salt over the caramels.

Cool.

Allow the caramels to cool at room temperature or in the fridge until set - at least 2 hours. Once cooled, sprinkle the remaining salt over the caramels. Lift up the caramels by the parchment paper flaps and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the caramels into 1&quot; x 2/3&quot; rectangles with a sharp, non-serrated blade or a bench scraper. Wrap the caramels in 4&quot; x 5&quot; squares of wax paper.

Store.

The caramels are good for 2-3 weeks if stored in an airtight container. I gift these in 1-lb gift boxes in 1.5 dozen increments. 

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/61C7rEkV.mp4

Soft and chewy Salted Caramel Candies are an easy, homemade holiday gift for family, friends, neighbors, teachers, and most importantly, yourself. They’re soft, creamy and sweet, with a healthy dusting of flaky sea salt for the perfect sweet-savory bite. I’ve been making these treats for years, and friends near and far start clamoring for them as soon as December 1st hits.

These Homemade Caramels are soft, chewy, sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! They’re a classic simple candy that can easily be made at home and perfect for gift giving any time of year.

Easy Homemade Caramels

unsalted butter (, plus butter for the pan/parchment paper)

sugar

salt

can evaporated milk

vanilla extract

Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper, with a slight overhang (for easy removal later.) Butter the parchment paper well.

Add the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a medium heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Stir over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until mixture begins to boil.

Very gradually drizzle in the evaporated milk, taking about 12-15 minutes to slowly add it, while stirring constantly. (Remain over medium heat, maintaining a constant boil. It takes patience and time - don&#039;t rush this step.)

Stir the mixture constantly, scraping the sides occasionally until it reaches a &quot;soft ball&quot; stage (238 degrees F on a candy thermometer). For certainty, drop a spoonful of the hot caramel sauce into a cup of ice water and mold it with your fingers into a ball. When ready it will feel pretty firm and pliable, but still slightly sticky.

Once you reach 238 degrees F / or the soft ball stage, remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. (Be careful, it will bubble up.)

Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Cool completely, usually about 4 hours. (You can also cool and chill in the fridge overnight, then set out on counter to warm slightly at room temperature, so they&#39;re chilled but not cold. This makes them easier to cut.)

Remove the caramels from the pan by lifting out the parchment paper.

Using a sharp knife or dough/bench scraper, cut caramel into 10 rows and then individually cut each row into 8 pieces, so you end up with 80 equal sized pieces.

Place a caramel in the middle of wax paper, roll up, and then twist the ends to seal, like a tootsie roll. Then eat a bunch of them or give as gifts!The full article is filled with helpful tips, cutting, wrapping, and storage information.

These are so good and easy to make. I have tried many caramel recipes and this is my first success.

I've made these several times and everyone loves them. This last time I was distracted during cooking and the temperature reached firm ball stage / 248 degrees F.  When I cut the caramels with a scraper, they did NOT stick to the blade like all previous times. The caramels are firmer and chewy. I'll cook to firm ball from now on.

I absolutely love this recipe , my favorite by far. Excellent tasting and easy to follow. Thank you

This was my first time making caramel and I chose this recipe after looking through a bunch of other ones because it seemed the most simple and it didnt include brown sugar (the one thing I didnt have.) I followed the ingredients list as well as the directions and I can say that the flavor is amazing. I can see now why this is one of the type of things that get better with experience. My first mistake was using a sauce pan thinking that would be enough room. I didnt anticipate how much the recipe grew with the evaporated milk (did I mention that this was the first recipe I've ever followed, as in never cooked outside of Mac and cheese or sandwiches) so mid way through I had to hurry up and grab a larger pan, heat it up and then transfer it all over to that one. That didn't seem to affect it to much though. My second and probably biggest mistake was that I kept the candy thermometer in the whole time I was stirring since I thought that was what I was supposed to do after noticing the little clip thing to keep it clipped to the pot. Well since that was in the same spot I never stirred behind it and made sure to even avoid it so as to not break it. I didn't notice though until I took it out when it came time to pour the hot caramel into the dish. Then my third mistake was thinking it was going to come to the soft ball stage right after I was done adding the milk. And maybe it is supposed to but I have one of those glass top electric stoves that as my son lovengly refers to as being "dog water" for how well we are NOT able to control the temperature. So fifteen minutes after I poured in the milk (excruciatingly slow) and gone through 2 bowls of water by this point my mixture finally hit that softball stage on the thermometer (hallelujah). Then using my now third bowl of water I finally see the Carmel stack up on itself instead of just wooshing out in a cloud of murkey Carmel water and I knew it was done.This however is when I see the evidence that I didnt stir behind the thermometer.. But all in all (dark brown speckles and all) it was a neat experience and the Carmel actually tastes amazing. Thanks for the recipe.

Easy and delicious, with few ingredients. We stock evaporated milk, I like this recipe's match to our pantry.

This is a great recipe. My first time making caramel! I was wondering how long they stay soft for after wrapping? I made these tonight (12/20/2021) and I want them to stay fresh for Christmas. Any tips? Thank you so much

So easy, so delicious. Thank you for another keeper.

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Homemade Caramels

These homemade caramels are soft, chewy and FULL of flavor! They're not hard to make and use simple ingredients. With my detailed instructions and step-by-step photos, you'll be gifting homemade caramels to everyone you know!

Soft Homemade Caramels

(414 grams) sugar

(180 milliliters) water

(420 milliliters) heavy cream, room temperature

(120 milliliters) light corn syrup

Instant candy thermometer

Pastry brush

Pre-cut wax paper wrappers

Line an 8 or 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Either size pan will work, the 8-inch will just give you thicker caramels.

You’ll start by making the caramel sauce

In a medium to large saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add ½ cup of the butter and let it melt.

Turn the heat up to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Use water and a pastry brush to clean the sides of the pan (this helps the residue on the sides of the pan not cause crystallization). Stop whisking and don’t whisk at all during this part (again to help avoid crystallization).

Allow to boil until the mixture turns a deep golden copper color and reaches 330°F (if you’re using a candy thermometer), about 10-15 minutes, maybe longer depending on your stove. Keep an eye on it, but do not stir. If needed, you can occasionally tip the pan from side to side to help things cook evenly, and to give you a look at how dark it is and make sure it isn’t burning.

Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add in the heavy whipping cream in a slow, steady stream. The caramel will bubble up quite a bit, so be careful with this step. Whisk quickly and well as you add the cream, whisking until well combined.

Now it’s time to turn the caramel sauce into caramels

Add the remaining ½ cup of butter and let it melt, then add the corn syrup and stir to combine.

Place the pan back over medium heat and bring to a boil (it’ll happen quickly). Stir often with a silicone spatula to help prevent burning. After stirring, you can use water and a pastry brush to clean the sides of the pan (this helps the residue on the sides of the pan not crystallize).

Cook the caramel until reaches 240-245°F (I prefer 245°F). The higher the temperature, the firmer the caramels will be. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can also test it the old-fashioned way by dropping a spoonful of hot caramel into a cup of ice water. If you can shape it into a fairly firm but slightly sticky ball, it should be ready.

Remove from heat and stir in the salt and vanilla extract. It will bubble up a bit, so be careful.

Pour the caramel mixture into the prepared pan and allow to cool completely. They can cool at room temperature or in the fridge. They are firmer and easier to cut when cold, and are softer (but totally still cut-able) at room temperature.

Cut the caramels to your desired size and wrap them in wax paper. Store them in an air-tight container at room temperature or in the fridge, but serve at room temperature. They should keep well at room temperature for about six to nine months.

Clusters of pecans and gooey caramel topped with rich, creamy chocolate.

Chocolate Turtle Pecan Clusters

oz Pecan halves (about 3 cups)

oz Soft caramels (Kraft caramel squares

Tbsp Heavy cream

oz Chocolate chips (milk, dark or semi-sweet)

tsp Vegetable shortening

Coarse sea salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes stirring half way through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

With a sharp knife, roughly chop the pecans reserving some halves to top the turtles.  No need to be precise with the chopping, we are just looking for small pieces.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner, make little piles of chopped pecans (about 1 tablespoon each).

Place the caramels and cream in a large, microwave safe bowl or the top of a simmering double boiler.  Stir the caramels with the cream until they are melted and smooth.  If using a microwave, use 20 second intervals and stir between each interval.

While the caramel is warm, pour 1 tablespoon of caramel over each pecan pile.

Place the tray in the freezer for a few minutes to set the caramel while you melt the chocolate.

Place the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl or top of a simmering double boiler and heat until melted and smooth.  If using a microwave, use 10 second intervals stirring between each interval.

Remove the turtles from the freezer and drizzle chocolate over each caramel cluster.

Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle with sea salt or press a pecan half on the top.

Place the turtles in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to set, then move to an airtight container for storage.  Be sure to separate each layer of turtles with wax or parchment paper.

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Easy Homemade Caramels

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Top 4 caramel candy recipes from across the web

The most viewed caramel candy recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Homemade Caramel Candy

Easy Homemade Caramels

Soft Homemade Caramels

Chocolate Turtle Pecan Clusters

The most viewed caramel candy recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine