homemade caramels recipe

This homemade caramel recipe makes the absolute best caramels with only 7 ingredients! They are soft &amp; buttery, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and are a perfect gift for friends and neighbors.

Homemade Caramel Recipe

butter

brown sugar

sugar

corn syrup

oz sweetened condensed milk

sea salt

tsp vanilla extract

Line a 9x9” baking pan with a silicone baking mat or heavily greased wax paper, set aside. Alternately, you can put a silicone baking mat on a larger baking sheet and note that you will not spread the caramel over the entire thing.

Locate your instant read thermometer and have it close by.

Lay out tools

Combine butter, corn syrup, condensed milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar and sea salt in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart (at least) saucepan. Whisk constantly until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Cook over medium-low heat until the caramel reaches 235-240 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, stirring every few minutes with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, making sure not to let any of the mixture on the bottom or sides burn or get too brown. This takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Do not rush it.

You will know you’re getting close when the caramel becomes slightly darker brown in color, thickens and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan as you stir. It will also remain solid when removed from the pot and left to cool or put in cold water.

When the caramel is finished cooking, remove from heat, add vanilla and stir vigorously.

Pour the caramel into the prepared pan.

Chill in the refrigerator until set (about 2 hours).

Then, lift the caramel out of the pan, remove the wax paper or silicone baking mat, and put it on a cutting board.

Cut the chilled caramel into 1” squares (or your desired size) with a sharp knife.

If desired, sprinkle sea salt on the tops of the caramels.

Store cut caramels in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or wrap them in candy wrappers or parchment paper.

Make the caramel:

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1661519203/fg2wkhsda04vplhlsjcu.mp4

This homemade caramel recipe makes the absolute best caramels with only 7 ingredients! Homemade caramels are soft & buttery, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and are a perfect gift for friends and neighbors.

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

salt

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.

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Homemade Caramel Recipe

Soft Homemade Caramels

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