Homemade Caramels ~ An Easy and Favorite Holiday Candy Recipe (2024)

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An easy and favorite old-fashioned holiday candy. This simple homemade caramels recipe uses only 5 ingredients and creates chewy, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth caramels!

Homemade Caramels ~ An Easy and Favorite Holiday Candy Recipe (1)

Homemade caramels are a truly indulgent and nostalgic treat. Today we are going to satisfy our candy cravings with caramels made from scratch.

I know making homemade candy seems intimidating. If you can stand at the stove and stir a pot, you are all set to rock this recipe!

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Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My love for caramel runs deep as evidenced here, here and here.

This is a tried and true recipe. I make these caramels at Christmas every year. I only allow myself to make them once a year as they are SO good that I can eat an entire batch all by myself.

You will want to use a quality heavy bottomed saucepan. Cheaper and thinner saucepans won't distribute the heat as evenly and increase the chance of you scorching or burning the candy as it cooks.

A candy thermometer is also highly recommended. The thermometer is your friend in this recipe as it tells you when the candy is ready. I have a no-frills thermometer, but wouldn't mind a digital version. Hint, hint Santa.😉

CAN I MAKE CARAMELS WITHOUT A CANDY THERMOMETER?

Yes, you can use the cold water test if you do not have a candy thermometer. Fill a small cup with cold water. After the caramel has been boiling for 15 minutes or so, drizzle a little caramel into the cold water. You should be able to form the caramel into a ball with your fingers. It should be soft and pliable and a little sticky.

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STEP BY STEP PHOTOS OF MAKING HOMEMADE CARAMELS

Start by lining a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper and greasing the paper with butter. You can also use aluminum foil, but I tend to have the best luck with parchment paper.

Next melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Once the butter has melted add the brown sugar and light corn syrup and cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Then add the sweetened condensed milk and stir to combine.

Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches between 238° and 240° on a candy thermometer. This takes about 20-30 minutes. I typically add the candy thermometer after the mixture has been at a low boil for 8-10 minutes.

Start watching the candy thermometer closely once it reaches 230°. It can quickly move those last few degrees!

The mixture may bubble up slightly as you add the vanilla extract. Be sure to use caution pouring the extremely hot caramels into your prepared baking pan.

Allow the caramels to cool at room temperature for 3-4 hours (or overnight) until cool and set. You do not have to cover them.

HOW TO CUT AND WRAP CARAMELS

Remove the caramels from the pan by lifting out the parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to cut the caramels into your desired size.

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I like to cut ten rows and then individually cut each row into 10 or 11 pieces.

To wrap the caramels, either cut wax paper into 4x5 inch rectangles, or use candy wrappers. Place a caramel in the center of the rectangle.

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Then wrap the long sides of the paper over the caramel.

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Finally, twist both sides of the waxed paper to seal in the caramel.

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HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE CARAMELS

Wrapped caramels will stay fresh at room temperature for 1-2 weeks. You can also store them in the refrigerator, but I would allow them to come to room temperature before serving.

To pin this recipe, you can use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of the page. Come follow me on Pinterest and Instagram to see all the things that inspire me. Thank you for being here and happy baking!

Yield: 100 candies

Homemade Caramels

Homemade Caramels ~ An Easy and Favorite Holiday Candy Recipe (13)

An easy and favorite old-fashioned holiday candy. This simple homemade caramels recipe uses only 5 ingredients and creates chewy, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth caramels!

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time30 minutes

Cooling Time4 hours

Total Time4 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 ¼ cups dark brown sugar*, firmly packed
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

    1. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper and butter well. Set aside.
    2. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and mix until incorporated. Stir in the corn syrup. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is well blended, about 3 minutes.
    3. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and increase the temperature to medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches between 238° and 240° on a candy thermometer. This takes about 20-30 minutes.
    4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
    5. Cool to room temperature, about 3-4 hours, or until completely set. There is no need to cover the caramels.
    6. Use the parchment paper to remove the caramels from the baking pan. Use a sharp knife to cut the caramels into your desired size. Wrap the individual caramels in waxed paper.

Notes

For optimal freshness store wrapped caramels at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to one month.

*You can use light brown sugar

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

100 candies

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 59Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 10mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 0g

The nutrition information is an estimate and may not be entirely accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

Please make my day and PIN to Pinterest and share a photo on Instagram ~ making sure to tag @twosugarbugs! THANK YOU!!

Homemade Caramels ~ An Easy and Favorite Holiday Candy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best thing to wrap homemade caramels in? ›

Most caramels will need a little time at room temperature in order to cut more easily. Cut in squares and wrap in waxed paper or parchment paper. Wrapped caramels can also be frozen.

What is the best pan to make caramels in? ›

For these homemade caramels you want a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan. I recommend using a pan that does NOT have a nonstick coating. Heavy-bottomed simply means the pot or pan has a thicker base. It shouldn't be thin and tinny.

Why didn't my homemade caramels harden? ›

If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough. Again place the caramel back into a sauce pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and heat to 244°F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can test with a cold water test.

How long can you store homemade caramels? ›

Homemade caramel typically lasts about 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

What not to do when making caramel? ›

Avoid these, and it'll be sweet—er, smooth—sailing.
  1. Using the Wrong Pot. You can't make a caramel sauce with a thin or flimsy pot. ...
  2. Dumping in All of the Sugar at Once. Adding all of your sugar in one go means that it won't liquefy uniformly. ...
  3. Not Setting up Your Mise en Place.
Nov 11, 2015

What thickens caramel? ›

For each cup (240 mL) of caramel sauce that you need to thicken, run 1 tbsp (14.7 mL) of cold water into a measuring cup, and slowly stir in 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Pour the cornstarch mixture into your pot caramel sauce, and stir constantly. Keep the sauce on low heat until it begins to thicken.

Why are my homemade caramels greasy? ›

If the toffee or caramel is not handled properly during the cooking process, the butter sometimes separates from the sugar and forms an oily layer on top of the candy. This often happens during the cooking stage, but sometimes it separates as it is being poured out onto a baking sheet to cool.

Which method is quickest in caramel making? ›

Dry caramel is quicker to make than wet caramel, but it's also trickier: Without additional liquid, the sugar can caramelize very quickly, burning before you realize it.

Why do my homemade caramels stick to the wax paper? ›

In general the paper sold for home use is too light weight, the grain of the paper isn't made to withstand twisting (it tears), and the wax coating is too light to prevent the moisture from the candy from seaping into the paper and weakening it thus causing it to tear and stick.

Why add butter to caramel? ›

Once the sugar has all dissolved and turned brown, we add butter. The heat of the caramel will melt the butter and create even more wonderful flavors.

Can you leave homemade caramel out overnight? ›

This sweet sauce can be left out at room temperature for a few days, but because of the dairy incorporated into the sauce, it's best kept refrigerated. Plus, popping it in the fridge will keep your caramel sauce fresher for longer.

How long does homemade Christmas candy last? ›

Most candies will keep 2 to 3 weeks (if not longer) if stored tightly covered in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator. It's best to avoid storing different types of candy together in the same container because hard candies will become soft and sticky, and soft candies will dry out.

Do hard caramels go bad? ›

* Caramel: When stored properly at room temperature and away from the heat and light, caramel candy can last six to nine months -- and even up to a year in some cases.

Is wax paper or parchment paper better for caramels? ›

Why do I line with parchment? Because the caramel doesn't stick to it. Wax paper would melt and disintegrate under the high heat. The caramel sticks to foil, even if it is buttered (ask me how I know this …

Can you use parchment paper when making caramels? ›

Line a 9×13” pan or jelly roll pan with parchment paper. (If you don't have parchment paper you can generously butter the pan.) Either size pan will work–9×13” will yield thicker caramels. Add 2 sticks butter, sugar, and karo syrup to a large heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat.

Can you wrap caramels in cellophane? ›

Professional caramel wrappers don't stick to your caramels or taffy, resist tearing, and hold their twist. These cellophane caramel wrappers meet FDA standards for direct food contact. Bulk package of 1000 cellophane wrappers. Great for twist wrapping individual hard candies or suckers.

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