If you love making homemade caramels and candy at Christmas, be sure not to miss any of my candy recipes! Other popular choices this time of year are Grandma Nash’s Best Butter Almond English Toffee, Easy Homemade Peppermint Bark, and my personal favorite, Old-Fashioned Divinity Candy.
These Homemade Caramels are the perfect gift!
If you have ever wondered how to make caramel, wonder no more! I think it’s one of the easiest homemade candy recipes to make and the results are pretty much out of this world delicious. When we make these during Christmas, they get individually wrapped up and gifted to friends, neighbors, teachers, and co-workers, along with some of our other favorite candy or cookies. I’ve suggested changing up our approach to neighbor gift-giving and trying something savory or maybe doing loaves of bread with Whipped Cinnamon Honey Butter, but Paul won’t have it. Not that anyone is complaining when they get a plate of homemade candy with plenty of soft, chewy cream caramels on it! These are not super firm caramels, but rather supremely soft, melt-in-your-mouth caramels that are not too far from the texture of taffy, albeit with a rich caramel flavor. If you prefer a firmer caramel, just cook it a little bit longer before taking it off the heat and pouring it into the pan.
Why you’ll love this Caramel Candy Recipe
This caramel candy recipe offers pure, sweet indulgence in just a few simple steps. The rich, buttery caramel flavor, coupled with a soft, chewy texture, is irresistible.
Crafting your own caramels allows you to customize the level of sweetness and experiment with unique additions like sea salt, nuts, or chocolate. It makes a great homemade gift idea for loved ones. Soft, chewy texture Quick and easy to make
Caramel Cream Candy Ingredients & Substitutions
The ingredients in this caramel recipe are super simple. Cream caramels are just made with:
Sugar Salted Butter Corn syrup Salt Vanilla Heavy cream
I don’t recommend substitutions other than you could replace the heavy cream with evaporated milk and you can choose between light or dark corn syrup. Darker corn syrup will help color the caramels a bit darker but otherwise I don’t notice a flavor difference.
How to make Caramels
Don’t worry about scraping every last bit of caramel out off the pan. The stuff on the bottom can be thicker than what pours out and will leave unsightly ribbons in your finished caramel.
Tips for how to make Soft Caramel
Don’t rush things! The real trick for how to make caramel is to take it slowly. The wonderful caramel flavor develops as the sugar toasts and caramelizes over a low heat. Use a large enough pan. There is nothing worse than burnt sugar on your stovetop. Avoid this by using a large enough pan (at least 4-quarts or bigger), as the caramel will bubble and expand as it heats up. I will often use my larger dutch oven just to be on the safe side. Don’t get distracted. You will want to stir frequently throughout the process, and it can take a while for the caramel to come up to temperature, so make sure you have time to dedicate to standing by the stove!
Candy Thermometer vs. Cold Water Test
I highly recommend investing in an inexpensive candy thermometer (affiliate link) when making caramel because it makes it practically foolproof. As long as you watch your temperature and pull the caramel off when it reaches 243-245°F, you will end up with lovely squares of soft, buttery caramels for sharing. It can even go up to 250°F if you prefer your caramel slightly firmer. However, if you live at a higher altitude, you may need to make some adjustments. The rule of thumb is to reduce the temperature you are trying to reach by 2°F for each 1,000 feet of altitude you gain. This is because liquids boil at lower temperatures when you are at higher elevations thanks to a difference in air pressure. So if you are in, say Utah, which is roughly 4,000 feet above sea level, you may only need to cook your caramel to 237-239°F instead of the higher temperature that I look for in California.
How to do the Cold Water Test
Or alternatively, you can use the cold water test to determine if your caramel has reached “soft ball stage”. Just set a cup or bowl of ice water next to your caramel and spoon a spoonful into the water. You should be able to mold the caramel into a ball that is pliable and soft but firm enough to hold it’s shape.
How to Cut Homemade Caramels
Be sure to let the caramels cool COMPLETELY before cutting into bite-size squares. You can even stick the caramel in the fridge while it is setting up, since it’s much easier to cut cold caramel and have it keeps it’s shape. I have also found that you can lift the parchment paper sling completely out of the pan and transfer it to a cutting board, which makes cutting the caramels into squares so much easier for those of us who are challenged with cutting straight lines in baking dishes. Frankly, I still struggle cutting straight lines even on cutting boards! I get my best results when I cut with a long, sharp knife, or use my bench scraper as a cutting tool. I start right in the middle, cutting the caramel in half, then I cut the halves in half and so on. It’s much easier for me than attempting straight lines all the way across a big piece of freshly made caramel. Also, while I cut these as larger two-bite squares, you could make longer, narrower pieces of caramel (think Tootsie Roll shape) for a different shape, or get even more pieces that are perfectly poppable one-bite caramels.
Caramel Candy Recipe variations
These homemade cream caramels are absolutely divine all on their own. But it’s also a great recipe for using to make some other easy candies that are delicious in their own right.
Salted Caramels
If you want to make salted caramels, all you need to do is sprinkle a little flaky salt over the caramels after they are set. I love Maldon Sea Salt Flakes (affiliate link) or Fleur de Sel.
Caramel with Pecans
If you want to have a more toothsome, nutty caramel candy, add some chopped pecans to your pan and pour the caramel right on top of them.
Chocolate Dipped Caramels
Once your caramels are cut into squares, you can dunk them in melted dark or milk chocolate then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to let the chocolate set up. You could even sprinkle flaky salt on top of the chocolate for salted chocolate dipped caramels! I’m particularly partial to dark chocolate & caramel together. The Ghiradelli dark chocolate melting wafers are excellent for candy making and so easy to use!
How to store Homemade Caramels
You can also freeze your caramels, so they are great for making early in the holiday season, wrapping, and storing so you have some on hand when you need them.
More Homemade Caramels
Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce Chocolate Salted Caramel Whoopie Pies Salted Caramel Frosting Twix Caramel Popcorn Halloween Poppers Buttermilk Caramel Syrup Salted Caramel Pumpkin Panna Cotta Caramel Oreo Fudge Ripple Ice Cream Salted Caramel Apple Pie Caramel Pecan Brownies Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Carmelita Bars
Homemade Turtles Candy
Southern Caramel Cake
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