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These Homemade Caramels are definitely my favorite caramel. Soft and chewy, they have the perfect texture and taste like Christmas to our family!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients in Homemade Caramels
- Homemade Caramels Without A Candy Thermometer
- How To Make Salted Caramels
- How to Wrap Caramels
- More Ways to Use this Caramel Recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions about Mom’s Homemade Caramels
- Christmas Treat Recipes
- How to Make Homemade Caramels
- Mom’s Homemade Caramels Recipe
- More Christmas Recipes
Homemade caramels are soft and chewy with the perfect decadent flavor. It is a soft caramel candy that is always a family favorite and a tradition to make during the holiday season. With only four ingredients, you can make these not only once, but two or three times during the holidays. Make a double batch for you and for others!
These caramels are so easy to make and turn out perfectly every time! You can wrap them for gifts, have them ready when friends and family come over, or add them to another treat like these dipped caramel pretzel bites. Slice and wrap each caramel individually for a special treat this year!
Ingredients in Homemade Caramels
These homemade caramels are definitely my favorite when it comes to caramels, nothing else even compares. Plus, they are SO easy. You can even memorize the recipe by heart. It only takes four ingredients and two of everything. It is SO easy to memorize!
- Butter – Give these caramels a smooth and silky look and texture with butter. Make sure you don’t use margarine. It won’t set up the same.
- Whipping cream – Soft and chewy comes straight from the whipping cream. This helps give it the creamy texture.
- Sugar – You will want white granulated sugar, not brown sugar. The caramel coloring is from the butter and Karo syrup combination. The sugar adds the perfect sweetness to the homemade caramels.
- Karo corn syrup – I used light corn syrup to add thickness, sweetness, and silkiness to the easy caramels.
Homemade Caramels Without A Candy Thermometer
We recommend using a candy thermometer for this recipe, but if you don’t have a candy thermometer or are just old-school, you can always do the “softball stage test” or the “cold water test”.
Using a clean spoon, carefully take a little of the cooked caramel from the saucepan and drop it into the bowl of very cold water. Reach into the bowl with your hands and see if the caramel can be molded into a softball. If it’s pliable and soft, the caramel has reached the softball stage (234 – 240 degrees F).
How To Make Salted Caramels
If you are wanting to take the traditional homemade recipe just one step further, try stirring a splash of vanilla extract in with the caramel before pouring it into the baking dish. Then, sprinkle some pink Hawaiian sea salt or coarse Kosher salt over the top after you have poured it into the pan and it has cooled for about 15 minutes. That way, the salt will stick to the top and not get absorbed into the caramel. SO GOOD.
How to Wrap Caramels
The easiest way to wrap homemade caramel candy is to wait until they are mostly cooled in the baking dish before cutting them into pieces. I have found that they are easiest to wrap when they have reached room temperature.
Cut the caramels with a sharp knife (or scissors) into approximately 1″ x 1 1/2″ pieces and wrap them in wax or parchment paper approximately 3″x3″. Wrapping them diagonally to get full coverage, and then twisting the ends to seal them.
More Ways to Use this Caramel Recipe
Homemade caramels can be used in several different ways! Double your batch to make a few other delicious treats. Try another way to enjoy this caramel recipe.
- Caramel Apples- Place cold apples on a candy stick and dip into the caramel while it is still hot. Place on wax paper and allow to cool. If the caramel mixture is too thin, allow it to cool for another minute before dipping again.
- Chocolate Dipped Caramels – After caramels have cooled, dip in melted chocolate and allow to harden. Wrap and refrigerate.
- Dipped Caramel Pretzel Bites– Place a homemade caramel between two pretzels and dip in chocolate. These are a HUGE crowd pleaser!
- Caramel sauce – Remove the caramel mixture from the saucepan before it reaches the soft ball stage, and you’ll have one of the most delicious sauces for ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mom’s Homemade Caramels
Your caramels didn’t get up to the correct temperature. It needs to be 240 degrees Fahrenheit before removing it from the pan. You can place the caramel back in the pan and re-heat it to bring it up to temperature if needed.
Yes! These homemade caramels can be enjoyed by those with gluten allergies or requiring a gluten-free diet.
No, they can cool to room temperature and remain at room temperature after being cut and wrapped.
Up to three weeks at room temperature. Just keep it in an airtight container to keep moisture out.
Yes! After wrapping the caramels individually (so they don’t stick together) place them in a Freezer zip-top bag and freeze for up to 6 months. To thaw, just place at room temperature for a couple of hours until soft and ready to eat.
READ MORE: 25+ Christmas Dessert Ideas
Christmas Treat Recipes
We LOVE all the candy recipes around Christmastime, especially our unique recipes like our Christmas Charcuterie or our Chocolate Orange Cookies. Here are more of our favorites:
- Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods
- See’s Fudge Recipe
- Homemade Almond Joys
- English Toffee
- Peppermint Bark
- Chocolate Covered Cherries
- Crockpot Peanut Clusters
- Cinnamon Almonds
- Snowball Cookies
How to Make Homemade Caramels
Mom’s Homemade Caramels
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter NOT margarine
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups Karo syrup
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large pan.
- Stir and bring to a boil and continue boiling until the candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees.
- Pour into a large, greased cookie sheet and cool.
- Once cooled, cut into bite-size squares and wrap in wax paper.
Video
Notes
Tips on Making Homemade Caramels
- We recommend using a candy thermometer for this recipe, but if you don’t have a candy thermometer or are just old-school, you can always do the “soft ball stage test” or the “cold water test”. Using a clean spoon, carefully take a little of the cooked caramel from the saucepan and drop it into the bowl of very cold water. Reach into the bowl with your hands and see if the caramel can be molded into a softball. If it’s pliable and soft, the caramel has reached the softball stage (234 – 240 degrees F).
- If your caramels are too soft, that means they didn’t get up to the correct temperature. It needs to be 240 degrees F before removing it from the pan. You can place the caramel back in the pan and re-heat it to bring it up to temperature if needed.
- For salted caramels, try stirring a splash of vanilla extract in with the caramel before pouring it into the baking dish. Then, sprinkle some pink Hawaiian sea salt or coarse Kosher salt over the top after you have poured it into the pan and it has cooled for about 15 minutes. That way the salt will stick to the top and not get absorbed into the caramel.
Use a wooden spoon, melted a nylonish one. I’m a newby first time trying candy. Tastes great even with the spoon bits.
By the way, 5 STARS on this recipe!
This is a fantastic recipe! Simple, easy, and by far, the BEST SOFT CARAMEL recipe I’ve ever used, and, I have used a lot of them over the last 45 years. I’m so glad I decided to take another look online for a light colored soft caramel recipe. Your mother’s recipe stood out among the results. May I say, in this soft caramel afficianoda’s opinion, her recipe is THE TOPS! Thank you so much for sharing it. I’ve already passed the link to my daughter, who will be trying the recipe soon. I definitely will be using this recipe again and again.
So yummy!
This is my go-to caramel recipe for the holidays and people always rave about it!
Can you tell me what size cookie sheet to use? would parchment paper work?
The article stresses how easy it is to remember the ingredient amounts – two of everything. Then I look at the actual recipe and it indicates only one cup of butter. Hmmmm. Not sure what to do about that.
2 sticks of butter = 1 cup of butter. The 2 comes from 2 sticks of butter. Hope this helps!
2 sticks of butter!
When they are at room temperature are they a soft chew consistency or hard consistency?
Thanks.
Soft and chewy!
We love caramels in this house! So delicious and yummy! Can’t wait to make these for the holiday!
Caramels are the best! These look super yummy and easy…can’t wait to try them.
My favorite Christmas treat! Great recipe!
As I’m British how much is a cup of liquid and a stick if butter? Thanks
A stick of butter is about 113 grams and a cup of liquid is about 1/4 of a liter. Hope this helps!
Can this caramel recipe be used for caramel apples?
No, this recipe has a much different consistency than what you would want for caramel apples.
Hi there!
Can I use brown sugar or does it have to be white?
We’ve never tried it with brown sugar. I would be hesitant to try it.
I just made these and they are amazing! So simple and yummy! I added chopped pecans in mine and my husband says they taste just like what his grandma made when he was young. To cut them I used my metal pizza cutter and it worked perfect. I will definitely make these again.
So glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks for the 5-star rating!
A pizza cutter is genius! Thanks for sharing!
I make my own Canna butter and these make a great favorite of some of my friends who do edibles.good for people going through cancer treatments
I can’t seem to get a hold of the corn syrup is there anything else I can use as a substitute?
I haven’t tried any substitutes for corn syrup in this recipe, so I can’t speak for how it would affect the taste or texture. I usually find corn syrup in the cereal aisle by the maple syrup. Hope this helps!
Thank you. I can’t find it anywhere here in the UK and recently found out it was banned in the uk. I have used golden syrup instead an omg the results are amazing these caramels are so tasty. All of my mum’s and my work friends have basically put in orders for them.
I added about a teaspoon of salt and HOLY CRAP, THEY’RE AMAZING. In the future, I’d probably use a bigger pot, but otherwise it was so easy!
Also, the total time is DEFINITELY not 5 minutes. It took me about an hour to cook the caramel. Luckily I didn’t have anywhere to be!
Mariah– that is so funny that you say that you added salt. This year was the first time I added some course sea salt to the top of the caramels and it was like caramels 2.0! I will be adding the idea to the recipe because it turned out SO stinkin’ good!
Also, I didn’t realize the total time was only at 5 minutes.. good catch. I will try to get that fixed too.
No vanilla added ? also I see you used 2 cups white sugar I presume, can you use 1/2 white and 1/2 brown? Also would this be ok as the carmel base for turtles?
No vanilla is right, but it would be fine if added. We haven’t used half brown sugar before because we love this recipe as-it. If you try it, let us know how it turns out! Yes, This would be perfect for turtles 🙂
I make caramels with a very similar recipe every year. My family love to get these as gifts at Christmas. I find them easier to cut if I turn them out onto a large cutting board. I line the pan with foil or parchment to make if easier to lift them out if the pan. A favourite treat at Christmas.
Thank you, Shirley! That is a great suggestion!