The BEST Homemade Caramels
Buttery soft and chewy caramels that are very easy to make with simple ingredients! No candy thermometer required!
Ingredients
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup butter (not margarine!) + more to grease pan
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Prepare a 9x13" pan by lining it with parchment paper and greasing it with softened butter. If you're not using a candy thermometer, prepare a cup of ice water and set aside.
- In a medium sized pot, combine all of the ingredients above on the stove over medium heat. Stir together using a silicone spatula.
- After the first bubble appears as it heats up, set a timer for 10 minutes. During this 10 minutes, stir constantly to avoid scorching the pan. The caramel should be at a constant small simmer with bubbles.
- If you're using a candy thermometer, the caramels should get to 242-245°F. If you're not using a candy thermometer, you can use this trick to know when the caramels are done. Drizzle a small amount of caramel in the cup of ice water. Pick it up with your fingers. It should come together like a soft chewy caramel. If it's still too runny, keep cooking your caramel. (And keep stirring!!) Try again 1 minute later. Once it comes together in a ball and is soft and chewy-like, the caramels are ready.
- Pour into prepared pan. Let cool for a few minutes, then top with flaky sea salt. Finish cooling, then pull the parchment paper out of the pan to make it easy to cut into squares or rectangles. If it's too soft or tricky to cut, you can chill the caramels for about 30 minutes, then try to cut again.
- Dip in chocolate or wrap in cello wraps or wax paper squares. These stay good for a whole month. Easy to have around the holidays and easy to ship to loved ones!
Notes
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