My homemade Caramel Candy has the perfect soft and chewy, yet sturdy texture. Enjoy yours plain or coat in chocolate for an indulgent treat! Recipe includes a how-to video!
The BEST Homemade Caramel Recipe
I’m so pleased to share my absolute favorite caramel recipe with you today! It’s simple (a bit time consuming, yes, but very straightforward) and yields incredibly perfect caramel candy. The caramels have a rich flavor balanced with just the right amount of salt and vanilla. You are going to love them!
These caramels are soft, but not so soft they melt in your hand. They’re sturdy enough to hold their shape while still being chewy (but they don’t stick to your teeth obnoxiously like peanut brittle!).
I love topping my caramel candy with sea salt (reminds me of my salted caramel frosting), but they also taste great dipped in melted chocolate. I’m linking my favorite cellophane wrappers below (they’ll last forever!) so you can wrap yours up just like a candy shop!
I highly recommend watching the video below before getting started. I include lots of tips and visuals that I think you’ll find helpful, even if this isn’t your first candy recipe.
What You Need
Seven simple ingredients and a little patience are all you need to make my caramel recipe:
- Light brown sugar. I know brown sugar is not a typical caramel ingredient, but I promise it adds such a beautiful flavor to this caramel recipe. I don’t recommend substituting this for more granulated sugar; if you do, your caramel candy won’t turn out properly. If you really must use all granulated sugar, stop cooking when your caramel reaches 240F (115C).
- Evaporated milk. Do NOT use sweetened condensed milk! The cans look similar, but evaporated milk is what you need (sweetened condensed milk does have a place in caramel, I use it in my Millionaire’s shortbread, but not here).
- Heavy cream. Whipping cream or double cream will also work.
- Vanilla. We will add the vanilla after cooking to preserve its flavor. Now would be a great time to use your homemade vanilla extract, if you have some!
SAM’S TIP: Line your pan with parchment and leave a little extra on the sides as a “sling” so removing your caramel candy is a breeze! I love using this trick for brownies too.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Caramel Candy
- Melt the butter – Cook the sugars, milk, cream, corn syrup, butter, and salt over medium heat until the butter melts.
- Bubble and boil – Attach your candy thermometer and keep cooking and stirring as your caramel boils.
- Just keep stirring – Keep stirring constantly as the caramel gets darker and reaches 240-243F. This will take quite a long time, it consistently takes me an hour from start to finish, but your mileage may vary.
- Add the vanilla – Once at the proper temperature, remove the caramel from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
- Pour it out – Carefully pour the hot caramel into a parchment lined pan and let it cool completely until set, preferably overnight.
- Cut and enjoy! Use a sharp knife to cut the caramels into squares or rectangles. Top with sea salt or chocolate, if desired, and enjoy!
SAM’S TIP: It’s so important to have patience with this caramel recipe (and pretty much every other candy recipe!). Don’t crank up the heat at any point during the cooking process or you could ruin your caramel. Making homemade caramel candy does take some time, but the final result is so worth it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Because it’s so sturdy, this caramel recipe pairs nicely with chocolate! I’d recommend a semisweet or dark chocolate to contrast the sweetness of the caramel, but you can always use milk chocolate if that’s what you like. Whichever you use, make sure to let your caramel set completely so you can cut it in nice squares for dipping.
I highly recommend using a candy thermometer for this caramel recipe, but you can always use the old-fashioned way to test if the caramel is ready. To do this, drop a bit of the caramel mixture in cold water; it should form a ball that holds its shape unless you deliberately press/re-shape it. Depending on the chart you consult, this temperature is either just below or just over the threshold for “firm ball” stage.
Really though, a candy thermometer is best and will give you best results and makes candy-making so much easier. I’ve linked to the one that I use (and love) in the “Equipment” section of the recipe card below.
Unfortunately I don’t have a good substitute here. Corn syrup (not to be confused with the high fructose kind!) is used in many candy recipes, and in the case of this caramel recipe, it’s critical for the proper final texture.
This caramel candy would make a great homemade gift alongside toffee or candied pecans!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Homemade Caramel Candy
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (300) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 ½ cups (354) evaporated milk this is the equivalent of one 12 fl oz can
- 1 ½ cups (354 ml) heavy cream
- ¾ cup (255) light corn syrup
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
- Maldon sea salt for sprinkling optional
Instructions
- Line an 8” square pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugars, evaporated milk, heavy cream, corn syrup, butter, and salt.1 ½ cups (300) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, 1 ½ cups (354) evaporated milk, 1 ½ cups (354 ml) heavy cream, ¾ cup (255) light corn syrup, ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon salt
- Turn stovetop heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently (I like to use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, it makes it easy to scrape the bottom of the pot and ensure nothing burns), until butter is melted and mixture is smooth.
- Attach a candy thermometer to the side (make sure it is not touching the bottom of the pot and is suspended about halfway in the caramel) and stir constantly until mixture reaches 240-243F (115-117C). This will take some time, it usually takes me an hour of stirring!
- Once mixture reaches temperature, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Immediately pour into prepared pan and allow caramel to cool completely (several hours or overnight) before cutting and (and topping with sea salt, if using). Caramels may be cut and individually wrapped in strips of wax paper or cellophane wrappers, I linked to the wrappers that I used in the “Equipment” section above.
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container (or wrapped in wax paper or cellophane!) at room temperature. Caramels will keep for several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Christina
Hi, I just found your video and will be making these. One question, do you leave the caramels on the counter to cool and set up or refrigerate? Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Christina! We leave them on the counter 😊
Valerie Potter
I love this recipe so much. I made a bunch for Christmas last year and I am planning on doing it again. I am so thankful for the video as I probably would have given up on it if not for your tips when the temperature stalls. Anyway, I noticed last year on every batch I ended up getting air bubbles around the edges of the pan. Any advice for avoiding this? It doesn’t affect the taste and even with bubbles they’re phenomenal. Thanks for another great recipe!
Sam
Hi Valerie! I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! Are you getting air bubbles around the edge of the pan that you are pouring them into? I haven’t personally ever experienced this, but would it work to tap the pan on the counter gently a few times to get the air bubbles to come to the top and pop? I’ mont sure I fully understand what’s happening. I hope everyone enjoys it again this year! 🙂
Misty
Hey Sam, could this recipie be used to melt and make turtle candy?
Sam
Hi Misty! I am not sure how firm it will set up. That being said it’s a lot of work and a bit of experimentation for something I’m not confident will work so I don’t want to tell you to do it. If you decide to try it I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Melissa owens
L9ve it
Keagan
This is a great r Recipe
Denise Batalha
Oh!! These don’t look like very sticky caramel to take a crown off!! Am I correct in that assumption?
Sam
Hi Denise! It is a softer caramel but I’m not comfortable saying it won’t take a crown off.
Denise Batalha
Thank you for letting me know!!
Lexie
I want to make these so bad! Do you think there’s a way I could incorporate raspberry extract to make raspberry flavored caramel?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Lexie! We haven’t tried it, but you could always try replacing some of the vanilla extract with the raspberry. Let us know how it goes! 😊
Melin
trying this now. wish me luck!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
You’ve got this! Let us know how it goes 😊
Brittanie
Hello! If I want to double the recipe should I use a 9×13 pan?
Sam
Hi Brittanie! You could increase the recipe by 50% to get to 9 x 13. Just be careful as candy can be tricky, but it should work. 🙂
Brittanie
If you want them just a little harder do you just cook till the temperature is a little higher?
Sam
Hi Brittanie! These were designed to be a chewy candy. I wouldn’t recommend continuing to cook the candy. 🙁
Carrie Menough
This is the very first time trying a homemade caramel candy. Never had the patience. I just want to let you know, I am thrilled. Thank you for your recipe. This will be my “go to” from now on.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy the recipe was a success for you, Carrie! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review ❤️
Linda
hello. what is the recommended measurements if I want to use sugar substitute ( Glenda or equal) instead of regular sugar.? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Linda! I have honestly never tried it. The sugar in this recipe is extremely important and I’m not sure if a substitute would perform quite the same.
Liz
I just curious about serving size as there is nutrition information saying that a serving size is one caramel. Could you please tell us how many servings are there in this recipe?
Sam
Hi Liz! This will make about 42 caramels. 🙂
Naomi
What role does corn syrup play. We can’t get it here in Australia. We can get glucose syrup which I often put in sugar based confectionery to stop it crystallizing
Sam
Hi Naomi! While I haven’t ever made it with glucose syrup, I suspect it will work here. 🙂
Marshall
The glucose syrup sold at Woolworth’s is the same as corn syrup.
Andrea
Is this a good recipe to use to replace store bought caramels in a homemade treat? It’s a copycat whatchamacallit that calls for a layer of caramel that has been melted. Thank you!
Sam
Hi Andrea! I haven’t tried it. If you are using it in a recipe that doesn’t need to be baked again, I think it could work fine. Let me know how it goes if you try it. 🙂