4.97 from 26 votes

Homemade Caramel Candy

Name: Homemade Caramel Candy
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups granulated sugar; ½ cup light brown sugar (firmly packed ); 1 ½ cups evaporated milk (this is the equivalent of one 12 fl oz can ); 1 ½ cups heavy cream; ¾ cup light corn syrup; ½ cup unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

By Sam MerrittPublished Dec 08, 2022

Jump to Recipe ▼

113 Comments

Servings: 42 caramels

1 hr 5 mins

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.

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!

Square-cut caramels being wrapped in cellophane.

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

Overhead view of ingredients including corn syrup, evaporated milk, brown sugar, heavy cream, and more.

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

Collage of four photos showing caramel being cooked on the stovetop.

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.

Collage of two photos showing caramel being poured into a dish to set and being cut after setting.

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!

Chocolate covered caramel candy that's been bitten into.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I dip my caramel candy in chocolate?

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.

Can I make caramel without a candy thermometer?

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.

How can I make caramel without corn syrup?

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.

Close up view of squares of homemade caramel topped with flaky sea salt.

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

4.97 from 26 votes

Homemade Caramel Candy

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!

Prep: 5

Cook: 1

Total: 1 5

Servings: caramels

Save Recipe Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

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

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.