Homemade Salted Caramels Recipe

homemade salted caramels arranged on a blue plate.

5 from 3 votes

Homemade Salted Caramels Recipe

Homemade salted caramels are rich, buttery, soft, and chewy, with just the right amount of sea salt. Using just 7 simple ingredients, they make a delicious holiday gift, and can even be dipped in chocolate for an extra fancy gift.

Prep Time5

Cook Time45

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: caramels

Calories: 75kcal

Author: MaryAnne

Equipment

1 candy thermometer

Ingredients

1 ⅔ cup granulated sugar
12 ounces evaporated milk
⅔ cup heavy cream
½ Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup light corn syrup
1 ½ Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of flaky sea salt (optional)

Instructions

Spray an 8"x8" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine sugar, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and vanilla bean in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and add corn syrup. Stir to incorporate.
Insert candy thermometer and clip onto the side of pot. Continue to cook, stirring every 5-8 minutes and really scraping the bottom of pot. The caramel will get darker in color as it cooks down and the liquid evaporates.
When temperature reaches 230 F degrees (it should take roughly 30 minutes to reach this temperature), add butter and stir until melted. The caramel will start to thicken and darken in color. Turn heat down to low, and stir frequently, scraping bottom of the pot every once in a while.
When temperature reaches 240 F degrees (this will take another 15 minutes or so), remove pot from heat, add salt, and stir until combined.
Pour caramel into parchment-lined pan. Using a spatula, smooth the caramel out, making sure it is distributed evenly throughout pan. Cool completely (at least 2.5 hours), and cut into 1x1-inch squares.

Notes

Storage: Wrap individual squares of caramel in wax paper and place in an airtight container (at room temperature) for up to 2 weeks.
How to freeze: Place caramels (wrapped in wax paper) into a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, place on the counter for 1-2 hours.
Use a candy thermometer. We want to be precise when making caramel with the perfect chewy texture. Make sure the tip of the thermometer does not touch the bottom of the pot, as this will affect the thermometer reading.
Avoid crystallization. Avoid scraping down the sides of your pot when stirring - this will prevent the sugar from crystallizing.
Use a large heavy-bottomed pot. The caramel mixture will boil up quite a bit at first, so a large pot works best for making caramel.
Soak your pot. For easy cleanup, soak your pot with hot water immediately after emptying caramel into prepared baking dish.
Wrap caramels. To wrap each caramel, cut a 3-inch square of wax paper. Place the caramel at the center of the square. Fold the bottom inch of paper up over the caramel, then overlap the top inch of paper down over the caramel. Twist the ends several times and repeat with the remaining caramels. Place wrapped caramels in a mason jar and add a beautiful ribbon.

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