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How To Make Homemade Caramels

A recipe for delicious, sweet and buttery homemade caramels.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 40 mins
  • Yield: varies

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 cups corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp. or 1 stick) butter (no substitutions)
  • 1/2 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  1. Pour the corn syrup into large, heavy-bottomed pan. (At least 6-8 quarts.) Add the granulated sugar to the pan. Turn the stove to high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Add the butter.
  2. Meanwhile, heat sweetened condensed milk and cream in a large glass measuring cup in the microwave or in a pan on the stove until very hot, but not boiling. Carefully pour the cream/s.c. milk in a slow, steady stream into the boiling sugar mixture. It will bubble furiously and rise up. (Hence the need for the big pan.)
  3. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to cover the bottom and corners of the pan. Pay attention to the temperature on the thermometer. You will need to adjust the heat to medium so that the caramel is still bubbling, but not too hard, or the caramel will cook too quickly and you run the risk of it burning.
  4. This is after 10 minutes of cooking time. The temp is roughly 220 degrees F. Don’t let that fool you. It will take a lot more time for the temperature to raise the last 10-15 degrees.
  5. Continue cooking until the temperature reaches 230-235 degrees F. That is the soft-ball stage of cooking. There is a little latitude here because you can overcook it one time at 230, or not enough. You should test a little in a cup of ice water to see how it holds up. I usually know mine is done when it reaches about 234 degrees. It will take a few tries before you get it right and cook it to how you like the texture to be.
  6. When it’s the right consistency, pour the caramel into an 8″ by 8″ heat-proof pan. (I use a regular, everyday Pyrex pan.) Spray it with non-stick cooking spray, or grease it well with butter. Don’t scrape the bottom of the pan, the last dregs of caramel usually get dark brown and hard, so you don’t want that in the final product.
  7. After the caramel cools completely–it make take up to 6-8 hours or longer, you can cut the caramel into bite-size pieces.
  • Author: Lindsey Johnson
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 90 mins
  • Category: candy