Homemade Caramels
Caramel has been my favorite fall flavor since I was a little girl. So, I decided recently to make a batch of Homemade Caramels from scratch. They only require a handful of ingredients and some patience. Using a beautiful baking pan from Taste of Home gave the candies a pretty pattern. They turned out beautiful and delicious!
Soft and chewy is the best way to describe these Homemade Caramels. Simply heat sugar, heavy cream, light corn syrup and butter in a large saucepan. Once it boils, you’ll need to stay with it and stir it often. And just watch the magic happen, golden and creamy and delicious. The soft caramel gets poured into a buttered baking dish and set aside to cool–completely.
Once the caramel has cooled, you’ll need to invert it onto a cutting board and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes with a sharp knife. I used a pretty baking pan from Taste of Home to make a fun pattern on the bottom of my caramels!
This 8×8-inch baking pan is so versatile. I’ve used it for mac-n-cheese, apple crisp, roasted vegetables, and now candy, too. It is easy to clean and has a durable non-stick steel finish. The next patterned pan I’ll add to my collection is the 13×9 baking dish. Remember to generously butter the pan before adding the caramel.
Homemade Caramels
Makes 64 pieces.
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup butter
How to make Homemade Caramels?
- Grease the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch baking pan with butter.
- Place all ingredients in a large saucepan and heat to boiling over medium high heat, stirring constantly. (Allow at least four inches of headroom in your saucepan, as the hot mixture will bubble up and expand slightly as it boils.
- Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil the mixture for 35 minutes. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and keep the mixture at 245 degrees while cooking. Stir the caramel frequently.
- After 35 minutes, the caramel should be a light golden brown and should hold its shape and become firm when a spoonful is dropped into a glass of very cold water. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and allow it to cool completely–for at least 3 hours.
- Cut into 64 pieces using a sharp knife, 8 rows by 8 rows. Wrap each caramel in a 5-inch by 4-inch piece of wax paper. Place the candies in a plastic bag to keep fresh. (Caramels will get extremely hard if placed in the refrigerator.)
I’m so glad I made Homemade Caramels, they are soft and chewy and so, so delicious! Print the full recipe from the handy recipe card found below.
Homemade Caramels
Ingredients
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Grease the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch baking pan with butter.
- Place all ingredients in a large saucepan and heat to boiling over medium high heat, stirring constantly. (Allow at least four inches of headroom in your saucepan, as the hot mixture will bubble up and expand slightly as it boils.
- Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil the mixture for 35 minutes. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and keep the mixture at 245 degrees while cooking. Stir the caramel frequently.
- After 35 minutes, the caramel should be a light golden brown and should hold its shape and become firm when a spoonful is dropped into a glass of very cold water. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and allow it to cool completely–for at least 3 hours.
- Cut into 64 pieces using a sharp knife, 8 rows by 8 rows. Wrap each caramel in a 5-inch by 4-inch piece of wax paper. Place the candies in a plastic bag to keep fresh. (Caramels will get extremely hard if placed in the refrigerator.)
