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Best homemade caramel recipe. So easy | Kitchen Cents
Rachel Koller

Soft Homemade Caramels

4.58 from 14 votes
Easy-to-make, smooth,  buttery soft homemade caramels.  A delicious treat everyone will love! Perfect plain, caramel apples, bars, and other caramel treats.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 9 x13 pan, about 60 small pieces
Calories: 118

Ingredients
  

  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 lb dark brown sugar about 2 1/4 cups packed
  • 1 cup salted butter
  • 1 cup corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment

Method
 

  1. In a large pot add sweetened condensed milk, dark brown sugar, salted butter, and corn syrup. Cook over medium to medium-high heat. Stir constantly to avoid bottom from burning.
  2. Mixture will begin to bubble and increase in volume. Avoid scraping sides of pan as this can make the caramel crystallize during the cooling phase (and go "grainy" or "sugary.") Using a calibrated candy thermometer, cook mixture to 234-238 degrees F or soft ball stage (depending on how soft you want your caramels to be).
  3. You can test how soft or firm it is by dipping a spoonful into a cup of ice water to cool quickly.
  4. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
  5. Pour into a butter greased 9x13 inch pan. Pour quickly and DO NOT scrape sides of pan (this can cause the caramel to crystallize and go grainy also.
  6. Once cooled, wrap individual pieces in waxed paper or use in other recipes that call for caramel. Store in an airtight container or bag. Will keep for several weeks if kept in a cool, dry place.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 118kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 49mgSugar: 19g

Notes

  1. You can wash sides of pan using a basting brush and water to help remove any sugar crystals that may have splashed onto the side of the pot. The water helps push sugar crystals back into the pot to minimize the possibility of crystallization (caramels going grainy).
  2. If you want to save ALL the caramel including what is left in the pan after pouring the majority into the 9x13 inch pan, scrape the remaining caramel into a separate pan or jar. The portion that was scraped is more likely to go grainy do to sugar crystals on the side of the pot.

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