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These Homemade Caramels are perfectly soft and chewy and easy to make with a few pantry ingredients. We love to gift them to friends and family.
Want more candy recipes? I love these Chocolate Turtles, Buckeyes, Homemade Almond Joys, Chocolate Fudge, and Rocky Road!
Why I love these caramels:
- Family Tradition – This is my Mom's homemade caramel recipe we've been making at Christmas time for decades. They were always our food gift for friends and neighbors during the holidays.
- Perfect – They really are soft, chewy, melt-in-your mouth delicious caramels! They truly couldn't be any better! This is a treasured family recipe.
- Easy – This easy caramel recipe only uses pantry ingredients and the steps are simple. But the magic is in the cooking process – it's important to not rush these! Read my tips below for the best caramels every time.
How to make Homemade Caramels:
Combine: Add butter, sugar, and karo syrup to a large heavy-bottom saucepan then stir over medium heat until mixture begins to boil, about 5-10 minutes.
Add Evaporated Milk: Gradually add the evaporated milk, one can at a time, taking about 12-15 minutes PER CAN, while stirring constantly. Make sure the mixture maintains a constant boil, otherwise your caramels can curdle.
Caramelize: Stir the mixture constantly, scraping the sides occasionally, until it reaches a firm ball stage. I don't rely on a candy thermometer. I use the ice water test: Drop a spoonful of the hot caramel into a cup of ice water then mold the caramel with your fingers into a ball. You will know the caramels are ready when they feel pretty firm and pliable. Remove from heat then stir in vanilla.
Cool: Pour caramels into prepared pan then refrigerate until cooled and hardened. (Best if you refrigerate them overnight, or for several hours. They will be easier to cut and wrap).
Cut: I like to use a stainless steel scraper to get perfectly even lines.
Wrap: The caramel will seem hard in the fridge after they're set, but they should be soft at room temperature. Cut soft caramels into small pieces then wrap like a tootsie roll in wax paper, if desired.
Tips for Perfect Caramels Every Time:
- SLOWLY stir in evaporated milk: This should take about 15 minutes per can, pouring in a little bit at a time (or warm your evaporated milk a little, to make the process faster). The caramel must maintain a constant boil the entire time.
- Maintain steady heat: Keep your burner/stove on medium heat to avoid any changes of temperature. Maintaining heat the same is why the milk gets added so slowly.
- Candy Thermometer vs Ice Water Test: I personally don't trust candy thermometers. Unless you take the time to calibrate yours, they can often be “off”. And depending on your location (altitude and humidity) 238°F may not be the perfect temperature for you. The best (and easiest) way I've found is using the ice water method. Drop a spoonful of the hot caramel into a cup of ice water then mold the caramel with your fingers into a ball. You will know the caramel candy recipe is ready when they feel pretty firm and pliable.
- Wrap them cold – I like to make them 24 hours ahead of time so they can get nice and cold in the fridge, making them easier to cut and wrap.
Make Ahead Instructions:
To Make Ahead: These easy homemade caramels will keep well in the fridge for several weeks. Take them out to come to room temperature for them to be soft and chewy.
More Caramel Recipes:
- Caramel Apples
- Caramel Popcorn
- Caramel Sauce
- Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
- Chocolate Covered Marshmallows
- Salted Chocolate and Caramel Pretzel Bars
Homemade Caramels
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, (2 sticks)
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups light corn syrup
- 24 ounces evaporated milk*, (2 cans)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 9×13” pan or jelly roll pan with parchment paper. (If you don't have parchment paper you can generously butter the pan.) Either size pan will work–9×13” will yield thicker caramels.
- Add 2 sticks butter, sugar, and karo syrup to a large heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Stir over medium heat until mixture begins to boil, about 5-10 minutes.
- Gradually add the evaporated milk, one can at a time, taking about 12-15 minutes PER CAN to slowly add it, while stirring constantly. You want to make sure the mixture maintains a steady heat and constant boil (no drastic changes in temperature) otherwise your caramels can curdle.
- Stir the mixture constantly, scraping the sides occasionally until it reaches a firm ball stage (about 240-245 degrees F on a candy thermometer). It takes patience and time, but it's sooo worth it! (Also, I don't really trust or rely on a candy thermometer–I like to test it the old fashioned way. Drop a spoonful of hot caramel sauce into a cup of ice water and mold it with your fingers into a ball. When ready it will feel pretty firm and pliable, but still slightly sticky.)
- Once you reach 240-245 degrees F / or the firm ball stage, remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.
- Pour caramels into prepared pan. Refrigerate until cooled and hardened. (Best if you refrigerate them overnight, or for several hours. They will be easier to cut and wrap).
- The caramel will seem hard in the fridge after they're set, but they should be soft at room temperature. Cut caramel into small pieces and, if desired, wrap like a tootsie roll in wax paper.
Notes
- Candy Thermometer: I don't always trust candy thermometers, and depending on your location (altitude and humidity) temperature will vary. A good way to test them is the ice water method. Drop a spoonful of the hot caramel into a cup of ice water and mold the caramel with your fingers into a ball. The caramel should feel pretty firm but pliable in the ice water.
- Caramel is too soft after it has set up: It needed to cook longer. You can pour the whole batch back in to a pot and warm it up again!
- Caramel is too hard: it cooked for too long. Use the ice water method to avoid this.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe November 2017. Updated May 2020 and November 2023.
I have tried on two occasions to make carmels and on both occasions ending with the same results. Syrup! I boil and boil over an hour and still the same. I test with the drop in ice water no luck and my candy thermometer will not rise above 220. Is it altitude, boiling point, temperature unable to reach 238 degrees? Help I’m stuck in the syrup!
Hi Richard,
I am sorry for your struggles . Caramels can be a little temperamental but I am surprised you have had such difficulty raising the temperature. Maybe this thread will have some answers that apply to you.
I just came across this recipe and realized it was the same as my grandmothers. But instead of making carmels we stirred it into a mixture of cherrios, rice crispies, puffed wheat and puffed rice and peanuts. We called it cereal candy. I believe my grandma was making it back in the 30s.
Would heating the milk prior to adding it help to reduce the possibility of curdling?
I’m sure that may help 🙂
How many caramels does this recipe make?
It really depends how big you cut them. I usually get about 80.
Thank you for this recipe! I am a novice baker and found the recipe easy to follow with success on the first try. They are so delicious! How/when would I add salt if I wanted to make it a salted caramel?
Hi Anna, I would just sprinkle some coarse sea salt over them after pouring them in the pan 🙂
Can I substitute margarine for the butter? (Not that I want to, but the butter here where I live in a developing country is so expensive and we have a large family – 8 children – so we will want a lot.) Excited to try this, I even found a recipe for homemade corn syrup because that is not available here. And I always have to make my own evaporated milk from powdered whole milk, but definitely want to try this! The reviews make it sound amazing . . ..
Hi Amy, I feel so bad, but I’m really worried these wont turn out for you with those substitutions and homemade ingredients. Also, butter is where most of the flavor comes from which you just can’t get with margarine. I just really don’t want you to waste time of money and not have them turn out!
Just wanted to say my daughter and I made this recipe today and it was so much easier than I thought. Looks and tastes beautiful. Thank you
What do I do if it does curdled it smells and tastes fine it’s just got big lumps in it that’s not crystallized sugar
Hi Jamie, try adding one teaspoon of baking soda. It curdles because the heat may have been drastically changed while cooking (most likely from adding the milk too fast).
Can I use this recipe to make popcorn balls? I think I can.
Sure, sounds delicious!
I have this exact same recipe that I got from my mother-in-law (who is no longer alive) over 30 years ago and it is a big hit no matter where I take the caramels. I have found the easiest and fastest way to cut them is with a pizza cutter on a covered cutting board. It was only the last 3 years that I discovered this. lol At first I used scissors to cut them and then a knife. My motto for getting older is “work smarter, not harder”.