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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.
These are delicious! I’ll be making them again in the future.
I cant bake but you made this recipe so dummy proof that they turned out amazing
I’ve made these and they are a huge hit!! How long do you think they keep? I used a silicone mold for mine and then individually wrapped them in a cellophane square!
I also at a high elevation and it took at least an hour after adding the milk to reach the right temperature, but it was worth the wait. This was my first attempt at caramels and it was a success!
Okay I never review recipes, but it would be wrong if I didn’t review these caramels (as I quietly eat one while laying between two sleeping babies). SO SO GOOD. Perfect. The best I’ve ever made. I’ll be honest, I did add the evaporated milk a little quicker than the recipe said (more like 10 minutes per can) because mama is busy, but they still turned out perfectly. This made a ton of caramels, I will probably repurpose them in other recipes.. or freeze some? Not sure yet. I will make these again for sure!
This was my first time making this recipe and it tastes fantastic! Just be sure you have time if you are at altitude and make the proper adjustments. It took me an hour and a half to get it done at 6500 feet, but it was worth it! It also worked great as a filler in handmade turtles and chocolates. I used half for that and did a smaller pan with the remaining caramel.
I made this recipe for the first time yesterday. The only changes I made were to substitute 2 c. brown sugar for 2 c. granulated sugar and threw in a few pieces of vanilla bean that I had on hand, removing just before the caramel reached the firm ball stage. It took well more than an hour of cooking time in addition to the initial time in adding the 2 cans of evaporated milk. The smell in the house was amazing but it’s tiring standing and stirring over the stove for 1-2 hours. I am at 2800′ elevation and I wonder if that makes a difference. I refrigerated the caramel overnight but it is difficult to remove the squares in tact. Even after cutting, they stick to each other and I’ve had to roll and wrap most of them. I did get some squares out of it. They are delicious! They are very sweet so once I have it down, I’ll probably experiment with using rice syrup instead of corn syrup.
My family requests this recipe as their gift every year! I use a pizza cutter – so easy!
First time making caramels! Flavor is amazing but I’ve had them in the refrigerator since last night and they are still pretty soft. Did I do something wrong?
If they haven’t set up, then they need to be cooked a little longer.
This was my first attempt to making homemade caramels. They’ve been in the fridge for several hours now and I skimmed a minute amount from around the edge and they taste fantastic….however I have one question….I know fat (butter) rises to top , so I have some spotty places on top that you see where the butter solidified. I tried to stir it after pouring it into the 9×13 pan but it still stayed on top. Your photo does’nt show that….did I do something wrong or is it always like that? I don’t care just want to know if that can be prevented or not. Thank you for your reply. Would love to keep making that recipe and maybe get the silicone mold and funnel.
Hi Diana. I made this recipe for the first time yesterday and I did notice a film of butter in a small area where I had applied the butter to the pan more thickly. I think it was just the butter melting from the sides onto the surface of the caramel when the hot mixture was poured into the pan.
In regards to the butter separting during the end of the cook-
Sometimes this might be due to the temperature fluctuating. Maybe from turning the heat up (or down) or not stiring constantly. Even a very cold room can put it off. For this type of recipe its important to keep a very slow fluid stir that scraps the bottom. Try to avoid lifting the spatula in and out of the caramel.
A possible FIX- as soon as you notice the oil separating, take the pot of the heat and gently stir until the oil is incorporated again. Then add bake on the stove (low heat) and continue on with the cook. This should take care of it. Good luck.
*retired candy maker
Suzan, I would sure like to pick your brain!! I am a pretty competent cook, but I’ve had issues trying to get going in the candy scene. I wish there was some way to take a class. But I’ve looked in my area ({Phoenix) and I can’t find anything. Have you ever thought of offering such a thing?
Please feel free to contact me directly.
sharon@canaday.com