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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.
This is my 3rd year in a row making these caramels. My family loves them around the holidays! This year I was rushing and forgot the vanilla extract. They are already in the pan and chilling. Do I just skip it? Or, do I dump them back into the pot, re-warm it and add the vanilla then? The warm caramel tasted good without it but I know vanilla can add a lot of flavor. I don’t want to ruin the whole batch by trying to rewarm them!
🙁 the exact same thing just happened to me.
I was in too big of a hurry.
Hi, you can slowly melt the caramel (think melting kraft caramels for apples), just do it slowly. Once it’s melted, add the vanilla and let it set up again. Enjoy!!
This is my go to caramel recipe. I tried a couple others, but they just didn’t have the depth of flavor I wanted. I always finish mine by sprinkling some flaky sea salt on top. Delicious!
I did make these (3-4 batches! Whew!) and yes, it’s a real time commitment but worth it. They are absolutely delicious and make fantastic gifts.
I’m preparing to make a couple of batches today for Christmas.
If you can do this recipe in the hour and change it suggests you can finish this in then you are a god. Don’t get me wrong. This was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever finished but when I set up to make carmels today I had no idea that this would be a marathon. 2 hours. I pleaded for that molten sugar to turn a shade darker than the lily white parlor I am… Two hours I go nothing. I tried every heat setting about medium. Nothing. And then just when all hope seemed lost, I noticed that it was getting closer and closer the color of my freckles. I danced a screamed for joy so loud my housemates came to make str I was okay. Then another hour passes… It wouldn’t set up in the ice water no matter which god I prayed to. After another hour I finally got it to set but I couldn’t dance for joy this time because people were starting to go to bed. After what I marked to have been 3 hours and change I finally popped that sweet goop into the fridge. All I can do now is hope it sets. What I ate out of the ice bowl tasted very good though! (I used amoretto instead of vanilla extract right at the end. 10/10 would recommend.)
Anyway if you are doing this for the first be prepared to walk the hero’s journey before you have caramel candies. Great recipe!
Hilarious comment and so true. Very delicious with good sea salt but took more like 2.5 hours.
Love this recipe
Gonna make this again today. Third time. It’s ALOT of work and takes ALOT of time but man of man they are perfect!
100%, couldn’t have said it any better
This did not turn out well. The sugar to butter ratio is way off, flavor isn’t great. I added the condensed milk slowly over 15 minutes and never once stopped the boil, however I still didn’t end up with a smooth texture. If you say that a candy thermometer doesn’t work then a timeline would be helpful, aka bring yo a boil, add milk over 15 minutes, boil for approximately 10 more minutes and start ice water testing at 8 min. My candy thermometer is calibrated and I cooked to 242 degF and the caramels are rock hard. I would eat them like English toffee but the flavor is just okay, so I think I’m going to save my teeth and just toss. This recipe is heavy on the sugar.
If you used CONDENSED milk, that’s why your caramels didn’t work out. She specified EVAPORATED milk. There’s a big difference.
As with all cooking and baking, I would always recomend you take your product off heat before it reaches your desired temperature. Anything will contimue to cook and hold heat for a few minutes after the burner is off. And even a calibrated thermometer is slightly useless when everything from the humidity, to the age of your cream can affect consistency. Softball or hardball test is the best method once you know what to look for 🙂
Evaporated milk… not condensed! A small but easy mistake to make. I’d give it another try and make another comment when you’re done.
You can make caramel with I can condensed milk, but the amounts of corn syrup, white and brown sugars are reduced to 1 cup each. I make.mine in the microwave. Takes 20 mins from start to finish.
I half the recipe and turn a batch out to cool in under 40 minutes with no problem. If its hard your overcooking it. I use either condensed milk or if I want chewy caramel I use sweetened condensed milk. Us a heavy bottom SS pan too.
can this caramel be made ahead of time and re-heated to make caramel apples?
Yes! Here’s my caramel apple tutorial https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/caramel-apples/
Yes! Here’s my caramel apple tutorial https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/caramel-apples/
I halve this recipe and it turns out every time EXCEPT when I use a candy thermometer, so I go strictly old school and use the ice water bath key word being ice there… and I have several teaspoons so I can continue to test once it turns the rich amber color… this is the only recipe I’ve found that works perfectly… and the adding the evap milk slowly is key too… the good news is now you have a delicious sauce that you can use on anything from coffee to caramel apple tarts… and it will keep FOREVER in the refrigerator… seriously months…
Caramel is too hard ie. almost brittle. Can it be reheated with something added to soften up somewhat. I have made before and turned out perfect.
Thank you for the caramel recipe. It was my first time making candy and it turned out well. My family loved it.