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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
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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.
Super easy and excellent recipe. I add 2-teaspoons of Watkins butter extract with the vanilla at the end. Also I use sweet condensed milk sometimes for a chewy caramel.
Great recipe I made it medicated and it was great thanks for sharing will use again. Good consistency
Excited to try this!
For the sugar, could I use 1 cup granulated sugar and one cup brown sugar? Will it change the flavor too much?
Hi there, quick question! You never mentioned how long after adding in the 2 cups of evaporated milk to keep on heat. What’s your normal time after adding the milk? I took mine off 5-10 minutes AFTER the 20-30 mins of milk adding and they still seem to be under. Thank you for your help!
I just made these today and they were a huge hit with my grandchildren ty for sharing it with us.
My family has been making similar caramels to these for decades. I use 1 cup of dark Karo syrup instead of 2 cups light and use 1 can evaporated milk and 1 can sweet condensed milk. Also, if you heat the milks, in a separate pot, to scalding ( near boiling), then you can add it all into the boiling sugar in 2-3 minutes, while stirring, instead of almost a half hour. I also add a tsp of salt to enhance flavor.
This recipe is perfect as written. I added a tsp of salt with the vanilla, as I’d seen recommended in comments.
USE PARCHMENT PAPER ONLY, top and bottom, which easily releases. 😁
Do not use wax paper, it sticks. 🤬Don’t ask me how I know. 🙄
Following the instructions exactly as written yielded a perfect, stretchy, chewy, candy caramel in a little over an hour of stirring.
Slooooowly adding the evaporated milk on a heat setting of 6 on my stove kept the boil going without interruption. Each evaporated milk addition was an once or two followed by a minute of stirring, and resulted in a little reaction that enriched the color incrementally. I removed from heat at the top of the “soft ball” stage. This took a little over an hour. (The same amount of time it took me to get the wax paper off after it cooled, because I followed bad internet advice lol)
I love this recipe and WILL use it again!
Use condensed milk not evaporated. Put condensed milk in at beginning. Use 1cup brown and 1 cup white sugar. Use 1 cup corn syrup not 2. This recipe is makes no sense. It wont come out right. I have been making candy for 40 years.
I agree with Mark. I am 70 years old and have been making caramels since I was 12 years old I guess. That much granulated sugar and corn syrup will be a mess. Most importantly it will crystalize to hard crunchy caramels in just a few days. This recipe is a set up for epic holiday failure!!
This recipe worked great, first time I have ever made caramel and they turned out perfect. The only thing is the cooking time was nearly 2 hours instead of the hour and 10 minutes
I’ve been making these caramels every Christmas for years and they have always been amazing! My nephew found a caramel this past November from the previous Christmas and said it was still as good as the first one he’d eaten when he got them the previous christmas!
Take it from the many many positive reviews, it does absolutely come out right. I’ve made this recipe multiple times, doubled it and made it all at once, etc. It comes out perfect every time, zero alterations. I’ve had plenty of Caramel from old fashioned candy places and this stuff is as good or better.
I made this exactly as directed. Ended up throwing it all in the trash. It was too hard and the butter separated. . . It took me over an hour.
I’m so sorry that happened–sounds like they were overcooked. Did you use a candy thermometer, and do the ice water test?
Good texture but this recipe NEEDS salt to help balance flavors. It just falls a little flat — all sweet.
At the end with the vanilla, I always add 1 tsp of salt
Was wondering if you could use Butter flavored pancake syrup instead of karo white corn syrup? Has anyone tried any variations to the syrup ingredient?
No, it must be corn syrup. The corn syrup works with the sugar to keep the sugar from recrystalizing.