I’ve been making caramels homemade since 2012. Fair warning: you begin down this path and you will be addicted to making your own caramels! Using these recipes, we make our own:
- caramel sauce for coffee and ice cream
- apple dipping sauce
- caramel apples
- candies
- caramel for homemade candy bars
- caramel frosting
It’s so darn easy to do and there are a whole host of ways to use caramels (you can even whip the caramel when it cools to make an amazing caramel frosting!) You can find ideas on what to use your caramel for down below the recipes.
You will want to invest in a decent pot for boiling the sugar mixture. I find hard anodized pans hold heat and conduct it well for this recipe. You will also need to have a thermometer of some kind. When I am making candy and boiling sugar, I prefer a clip-on thermometer instead of an instant read that makes me hold my hand over boiling sugar to do a temp read. Boiling candy burns are horrible!
The fastest way to make caramel is this ‘dry’ method. You’ll simply boil sugar and then add the other ingredients slowly to avoid burning yourself.
I used Sally’s Baking Addiction Homemade Salted Caramel recipe for the dry caramel recipe.
The ‘wet’ method adds water to the sugar in the first step. This does take a smidge longer to do, but still very quick.
Fast Wet Caramel
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp water
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp stick butter
Instructions
- In a pan or pot, place sugar and water. Over medium heat, mix them together then cover and allow to boil1/2 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp water
- Once boiling, remove the cover and continue to boil until sugar becomes a deep amber colored liquid.
- This will all happen quickly now, don't step away from your caramel sauce. Slowly pour in the heavy cream and stir. Next add butter and stir in completely.3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 Tbsp stick butter
- Cook caramel to desired temp, checking with thermometer.
Notes
- Pourable caramel for coffee or topping: 220°
- Soft-ball stage: 234°
- Firm-ball stage: 244°
- Hard-ball stage: 250°
Nutrition
There is a reason this recipe is called ‘old fashioned’. This method is NOT the microwave version! This requires patience, especially if you are cooking it for caramel candies. It will take about 45m for the caramel to boil to 248° F. But the wait is worth it and this caramel has incredible flavor and makes amazing candy.
Old Fashioned Caramels
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 1 cup butter
- 16 oz brown sugar 2-1/4 cups
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Line 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment paper or foil. Grease with butter.1 Tbsp Butter
- In deep pan, melt butter over low heat. Add brown sugar, half-and-half, and corn syrup. Mix well.1 cup butter, 16 oz brown sugar, 2 cups half-and-half, 1 cup light corn syrup
- Cook and stir over medium-high heat till mixture boils.
- Clip candy thermometer onto pan and reduce heat to medium. Continue boiling till caramel reaches the temp you are looking for. It will take apx 45m to reach 248°). Occasionally stir caramel to avoid burning.
- Remove caramel from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour mixture into pan to cool and then cut as desired to make old fashioned caramels.1 tsp vanilla
Notes
Nutrition
Ways to use your caramel:
