Soft, Buttery Homemade Caramels! A tried-and-true recipe you’ll want to make every Christmas.
If you’re looking for the best soft, buttery homemade caramel recipe this is it. This recipe is tried-and-true and can’t be beat!
I’ve tried other caramel recipes over the years but always come back to this one. It has the ideal caramel flavor and texture if you ask me.
I like caramels when they are soft and melt-in-your-mouth. These are perfectly soft, but not too soft that they fall apart.
How to Make Homemade Caramels
The most important part of making homemade caramels is to be sure they come up to the right temperature. For soft caramels 238F is the perfect temperature. I like to use a candy thermometer while I’m stirring/cooking the caramels then double check the temperature with an instant thermometer.
The Cold Water Test for Caramels
You can also use a cup of cold water to double-check the consistency of your caramels! I highly recommend using a thermometer AND the cold water test to be sure your caramels turn out right.
To do the cold water test, simply fill a small cup with cold water then drizzle a little of the caramel into the cup. You should be able to use your fingers to form it into a stable ball, but it will still be soft and easy to smoosh. You can see the video in this post for a visual example!
This recipe makes a ton of caramels! I usually make them for my yearly Christmas “neighbor gifts”. It’s a family tradition to make a batch or two the weeks leading up to Christmas.
I actually look forward to spending the evening wrapping caramels in wax paper (and sneaking some bites!) and hanging out with family. This recipe makes a ton of caramels- so you’ll want to recruit the whole family to help wrap them.
Long ago my Grandma would cut individual pieces of wax paper to wrap up these caramels. Now I just buy a pack of pre-cut wrappers on Amazon. I like these wax paper squares or these clear wrappers.
The original recipe my Grandma always made comes from an old church cookbook. It was submitted by a woman named Elda Peck.
So wherever you are Elda Peck, thank you – your soft homemade caramels are enjoyed by all year after year!
Soft, Buttery Homemade Caramels
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Prep Time: 15 -
Cook Time: 45
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Total Time: 1 hour
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Yield: 60-80
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Soft, buttery and perfect. Our family’s tried and true recipe!
Ingredients
- 4 cups sugar
- 2 sticks butter (1 cup)
- 2 cups white corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 12oz. cans evaporated milk
Instructions
- Melt the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt together in a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the evaporated milk a little at a time, taking 15 minutes per can and stirring constantly. A labor of love indeed.
- Once all the milk is added use a candy thermometer and bring the mixture to 238F and not a touch hotter! Even 2 degrees hotter will make them chewy instead of soft.
- Pour into a parchment lined 13×9 pan and cool completely. Cut and serve. Enjoy!
These look delicious Erin, how many caramels do you think it makes?
Which butter is best sweet or lightly salted
I actually just counted because I figured that would be a good thing to know! I think between 60-80 caramels depending on their size.
MK and I made caramels the other day. It was her fist time and she instinctively thought we should pull them off the heat before the thermometer reached 242F as the recipe directed. I told her we needed to keep stirring and guess what… they were just a tad too hard and chewy. Glad to know that 238F is the magic number;) BY the way, we melted chocolate chips on them and sprinkled them with just the teeniest bit of sea salt. Too good!
That sounds so yummy with chocolate chips and sea salt! Way to go MK for having good cooking instincts! My Grandma always knows just when they are done by looking at them too. I have to use the thermometer every time because I can never tell 😉
Made these tonight — can't wait to eat them tomorrow! Thanks for the delicious recipe, Erin!
PS: Elda Peck was a long time member of Vienna Ward. I love that lady! Nice to know it's her recipe:)
Is there a reason why we have to pour the milk slowly?
When you add the milk the mixture boils up rapidly. You add the milk slowly both to prevent a boil over and to be sure not to bring the temperature of the mixture down too much.
Help! I dont have a cany thermometer so im using the cold water method. I cant get it past the thread stage. It seems as tbough its been boiling forever an i followed directions to the letter. I pride myself on my cooking and have never failed at a recipe. Regrds, Claire Moore
It does take quite awhile to get up to the soft ball stage! Sometimes even 45 minutes. I would just keep cooking it and it should get to soft ball eventually! I hope this helps.
I made these yesterday and they are delicious. I did get a bit of butter on the top of the pan when I poured them. Do you continue to stir after adding the milk and waiting for the temp to get to 238? Just wondering if I needed to be stirring more. Thanks!
JoAnn
Yes you continue to stir until 238. So much stirring! But well worth the effort!
Hi. Thanks for sharing the recipe. As I don’t live in the States, could you please tell me how much butter is two sicks of butter.
2 sticks of butter equals 1 cup!
4 sticks of butter equals 453.59 grams, so just use half of that. Hope this helps. When I lived in Ireland I remember the big blocks of butter were roughly the size of 4 sticks so I would just use half a block.
Can you used this recipe for dipping apples?
I’ve never tried it so I couldn’t say!
Once it hits 238 you can start swirling Apple’s on a stick. Then coat what ever other goodies on top or set on was or parchment paper to cool andset.
After you add the milk, do you need to continue stirring constantly until 238 degrees? Or do you just let it sit from that point?
Oops. Just saw this in a previous comment. Nevermind! 🙂
I’m not sure what I did wrong but my caramels are too soft and don’t hold a form…any advice?
Was it damp or raining that day? Humidity has everything to do with how candy turns out.
I don’t have a candy thermometer. Can you please tell me what’s a good brand/what you’re using? I guess i’ll have to purchase one to make these delicious looking caramels.
Thanks!
I have made about 7 batches of these in the last week. People have started buying them from me for $14 for 2lbs. I have made chocolate drizzled, apple, regular, vanilla and toffee. People love them.
How did you wrap them? You mentioned “apple” and “toffee”, how do you do that? I make caramel apples for a company in October. Just curious. Thanks, D. LaPlante. Facebook me if you like.
This looks just like the recipe from my mom’s Good Housekeeping cookbook I made when I was little–can’t wait to try it.
The recipe looks great! Can’t wait to try it! When you say 2 sticks of butter, what is that in cups? I never know if they’re talking about the short sticks or the longer ones. Thanks!
Sorry for the confusion! It should be 1 cup of butter. I’ve updated the recipe!
These caramels are amazing! Even my hubby who doesn’t like other caramels loves these ones! What is the best way to cut them into pieces?
Hooray I’m so glad you like them! I like to use buttered or oiled kitchen scissors. I hope that helps!
In my family, we use a slightly buttered pizza cutter!
I made this caramel today. Super easy to make.
It is delicious! It will definitely compliment my homemade turtles.
Thank you so much for sharing your family recipe.
I’m so glad you like it! Homemade turtles sounds delicious!
I am using mine for turtles also. My brother in law says they are better than any he’s ever had and he tries them everywhere he sees them.
I’m glad they worked out for your turtles! 🙂
These are absolutely perfect! I can’t stress enough to check the calibration of your thermometer as suggested. Brand new candy thermometer that was off my 7 degrees so used my Thermo-pen and I still check its accuracy. Well worth the stirring…and once it hits 230F. pay close attention because it climbs rather quickly.
That is a great tip! I actually made these using my thermapen this weekend as well and it is helpful because sometimes even accurate candy thermometers can be hard to read. So glad they turned out!
I was looking for a caramel recipe to make turtle bark. I was a little concerned about all the stirring as I was under the impression that you don’t stir candy once all ingredients are added and it’s boiling but I decided to give it a go. Took forever as the temp got stuck at 220 and wouldn’t budge for over 40 minutes so I raised the heat slightly and off we went. It turned out wonderfully and not only did I have enough to make two half sheets of turtle bark but also got 40 individual caramels. I’m not a baker or candy maker so if I can pull this off, I think most anyone could.
Thanks for sharing your Grandma’s recipe.
I’m so glad it turned out for you! Turtle bark sounds delicious!
Do you use white or brown sugar? Thanks
White sugar!
Just wondering if you have ever tried doubling this. I have a large enough copper pot and have thought about it a few times. This recipe has saved me so much over buying caramel to use for candy making and friends have told me that think it is better.
I Thank YOU so much for sharing this with us.
I’m so glad you like this recipe! I have never tried doubling it myself – but I imagine it would take a lot more stirring! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Is there anyway to make these without having to go to the store for a candy thermometer
I wish there was but even after making these almost every year I still can’t do it without the thermometer! A lot of people swear by the “water test” for soft ball where you spoon some of the caramel into a small bowl of cold water to make sure it forms a soft ball before you stop cooking the caramels. I usually do this in conjunction with a thermometer because it can be hard to tell how done they are otherwise!
Wish I had a candy thermometer! They look so good!!
Can these be melted after the fact?
I’ve always worked with caramel sauce, not the candies but I’m trying to find something I can make to melt in hot cocoa but not be gooey at room temp. Thanks!
My mom always added vanilla ice cream to our hot cocoa because it would be too hot. I thought she was brilliant it was so awesome that way. It makes the cocoa the perfect temperature plus the creamy ice cream is delicious. Great for coming in after sledding to have some hot cocoa with ice cream in it. I miss my mom she was awesome.
Just made these and I have a quick question… When I was almost done with the evaporated milk, I noticed the caramel kind of “broke.” Like it wasn’t creamy and smooth anymore and there were small granules in it. I thought right away that I ruined it and maybe the consistency once it dries will be gritty. Is this normal? Does anyone know why this happened??
Stir like crazy!! It will come back together and not be grainy.
Hello Kim,
I saw your post and I had to chime in! The problem you had was using evaporated milk instead of condensed milk. I have made the same mistake before too. Hope this helps.
Hi Patrick, I’m not sure if that was a typo, but evaporated milk is correct, Sir. Sweetened condensed milk is the correct type of milk to use for this recipe.
Just FYI this recipe needs evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk. Evaporated milk is the way to go!
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Hello I made the caramels according to your recipe but mine haven’t hardened up at all since I finished hours ago. Am I suppose to stick them in the fridge? Did I not cook it long enough? Something’s definitely wrong. Also the picture of the old recipe says 2 1/2 cups of kari syrup, I only used 2 cups. Could that be the issue?
Hi Colleen! The 2 1/2 cups karo syrup in the picture is actually for a nougat recipe right underneath the caramel recipe. I would guess that your candy thermometer isn’t totally accurate and the mixture didn’t hit 238F. This has happened to me when I undercooked the caramels and they never firm up. A good way to make sure this doesn’t happen is the “water test” where you spoon some of the caramel into a small bowl of cold water to make sure it forms a soft ball before you stop cooking the caramels. Sorry they didn’t turn out for you!
How long do you have to wait before you can cut them
I usually wait until they are completely cool – so a few hours!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I absolutely loved it.
Hi! These look very good & seems easy enough to do so I tried them. Mine came out quite liquidy. Is this normal? Also is the sugar white or brown?
I live in at a high altitude, and have to go just a degree or two higher for my caramels. I use cream in mine vs. evaporated milk, but the amounts are the same. They turn out great. BTW, I’m a Peck decedent on my mom’s side. Good stuff!
Would it be possible for you to add the directions for the Pecan Roll???
I just made these a minute ago but I didn’t have a candy thermometer so i just winged it by how much cooking time passed by. How long does it take to reach the temperature needed?
These are AMAZING I never leave comments. I even made it the first time without a thermometer using the ice water test and they came out perfect. BIG HIT! Made turtle with them and they are absolutely delicious only problem is I set them in wax paper and they stuck so bad I had to cut it off. Will it not stick like that with the parchment I hope?
I’m so glad they turned out for you! I highly recommend using parchment paper instead of wax paper because if the caramel is too hot it could stick to the wax paper. Sorry about that!
Is Karo syrup the same as just plain corn syrup?
Yes they are the same!
could you please include the instructions for the nouget recipe
Hi! So excited to try these! I was wondering if you use salted or unsalted butter? I was thinking unsalted since you add salt as well, but wanted to be sure. Thank you!
I’ve used both and they both work great actually!
First time I made Carmel candy but I love it hope it turns out I am so excited I hope I saw the candy thrometer right hard to see with all the steam I enjoyed the making of them in a kitchen alone wish me Luck Kathy Kisthardt
I have never used a candy thermometer. Can I get some recommendations on brands that are tried and true (aka dependable).
I love harder, chewable caramel, like the old recipe “Sugar Daddy” on a stick from 50-60 years ago. Your teeth would stick in the candy when biting down on it. Anyone know the temp for this type candy?
Thank you so much in advance.
I follow a different caramel recipe but cook until 245-248 and theybturn our exactly like you described…do wait about 24 hours at cut
I have a thermapen and wouldn’t use anything else. If you cook alot like me it’s worth it. I use it for baking breads everything so if you make jam, breads or candy etc it’s well worth the price!
First time making these Carmel’s, I must have missed something or done something wrong. Followed directions, brought temp up to 238 no more, turned off heat and poured mixture in wax paper lined pan and set aside to cool. After about 4 hrs of cooling the texture/firmness was very pudding like, placed in fridge to cool for the rest of the night. Next morning found texture/firmness still pudding like. Where did I go wrong??
Hi Erin,
Mine did the same thing as josh and it was pouring rain yesterday. Can I melt it down and boil it again, or do I have to start from scratch?
[…] Soft, Buttery Homemade Caramels from Meaningful Eats […]
Mine turned out perfect the first time. I bought tin foil wrappers in Christmas colors to wrap them. They look and taste amazing.
Oh and I got about 130 caramels from this recipe.
Can you freeze these caramels?
I’ve never tried freezing them!
Yes I have them in the freezer. They just take a little bit of time to thaw
Delicious recipe!!
this recipe is very similar to my grandmother’s and yes, you can freeze them
Hi
What is the best way to store these and how long do they stay fresh or last?
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
They are usually good for up to 5 days. Maybe even longer but that’s what I shoot for!
Have you ever added vanilla after taking it off the heat? I tried your recipe after I couldn’t find the one I had used previously and loved it but I know my other recipe called for vanilla. I wanted to add some but was scared I’d ruin it after all that stirring. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Made these last night. Good flavor but very sticky. I have a much easier and faster recipe that I normally use. Ok but won’t make this recipe again
Can you sub whipping cream for evaporated milk
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure!
Heavy cream does work! I highly recommend investing in something like a 2kg digital food scale & doing your own tests to determine weights. This, along w/ a candy thermometer is the easiest easy to repeatable results. Sticks of (unsalted) butter are the only thing I don’t scale when making candy or baked goods.
I’m onto my own brown sugar coffee caramels now, thanks to this recipe’s inspiration. Almond butter & vanilla powder 🙂 Having some issues getting the right chocolate to dip them in but no one is complaining..
Hi there, I realize I’m late to the party, but I am just wondering if anyone has made this recipe in half quantity? I think I’m going to try it this evening.
So that would be 1 stick of butter, 1 C of Karo syrup, 1 can evaporated milk, 1/2 teaspoon of salt & of course, 2 cups of white sugar. Fingers crossed. Thanks for the recipe!
How did your half recipe turn out?
I just made these last night and I cut the recipe in half because I thought the full recipe would give me way more than I needed. I used an 8”x8” pan and the caramels came out perfectly!! The best caramel recipe I’ve ever used!
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When I poured the caramel into the dish with parchment paper, had a lot of butter on the surface, any suggestions?
But how they turn out, overall, Mark? I’m curious…..
Do you use evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk
Yes, Sharon, hope it’s okay that I answer this…..However, evaporated milk is correct. The thin type milk, not the sweetened thick & creamy kind.
Do I use white or brown sugar? It doesn’t specify
White sugar!
Okay, I made this & sadly it did not come out correctly. Really disappointed, because I just knew that it would work. Are we to stir the mixture after the 1st boiling point? Like after the 2 cans of evaporated milk are all poured in? I actually think that’s where I had goofed up.
[…] Homemade Caramels […]
I tried this recipe a week ago and added it to pecan turtles. They were awesome and everybody raved about the caramels. Today, out of laziness, I tried making a 1/4 batch using the microwave trick. Again, the caramel turned out awesome! Just throw all ingredients in large microwave safe dish and microwave at 90 second intervals til done. Mine took about 9 minutes. I checked it by testing a couple drips in very cold water. Saved some time. Maybe it will work for you too. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
I just found your recipe Pinterest and can’t wait to try it!
Just had one question… I noticed ypir Grandmas recipe didn’t include salt but you have it in yours. May I ask if there’s a difference in the taste, or what the salt adds?
They look amazing!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! Tried it last night and it is everything you describe and more and totally worth the stirring required! Delicious!
Thank you so much .
I am using fresh goat milk instread of evaporated milk. My milk is curdling when I add it to the sugar mixture. I have even tempered my milk so it’s not that drastic of a temperature change. Why is this happening? It cannot be do to the high butterfat content of the goat milk, because others have successfully used cream in place of the evaporated milk. Also, I’ve always read that stirring is a big NO NO when making caramels, so why is stirring necessary in this recipe?
Alyce – I don’t stir during the sugar melting phase, just let the heat do the work. If you stir during the first stage your sugar will crystallize on the side of your pot. If you forget and stir anyway just get a pastry brush and water to brush down the sides and then don’t stir until after the milk is added. For me, I don’t like to use corn syrup. I mainly use this recipe to make GF brownies with a caramel center. Delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Mr B, what do you use instead of the corn syrup? Or do you just do without?
Do you know with what I can substitute the white corn syrup, because here in Europe we don’t have it.
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Unfortunately I’m not sure! This recipe is kind of precise and has to be made as written. Sorry about that!
I’ve used honey in place of corn syrup in a honey-carmen recipe before. But you can probably order it online. Oooh… I’d experiment, too. I wonder if molasses would work instead? I’m stuck on a milk substitute, myself:(
These look delicious! I saw you eat gluten free and mostly dairy free. I’m allergic to gluten, dairy protein and coconut protein. Do you know what I could use instead of the evaporated milk? I already have a butter substitute. Thanks!
The evaporated milk gives these such a delicious flavor! Lots of stirring but worth it.
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Could you substitute the evaporated milk with heavy cream?
I made these….however you really need a digital thermometer…mine were a beautiful color..nice and thick…tasted delicious,..but..was like a giant Sugardaddy…I will try again with a new thermometer
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I like the recipe and instructions, simple ingredients and easy, I used cannabuttar and they turned out awesome.
These are AMAZING! I’ll be using this recipe as my go-to from now on! Thanks for sharing your family’s recipe.
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How long does it take them to set up? Could you by chance next time you make them post a video?
Thanks for the idea – I just created a video! You can also do the “cold water test” like in the video. I hope it is helpful 🙂
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I don’t mean to sound like a punk, but getting this up to 238 degrees was the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had in front of a stove. I know all the church ladies out there are laughing, but seriously, I was less strung out on my first day at boot camp.
hello, my name is Beverly Kennedy, I would like to know if I use half would it still work, I really don’t need that much carmel
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I just made these and they have a film of greasy butter over the top. Not sure where I went wrong?
Question actually. Can I use heavy cream instead of evaporated milk?
Unfortunately heavy cream won’t work!
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I made these last year and they were a big hit. I started thinking about them again this year and was looking for the recipe among my cookbooks, etc. Then I remembered I may have bookmarked it on my laptop. Sure enough! This time I’m printing it out so I don’t lose it!
I’m glad you found the recipe again! I’m happy they turn out well for you 🙂
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I tried this in a half batch! Definitely terrifying trying to make sure it gets to exactly 238! Also it was a very humid day so that makes me nervous too! I’m at the cooling stage now so I will let you know how the half batch turns out, but do I let it cool to room temp or in the fridge?
You can let it cool at room temperature or in the fridge – either way! I hope it turns out for you!
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Can I use whipping cream instead of evap milk? Thanks
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Unfortunately that won’t work!
HI! can you freeze the caramels? Also, how long will they last at room temp after they are made? And is that how they should be stored? lol
i just can’t wait to make these!
thank you
★★★★★
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Do you have to use kosher salt or will regular do?
I make homemade marshmallows every year for my kiddo’s. They love it when I make scotch mallows. I have always just melted store bought caramels for time. BUT, I want to make my own caramel this year. Do you think your recipe will work well for forming over the marshmallow? It looks absolutely delicious btw.
I’m also excited to see you are GF like me. I’ll have to try your pie crust next.
There are two comments that ask if this uses evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk. Your response says evaporated milk is correct, but then says “sweetened condensed milk is the correct one to use. I see the cookbook says evaporated milk. On my page, leading to the recipe, it also states sweetened condensed milk is the correct choice for this recipe. Please just say which is correct. Thank you so much !
Sorry for the confusion. You definitely need to use evaporated milk in this recipe. Sweetened condensed will not work.
This is the best caramel recipe ever! It was well worth the effort. Than you for sharing!
Couldn’t you heat the milk in a seperate pan, it would reduce the risk of a boil over, and it wouldn’t cause such a drop in temperature
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I’m pleased with the color and the taste. I can’t get it off the paper tho and they seem way to soft for my liking. My thermometer is on target as I’ve bedn making a lot of candy over the past 3 weeks for Christmas without fail.
I’m just not sure how to get it off the paper at this point, but I’ll figure something out. May have to freeze them.
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Can I pour these into a jelly roll pan?
Made the Carmel’s, nervous all day!! I was very careful in my measurements & especially when I added the evaporated milk, set my timer for 15 min on each can & added accordingly. The color looks good nice and smooth I could not get the candy thermometer to reach 238 but I did get to 235, pours then parchment paper, not going to touch until morning! WHAT DO YOU think my chances are for success? Thank you.
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I am a grandma and been making candy since I was 17, I make this recipe to but theres no reason to pour milk in at intervals at all, simply let butter, syrup n sugar melt some and add both cans in, simply stir steadily for about 40 minutes, I use #4 heat on electric stove, and use softball stage in water only, turns out just perfect. You can tell when its cooked down enough and is beautiful deep color
Lost my x-mother-in-laws recipe and been years since i made them..i think she added finely chopped pecans??
This is a awesome soft caramel. The taste is heavenly, melts in your mouth!
They came out too soft. They’ve already fully cooled. Can I put them back in pot on the stove and cook longer?
My NIEGHBORS just made these again this year!!! They are awesome!!!! I look forward to Christmas every year for these treats!!!!
Merry Christmas everyone!!!!
These were delicious! My family loves them also. I only had trouble cutting them without them sticking to the knife.
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I made these earlier today and the taste is out of this world, but I’m not sure they are going to set properly. When the candy thermometer reached 238 degrees I took off the burner and poured into the prepared parchment paper pan. The consistency was really thin not thick. I’m hoping that is the way it should be. Should it have been thicker?? (for taste so far a 5)
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