Soft, buttery homemade caramels! A tried-and-true recipe you’ll want to make every Christmas. Hundreds of reviewers agree these are the most delicious homemade soft caramels around!
This post was originally published in 2012. It has been updated with new step-by-step photos but the recipe is still the same treasured recipe from an old church cookbook.
I’ve tried other caramel recipes over the years, but always come back to this one. These are perfectly soft, but not such a soft caramel that they fall apart.
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.
(Original photo from 2012 post)
I actually look forward to spending the evening wrapping caramels in wax paper (and sneaking some bites!) and hanging out with family.
VIDEO: How to Make Caramels
Table of Contents
Homemade Soft Caramels
This recipe makes a ton of caramels, so you’ll want to recruit the whole family to help wrap them and package them in gift boxes for friends and neighbors. They’re a creamy indulgence and quick treat everyone will love!
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 used came 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 a classic candy favorite at our house!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture
- Great for the holidays
- Deep caramel flavor
- Makes a large batch for gifting
Ingredients You’ll Need
These homemade caramels are made with simple, easy-to-find ingredients. The magic is in the method of making them!
- Sugar: It’s important to use white granulated sugar to create the best rich caramel flavor. No other type of sugar will work! I like Domino brand best.
- Butter: Use unsalted, real butter for this delicious caramel recipe. (You’ll be adding in salt later.)
- Corn syrup: For the best caramels, use light corn syrup (not dark corn syrup).
- Salt: Kosher sea salt is best for this recipe — it gives the best texture and flavor!
- Evaporated milk: Evaporated milk helps give these soft chewy caramels a creamy, smooth texture.
Optional but delicious: I also love adding the seeds of a vanilla bean to these caramels. Just add scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean pod and add them in with the sugar. They’re also delicious topped with some flaky sea salt.
How to Make Homemade Caramels
- Melt the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt together in a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat or medium-high heat.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the evaporated milk a little at a time, taking 5-10 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-240F and not any hotter! Even a few degrees hotter will make them chewy instead of soft.
- Pour into a parchment lined 13×9 pan and cool completely. Cut and serve. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
For a perfect bite size candy, individually wrap these creamy caramels in pre-cut wrappers from Amazon. From there, you can store them in an airtight container or in a candy jar. You can store them at room temperature or in the fridge. They’ll last up to a week at room temperature and even long in the refrigerator.
Caramel Recipe FAQs
Some reviewers had reported good success with microwaving the evaporated milk to warm it up before adding it. The key is you want the caramel mixture to keep boiling the whole time you’re adding the milk.
(Adding warm milk won’t bring the temperature down as much so you can add it faster while still maintaining a boil.)
Yes! You can easily half this recipe and use an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan.
Yes! A sprinkle of salt makes a delicious addition to these caramels. I highly recommend this maldon salt. Sprinkle the salt over the caramels immediately after pouring them into the pan so the salt will stick.
I love adding the seeds of a vanilla bean to these caramels. Just add scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean pod and add them in with the sugar.
Once the caramels have been cut and wrapped in wax paper or parchment candy wrappers, they will keep in an airtight container for several weeks. I like to keep them in the fridge!
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Testing the temperature: 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 MOST IMPORTANTLY double check the temperature with an instant thermometer. Be sure to check the temperature in the middle of the caramel mixture! If the thermometer is touching the bottom of the pan the temperature won’t be correct.
- Testing the consistency: I highly recommend using a thermometer AND the cold water test to be sure you get perfectly chewy candies. 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 squish.
- Use a stainless steel pot if possible! These caramels turn out much butter when made in a stainless steel pot (as opposed to an enameled Dutch Oven).
We also might this tried-and-true marshmallow fudge every year!
More Recipes from My Grandma’s Cookbook
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try these homemade caramels, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Soft, Buttery Homemade Caramels
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups sugar
- 2 sticks butter 1 cup
- 2 cups white corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 12 oz. cans evaporated milk
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. (A stainless steel pot works best for these caramels.)
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the evaporated milk a little at a time, taking 10-15 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-240F and not any hotter! Even a few degrees hotter will make them chewy instead of soft. (This will take another 15 minutes or so!) I highly recommend double checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer as it comes to temperature.
- Immediately pour into the prepared pan and cool completely. (Once the caramels are cool – I recommend freezing them for 20-30 minutes before slicing. Or you can refrigerate them for a few hours. You don't want them to be frozen solid, but if they're cold this helps the caramels hold their shape when cutting/wrapping.) Cut and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Testing the temperature: 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 MOST IMPORTANTLY double check the temperature with an instant thermometer. Be sure to check the temperature in the middle of the caramel mixture! If the thermometer is touching the bottom of the pan the temperature won’t be correct.
- Use a stainless steel pot if possible! These caramels turn out much butter when made in a stainless steel pot (as opposed to an enameled Dutch Oven).
Nutrition
Caramel FAQs
Caramels are made by heating white sugar until the molecules break down, resulting in a dark brown, rich flavored syrup. This recipe also includes butter, white corn syrup, Kosher salt, and evaporated milk.
Corn syrup is a necessary ingredient in caramels because it keeps the sugar molecules from crystallizing after they break down. This creates a soft, smooth texture, rather than a grainy texture.
Butterscotch and caramel flavors are certainly similar. However, there is a slight difference: caramels are made with white sugar, and butterscotch is made with brown sugar.
In 15 years, I have attempted 7 times to make homemade carmels. . . WITHOUT SUCCESS! When I found your recipe, Erin,, I said, “One more time.” Your recipe WORKED and is lovely. As the recipe states, “it is a labor of love indeed.”
This is my go-to carmel recipe! Thank you for sharing. I am so pleased I persevered.
My grandmother’s recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk as practically every other recipe calls for. What’s the major difference?
Evaporated milk has more liquid and doesn’t have any added sugar. It’s just how this recipe was designed!
Made them yesterday. Followed the instructions with one exception, I mixed in 1-1/2 t of vanilla after I poured the mixture into the 9×13. Came out perfect!, Will make again.
I’m so glad they turned out for you!
Easy recipe to use, lots of stirring though but worth it
Hi Erin,
Thanks for this recipe. Is there a substitute that can be used instead of corn syrup?
I love this recipe. But for the life of me I can’t figure out what to wrap them in. Everything I use they stick. Help
The wrappers I’ve linked to in the post usually work for me! I hope that helps. This happens to me sometimes when the don’t fully come up to temperature too.
I made these last year and they were the best carmels I’ve ever had. I can stop craving them. Getting ready to make another batch in a few minutes.
Are the sugar, corn syrup and butter to be stirred when melting?
Yes! You melted all these together in the beginning. I hope this helps 🙂
If you only let these get to about 236F and placed some pecans down on a silicone mat or parchment paper and had a funnel (don’t know the proper term) you could pour your caramel into the funnel dollop just enough to cover the pecans, let set and then dip in chocolate mmmm
My husband and I made this for our first time making caramel and it’s absolutely foul proof and delicious!!
I Followed the recipe and instructions but my Carmel’s just didn’t set up enough. It seems so close. What do you think i did wrong?
This can happen when your caramels don’t come up to the soft ball temperature. Your thermometer might have been off so I always like to use 2 thermometers to double check (one candy and one instant read) and do the cold water test to be sure it forms a ball. I hope this helps!
Hi Erin,
I used to love caramels, but I’m both GF and DF, and haven’t been able to find any caramels that I can eat. Have you found a good DF evaporated milk?
Your recipes look amazing. I look forward to trying some.
Thank you! I look forward to your reply.
Clarissa
I have tried the brand Nature’s Charm Evaporated Coconut Milk and it works well in some things – but unfortunately not these caramels! It has more sugar and a different flavor than regular evaporated milk and this recipe won’t turn out. Sorry about that! Wish I had an easy DF suggestion.
I just made a batch of these, and they came out perfectly! I made a half-batch, and cooled them in a 9×9 silicone pan coated with cooking spray. I also added salt to the top of some of them, yum! Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper!
These are amazing! We live at 5000 feet elevation so cooked it to 230 degrees and they’re perfect.
Is there a way to make this without corn syrup?
Unfortunately no! I usually buy organic corn syrup to make these though.