If you've never made candy at home before - this recipe for easy homemade caramels is the perfect place to start. These caramels are soft and chewy, and finished with the perfect amount of salt. Use them to stuff into a cookie or a brownie, or wrap to give as homemade gifts. This post is packed full of tips and tricks to walk you through making your own homemade caramel candies.
Hi hi! I am just popping in to share this easy homemade caramel recipe with you! If you haven't made homemade candy before, these easy caramels are a great place to start.
These caramels are soft and chewy, and are perfect as-is, or you can use them in baking - I use them to stuff inside my caramel stuffed chocolate cookies, or to dot over brownie batter for the most amazing caramel brownies.
Homemade caramel lasts super well, so they are great to make ahead and keep in the fridge, or to wrap in wax paper for a more traditional caramel candy and give as gifts.
Homemade Caramels
These caramels are super soft and chewy. I have used this base recipe a ton of times but never actually made it into a stand alone recipe.
This recipe makes a soft caramel as opposed to a hard caramel like the one that I use in my salted caramel cookies which is made from using melted sugar. The softness comes from the ratios of ingredients - condensed milk and butter help to soften the mix to give perfectly chewy, delicious caramels.
Ingredients in homemade caramels
The ingredients list for these caramels is super simple, and likely things that you already have at home:
- Butter. You can use either salted or unsalted here depending on what you have on hand. If you use salted, you can either drop back the salt quantity in the recipe slightly or leave as is - salty caramel is delicious.
- Condensed milk. Condensed milk gives texture to the caramel - it helps to make it super smooth and keep the chew when it reaches a high temperature.
- Brown sugar. We are going for as many toasty flavours as we can here, which is why I use brown sugar instead of white for my homemade caramels.
- Golden Syrup. This is one of my favourite ingredients because of how delicious it is and the amazing flavour it gives to things. It's very easy to get in New Zealand and some other countries, when I lived in the US I used to get it online. It helps to stop crystallisation in the caramel.
- Salt. Essential to offset all the sugary components of the caramel. Make sure you salt well and if you find the caramels are not as salty as you like you can sprinkle them with a little flaky sea salt after cutting.
- Vanilla. I like to use vanilla bean paste but vanilla extract works well too. It adds the most amazing flavour to the caramels.
What is golden syrup?
Golden syrup is an invert sugar syrup that is a by-product of the sugar making process. It is thick and smooth, and has a delicious toasty flavour. I highly recommend getting some to use if you haven't before, but if you can't get hold of some, you can use corn syrup or liquid glucose in the place of it.
If you do get golden syrup and you are looking for ways to use it up, I have a whole lot of golden syrup recipes for you to browse!
Do I need to use a Thermometer?
Yes - a thermometer is essential when you are making homemade caramel candies. I use a digital thermometer (I have a thermapen but there are loads of others available online!) which I find works best as it gives a super quick result. Cooking the caramel either under or over the correct temperature will result in it either not setting enough, or being too hard, so using a thermometer to ensure that you get the right result is necessary.
If you don't have a thermometer, I haven't tested any other alternatives sorry. They are a great thing to own!
Important - when you are measuring the temperature of your cooking caramel - make sure that the probe of the thermometer is in the middle of the caramel. If it is accidentally touching the bottom of the pot, it will give a falsely high reading and your caramel may not set.
How do you store caramels?
The great thing about making homemade caramel is that it stores super well for a long time. Keep it in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a month. If I am not wrapping it in wax paper I store it with pieces of wax paper between each layer to prevent sticking.
What is the best way to wrap caramels?
If you want to wrap your homemade caramels in the traditional candy style, you can use squares of wax paper. I purchased mine pre-cut, but you can also just cut squares of paper if you like. Mine are 6" squares, but play around with sizing depending on what you think looks best.
How to get clean cuts on caramel
I cut my caramel into little pieces - I did an 8x4 grid in the pan. You can cut them into any shape that you like - I use squares for my caramel stuffed cookies, or smaller pieces for my caramel brownies.
The best way to cut the caramels is when they are cold from the fridge. Use a super sharp knife, and mark out your cuts before you make them. I find it easiest to cut the whole pan into strips first with vertical cuts, then make the four horizontal cuts.
Homemade Caramels Troubleshooting
Your caramel is too hard
It is likely that you took the mixture past the 240° / 120°c stage, which is called the firm ball stage in candy making. You want to make sure that you very carefully measure the temperature of your caramel when you are cooking it. This is still usable although it will be more like a toffee texture than a caramel - cut it into tiny bits and add to cookies or ice cream.
Your caramel is too soft
The opposite happened here and you didn't bring it to temperature. Read the notes on the recipe to make sure you are using your thermometer correctly.
You are starting to get little brown bits in the caramel as it cooks
This is ok - it is just little bits of the caramel that are cooking faster than the rest. Turn the heat down and take it slow if you need to - slide the pan off the heat and stir well and make sure you're scraping the bottom well. I like to use a rubber spatula for this reason.
My Caramel is taking FOREVER to reach temperature
This happens. The caramel will get to a certain point, then it feels like it takes forever to get to temperature. Just be patient here - it is really important that you take it up to the correct temperature in order for it to set.
Frequently Asked Questions
What tools and equipment do you use?
You can find a full list of the tools and equipment I use on my products page
Which pan did you use?
I set these in an 8" square pan, with parchment extending over the sides to make sure that I could easily remove the caramel once set.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, but make sure that you watch it carefully. As the caramel is cooking if you feel like it is going too fast, move it off the heat for a bit. Make sure you use a thermometer and watch carefully. You can either set the mixture in two 8" pans or use the pan size of your choice - just be aware that if you use a different pan your caramels may be a different thickness.
What can I use this caramel for?
Giving it as gifts as is is amazing but I have also incorporated it into a few recipes - caramel stuffed cookies, caramel chunk brownies, or it is amazing stirred into my rocky road recipe.
For more recipes using homemade caramel, check out:
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Soft and Chewy Foolproof Caramel Candy
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 32 caramels 1x
- Category: candy
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
If you've never made candy at home before - this recipe for easy homemade caramels is the perfect place to start. These caramels are soft and chewy, and finished with the perfect amount of salt. Use them to stuff into a cookie or a brownie, or wrap to give as homemade gifts.
Ingredients
- 90g butter, cold from the fridge is fine
- One 395g tin sweetened condensed milk
- 185g brown sugar
- 50g golden syrup
- 2g (¾ tsp) salt
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- Flaky sea salt to finish (optional)
Instructions
- Grease and line an 8" (20cm) square pan with parchment paper, leaving the parchment extending over the sides of the pan to form a sling to remove the caramel with later. Secure with binder clips if desired.
- In a medium sized heavy bottom saucepan, combine the butter, condensed milk, brown sugar, and golden syrup.
- Place over medium high heat, stir until melted together, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly (I like to use a whisk then switch to a rubber spatula) until the caramel registers 240°f / 120°c on a thermometer. Watch the bottom carefully to avoid the mixture catching, turning down the heat if needed or removing the caramel from the heat, stirring well, then returning to the heat.
- Once the caramel has reached the correct temperature, remove from the heat, and add the salt and vanilla. Mix well to combine, then transfer to the prepared pan. Shake to evenly distribute the caramel.
- Chill the caramel for at least two hours, until completely set and you can no longer feel the heat in it.
- Remove the caramel slab from the pan using the parchment overhang. Cut into pieces using a very sharp knife.
- Either wrap in wax paper and store in an airtight container in the fridge, or place into an airtight container with wax paper between the layers and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Keeps in the fridge for up to a month.
Notes
If you do not have golden syrup, corn syrup or liquid glucose will also work.
Important - when you are measuring the temperature of your cooking caramel - make sure that the probe of the thermometer is in the middle of the caramel. If it is accidentally touching the bottom of the pot, it will give a falsely high reading and your caramel may not set.
Comments
Amber says
I have had many caramel fails during my baking life! I have never had an issue with anything I bake no matter how complicated, but there are two things I constantly fail at and caramel is one of them! But this has to be the easiest and absolutely delicious caramel! I didn't have gold liquid sugar but I used organic agave nectar and it came out perfect. An absolute favorite!
Erin Clarkson says
Ah yayyy I am so happy you loved them!
Vicki Leigh-Mackenzie says
Made this to go in the brownies and 10/10 recipe. Came out perfectly
Meredith says
Top notch. Made them with maple syrup bci have any golden syrup and wanted caramels NOW, but I’m going to get my hands on some for another batch. Maple was delicious, though 👍
Pallavi says
Made them, such an easy recipe to follow and so delicious!
Alison says
I’ve never had much success making sweets but this recipe was so clear and gave me advice what to look for to end up with a good result that I’ve got some delicious caramels to give to my Dad for Christmas. Thank you! They taste fab and I’ve got some spares to try stuffing cookies with.
Donna Inman says
Put in United States amou to of each ingredient.
Erin Clarkson says
No - you are welcome to convert yourself but I am in New Zealand with an international audience.
Melissa Boutwell says
Hi Erin,
I'm looking at different recipes before deciding which I'll try for soft caramel chews, and the first thing I usually do is read the comments section to see what others are saying about the recipe. It seems yours is getting good reviews. However, the one above and one other person below in the comments asked for the U.S. conversions on ingredient amounts and although I agree with you that it is simple to look it up, I would also say that it is just as simple for YOU to do so in the first place. I've seen many recipes with the ingredient amounts listed with both measurements included.
I say this because as you noted to one who asked, you seem to want an international audience and the U.S. is a pretty big audience to gain as part of the international audience you say you write these for. Plus, I think your answer to both who requested the conversion sounded rude and just a tad arrogant. (Even with the smiling face emoji). Just a friendly suggestion for you if you want your site to gain more followers.
Have a nice day and I hope your recipe tastes as good as some say.
Thank you
Erin Clarkson says
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for the feedback. It's not as simple as me just providing the measurements - I meticulously test every recipe and if I were to provide recipes in cups I would have to completely re test the entire recipe which honestly is a waste of both my time and ingredients. Just because you see it in other places doesn't mean that they have tested both methods. Baking in cups isn't accurate and I am not comfortable posting a less accurate recipe when there is one that works perfectly well. I lived in the US for a long time and it is very easy to access a baking scale. Thankfully there are a lot of recipes online and if my approach doesn't suit you or others, then that's fine - you're welcome to go elsewhere! I provide free recipes - this is not a transactional relationship so if you think I am arrogant, maybe take a second to think about how frustrating it must be to spend hours and hours on a recipe only for people to complain that it doesn't suit them specifically. I think it's super entitled that instead of working out the conversion for themselves people think that it's ok to then ask for more labour from the creator to translate their recipe into a less accurate format because they aren't open to using a different method. Have a great day.
Ginny says
Well said. I live in the US and I only use metric measurements. It's far more accurate and it bugs me when a reader asks for volume measurements. If you are attempting a task and aren't very skilled at it (yet), wouldn't you want to use the very best method for accomplishing said task? I'm with you 100% on this. (I have seen other websites where a toggle switch is used to go from imperial to metric, or visa versa. It's likely a widget that can be added to your website, but I totally understand you not wanting to test the recipes both ways. Total waste of time.)
Lisa S says
boom! couldnt agree more! as a chef i fully understand, its not as simple as people think, nor is doubling recipes ( believe it or not people - its often not as simple as adding). I am grateful for your recipes, they are so well done, you can tell the work thats gone into them by the results one gets. Also if i were american id be lobbying my government to change the antiquated and out dated measuring system. Its bonkers!
Katie says
These are amazing!!! I don't make candy often, but I am pretty good, if I have some good instructions, and this recipe is just that! The Caramels are also just the perfect texture that does not get stuck in your teeth! I ate way too many. 😊
Linda Marino says
Need US measurements
Erin Clarkson says
You are welcome to google the conversions 🙂
Kirsty says
I’m a relatively new baker and have actively avoided caramel recipes but was dragged in by the ‘foolproof’ title. I’m so glad I was because they are delicious and really easy to make.
The only problem is that they are so good I’ve already had requests from family to make more!
Michele says
This recipe is the same as the one I have used since 1977 from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, except a) metric measurement and b) that recipe has an order and dients timing of when to add the ingredients.
The one I use melts in your mouth so it doesn't bother any dental work. Glad to see it being spread on the net so more people can enjoy homemade caramel.
Erin Clarkson says
I developed this recipe and haven't ever read the one you mentioned so it's likely it's just a similar coincidence! It's a great recipe 🙂
Julia King says
Made these for Christmas gifts and oh my gosh so good. Super simple recipe only thing is it takes time as I couldn't leave it in fear of it sticking to the pot and burning but well worth it. They make the cutest little treats in jars for gifts.
Anna says
These caramels were absolutely incredible. I followed the recipe step by step, except for the golden syrup, I used Karo syrup as it was what I had on hand. They are chewy but don't stick to your teeth, and come together pretty quickly and all in one pot! I've never made any type of caramel or candy before, so when she says "foolproof", she means it! I topped mine with flaky maldon salt and wrapped them in parchment paper. Definitely going to make this one over and over again 🙂
Sofia says
Hi Erin,
Thank you for sharing the recipe. Made this today for the first time (I bought a sugar thermometer just for this recipe!). It's a success! I think with the thermometer kept sliding off (William Sonoma), it was so tricky to get to the correct temperature. Mine took forever to reach 120 as I had to keep adjusting the thermometer. In the end, I left it in the pot and let it reach 125 degrees by miscalculation! It's now chilling in the fridge and I will cut it when cold as per your suggestion. The texture seems harder than it should be but that's OK as it tasted super delicious.
So easy to make, once I know what to do with the thermometer!
Julia says
Absolutely love these caramels. The description was very helpful and they were perfect. Everyone that tried them was complementing how great the texture is! This recipe made my first time making caramels a success!
Terrible Recipe says
Terrible recipe. This is more like fudge and nothing like caramel. Spent hours making turtles only for this FOOLPROOF caramel, complete lie, to crystalize before it set midway through the night. Now I have sugar coated nuts and chocolate. Yay. Rating 0 stars. STAY CLEAR OF THIS BAKER.
Erin Clarkson says
Sounds like something went very wrong on your end... I have made this over 20 times and never had this issue. So sorry it didn't work, but you seem to have wasted your own ingredients here, not me.
Some days start rough says
You can delete my comment if you want to. The fault is my own attitude and not the recipe. I appologize.
Valerie says
This is an easy to follow recipe with great results. It's good as is, but also very versatile as a base if you want to experiment by adding other flavors like extracts, i.e. coconut, almond, rum, etc.
I substituted honey because I didn't have golden syrup.
Janine Hilson says
What if you don't have a thermometer
Erin Clarkson says
I haven't made it without one sorry - it is quite important to make sure that the caramel gets to a temperature where it sets
Anna says
I have made this recipe 3x now and each time they came out amazing. But the best part is the third time I made them, I used vegan butter and sweetened condensed coconut milk (a gift for a vegan friend), and they were just as easy and JUST as delicious. So in case anyone is wondering, it can be done!
EricJM says
Sorry, no pic, but recipe works perfectly, and my 'Chef's Treat' sample tastes amazing. Take Erin's advice and store on wax paper in a Tupperware in fridge (sticky mess otherwise). In America, so I used Corn Syrup for Golden. Worked perfectly. When I decide to make Maple flavored, maybe I'll use Maple Syrup instead of just Maple extract.
I cook with a scale, and recommend others Americans finally join in. They're really inexpensive, and help with a lot of baking recipes. To all the commenters asking, you really cannot properly convert the measurements to U.S. for this one. For example, for butter I used 6 1/2 TBS., but still needed a small scraping extra to get to exact weight, and for the sugar I measured 1 plus 1/8 cup firmly packed, but was left with about 1-2 TBS. You get it now?
My first homemade caramel, and it's great Erin. I needed caramel for a recipe that requested store-bought, but was shocked I couldn't find anywhere where I live, and didn't want to order. (What happened to every store carrying Kraft's, fellow Americans? None to be found.) Thanks, Erin, for helping me make a better substitute. The instructions were perfect.
Julia Wunderlich says
Worked perfectly once I got a digital thermometer! Tasted just like the ones we made on rainy Sundays when we were kids. Nostalgia overload 😁
PS I cooked the first batch too long so the temperature went too high. Became crumbly more like a fudge, still delicious but so much better when not overcooked.
Erin Clarkson says
Yay! Yes having a thermometer makes a huge difference! So happy that you loved!
Amina says
I have never made caramel candy before and this was the first recipe I have tried and they turned out perfectly! Amazing taste and texture and my family loved them. I used maple sirup because there is no golden syrup in my country. Thank you so much for this repice.
Erin Clarkson says
So happy that you loved!
Anna Bannon says
Fabulous!
I used the microwave to make mine and it worked a treat. They came out perfect.
Thanks and I appricate being able to scale up and the use of precise measurement 😊
Greeta says
Ahhhmazing caramels! Thank you for the tips and recipe 🙂
Miriam says
Hello,
This looks like a lovely recipe, and thank you so much for writing it in grams (I can see you've got some disgruntled Am*r*c*ns in your comments complaining, but you're right, grams is so much more accurate).I wanted to ask before I attempt, if I wanted to add some spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) to this caramel, do you have any advice on at wha point in the process I should add them in? I don't want them to burn, but I don't want to give them no chance to infuse, either.
All the best,
Miriam
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, I haven't tried it sorry! Maybe at the end? You're right you don't want them to burn!
Vannessa says
I’ve made these a handful of times and love how they come out every time! I have since started using condensed sweetened milk as well (since I usually have some on hand) and they’re foolproof.
Perfect filler for Christmas treat boxes and I grandma loves them since they don’t get stuck in her teeth.
I should mention the conversions are not a problem for me. It’s always a better idea to weigh your ingredients, regardless how your country measures ingredients. I’m Canadian and just do basic math before I hit the grocer. Imagine that!
Thanks a bunch for the hard work! 🙂
Anna-Luise Gomm says
I made these to go in my cookie boxes for Christmas to gift to co-workers, friends, and family. The caramels were the highlight for most people. So delicious. Excellent recipe.
Erin Clarkson says
Yay they look amazing!
Carmela says
Hello, this was my first time making caramel, unfortunately it came overcooked. I follow the recipe step by step. Trying to figure out what I did wrong, it came to me to see if the conversion of the temperature was right. 240°F equals 115.56°C, according to Google conversion. Now I can be wrong. I will try again making this recipe because it was simple and I'm sure if I took it out sooner it would off all been fine. Keep up the good work. 🙂
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! 240f is where you want it to be - I know this isn't a direct conversion to 120°c but those are the temperature parameters given by candy makers. make sure you're measuring it properly - it can be quite hard to make sure the thermometer is in the right place!
Leona says
Quite literally THE perfect caramel recipe!!! It definitely tests my patience waiting for the mixture to come up to temp, but my GOODNESS is it worth it every time. This is probably the third or fourth year I’ve made these and I love making them because I know they’ll be an absolute crowd pleaser!
Netta says
Gorgeous! I had to swap golden syrup for maple syrup so I did 30g since golden syrup is thicker. And did only 1/2tsp salt (for my own preference). Came out amazing!! I’ve always been terrified of making caramel. It will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Charlotte says
Thank you for giving me an excuse to finally buy/use a candy thermometer. Recipe came out perfectly 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Tezer Barutcuoglu says
Hi Erin,
First of all wish you all my best wishes for 2025 🙏💐🙋
Just received your famous caramel brownie recipe thank you so much. Wish to go for a try hope to success.
Kind regards,
Tezer
Nicole says
Hi Erin! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Made it for the first time today but think I’ve gone wrong somewhere! I had the candy thermometer in the pot but struggled with it not slipping so wonder if maybe my temp was inaccurate. After setting and cutting, it’s come out in more of a dry/ hard fudge consistency and taste. Any ideas of where I may have gone wrong? Thank you!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! ahhh yep it sounds like it may have been over cooked - if it is too soft that means it was under, if it goes over you've made toffee! Bash it up and put it on ice cream!
Jen says
I'm about to make these for the 3rd time! It always turns out fantastic! Very delicious! All the extra tips are great! I don't have golden syrup, I've been making them with corn syrup as suggested. I make a little candy I call Take 4 with them. It's like a Take 5, but without the peanuts. Just a little pretzel, peanut butter, this caramel, before it solodifies completely, then dipped in chocolate. A big hit at my house, and work pot luck. Then I roll the rest of the caramels up in parchment .
Thanks for making this recipe!!!
Chelsea says
Great recipe!
If I need these caramels asap, once I’ve made them can I put them in the fridge to chill/cool? Will that affect the end product?
Thank you 🙂
Erin Clarkson says
Yep it's fine to put them in the fridge 🙂
Sean Schwartz says
I just made this recipe but instead of syrup, I used raw honey and it came out perfect. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for the recipe.
J Hill says
A fool-proof recipe! Loved by all of my friends and family anytime I make them 🥰
Julie says
Hi. I followed the recipe step by step and it seemed to take forever to get above 112 C then all of a sudden it seized up and failed.
Your recipe mentions to stir constantly. Can you clarify how you are stirring? Like gently and lightly or something different? I used a silicone spatula making figure 8s but wonder if I was too vigorous (the spatula actually broke once things hardened up). I have always used no-stir recipes so this is new to me.
I actually had a feeling I could tell it was done and ready to pour into the pan but kept going because it wasn’t at 120 C. I used two different candy thermometers as well as an infrared one.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! It sounds like something definitely went wrong but i'm not 100% on what could have caused it sorry! I don't stir a particular way but it's not overly vigorously. If it seized that was maybe a temperature issue? So sorry that it didn't work out for you!
Hans says
Hi Erin,
first of all, thank you for all your amazing recipes!
I made a batch of this on Sunday but something went wrong, and I was wondering if you could use your much more extensive knowledge and experience to have a stab at remote diagnosis.
My caramel came out crumbly, more like a crumbly fudge (or Scottish tablet), not hard as I would have expected had I heated to far beyond 120.
It also did not melt inside the very tasty choc cookies that I stuffed as per your recipe.
Now:
I have made caramel before, but always with cream (and possibly some liquid glucose to avoid grainy texture) never with condensed milk.
I used the same pan and thermometer I always use for caramel and took it off the heat at 119-120.
Obvious answer might be that I am actually mistaken and did in fact heat it too far beyond 120.
Was just curious if you have any other guesses as it came out crumble rather than hard.
Hrs k you for reading.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! yes if you take it too far it comes out really crumbly! if you bash it up really small it will be good on ice cream!
Amina says
Worked great even on the first try. Me and my husband love it, thank you very much
Ilana says
I was very excited to try this recipe, because one thing I have never mastered is caramel. It all went really well, got it up to temp and poured it in my pan. It seemed successful, until I saw I that I forgot to add the syrup. 🤕 it made for a very delicious fudge and I will be attempting it again with all the ingerients. 🤣 I am determined to get a caramel.
Ilana says
Update: made them with the syrup and they are delicious, success!! Thanks for this easy recipe. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Tall_hels says
Hi, thank you for the recipe! I made it this weekend, but it was more crumbly than smooth and creamy (like a scottish tablet). Still delicious, but not quite the texture I was aiming for. I used soft brown (mix of light and dark) sugar, was this where I went wrong? If so, should i go with golden caster sugar for the brown sugar? or go for muscavado sugar? Please help!!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, if it came out solid there's a chance that you over cooked it! crumbly generally indicates it got a bit hot!
Lori says
This recipe is amazing. We sprinkle some of the salt on top and it's the most amazing sea salt carmels. Everyone begs for more!
Brenda says
This makes the best caramel I've ever had. It's obviously better than store-bought and the thing that makes it better than every other homemade caramel I've had is that it actually tastes like caramel! Usually homemade is all about texture with a hint of caramel flavor, but this has the perfect flavor and texture. I made them to go in your brownie recipe but they won't all make it there because i can't stop eating them 🙂