Homemade Caramels Recipe

Prepare the baking dish. Spray a square 8×8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and spray again with non-stick cooking spray.

Add the water, cane sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a medium saucepan. Make sure the saucepan is about four times the size of the liquid being added.

Turn the heat on medium-high and bring to a boil. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to make sure there are no sugar crystals on the sides of the pan.

Once the mixture starts to boil, turn the temperature down so it’s at a steady boil, but isn’t boiling over. Continue to boil the mixture until it reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

While the sugar syrup boils, brown the butter. Add 2 tablespoons of of the butter to a small skillet and melt over a medium-high heat. When the butter starts to brown on the edges, start to swirl the pan.

Continue to swirl the pan until the butter turns a very deep brown color and smells very nutty. Remove from the heat immediately and pour into a bowl.

Measure cream in a liquid measuring cup. Add the brown butter and the remaining butter. Heat in the microwave, 1 minute at a time, until the cream is hot and the butter is all melted.

Once the sugar mixture reaches 240 degrees F, remove from the heat. Slowly whisk in hot cream and butter mixture. The mixture will bubbly and rise a little bit. Keep whisking, it will eventually go down.

Return the saucepan to a medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to continue the boil, but at a more moderate rate, it should be about a medium heat.

Continue to cook the caramel until it turns a deep caramel color and reaches 240 degrees F on the candy thermometer. It should take about 15 to 20 minutes.

When the caramel reaches 240 degrees, remove from the heat and whisk in vanilla. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan.

Once you pour the caramel in the baking pan, let it sit for about 20 minutes. If using salt, sprinkle before it sets up completely.

Let the caramels cool another hour and half or longer.

Use a large chef’s knife to cut the caramel into six vertical strips. Use a small pairing knife to cut the remaining the strips into 1¼-x½-inch pieces. There should be about 42 to 45 caramels.

Cut wax paper into 45, 4×2½-inch pieces. Place one caramel in the middle of the paper, roll up and then twist the ends to seal. Repeat with remaining caramels.

Serve and enjoy!