Soft, Buttery Homemade Caramels
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.
Ingredients
- 4 cups sugar
- 2 sticks butter (1 cup)
- 2 cups white corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 12 oz. cans evaporated milk
Directions
- 1
Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- 2
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.)
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
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!