Soft Chewy Cream Caramels
Soft Chewy Cream Caramels are a bit time consuming, but will always get rave reviews! For holiday gifts or your own consumption, they are a spectacular homemade candy!
Soft Chewy Homemade Cream Caramels
If you’re a baker, you’ve probably come across a recipe that calls for a bag of store bought caramels. They are a fabulous shortcut to use in recipes like these Oatmeal Caramel Bars, but can never rival homemade cream caramels.
Despite being wrapped, they are anything but soft and chewy. Once you taste homemade cream caramels, you’ll never want to go back!
These cream caramels melt in your mouth while teasing your palate with their sweet vanilla essence. I’ve made a variety of caramels over the years.
Some use half and half, and others utilize cream or even evaporated milk. The sweeteners have ranged from white sugar to brown sugar, but all include some corn syrup which is needed to inhibit crystallization. I’m leaning towards declaring these as my favorites.
Tips for Making Homemade Caramels
I make both caramels and toffee for the holidays. From year to year, I subconsciously block out the tediousness of candy making.
- I’d estimate it took nearly an hour to get the liquid caramel mixture up to the proper temperature. You can’t walk away or you risk scorching your caramel.
- Don’t answer the phone, or you may end up tossing the mixture. I turn on the TV, stand and stir, while watching the candy thermometer very slowly approach the firm ball stage.
- Use a good quality candy thermometer for the best results.
- Boil until the candy reaches 247-248 degrees. If you like your caramel slightly firmer, let cook to 250 degrees.
- Use a heavy saucepan, not a cheap, flimsy pan for the more even heating.
- Remember that the boiling sugar mixture is extremely hot and can give you second degree burns if you’re not careful.
- Caramels freeze well. Make these in early December for the holidays. Wrap individually in rectangles of wax paper (they will take decent sized piece), then place in a freezer Ziploc bag and remove excess air. Pop in the freezer and pull out what you need at any time!
When all your friends rave, you’ll be glad you went the extra mile!
More Caramel Recipes You’ll Love:
- Caramel Apple Cupcakes from Mom on Timeout
- Microwave Caramel Sauce
- Salted Caramel Crunch Cookies from The Novice Chef
- Chocolate Caramel Twix Cheesecake
- Easy Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites from Crunchy, Creamy, Sweet
- Twix Cookies
You may need these supplies to make the soft chewy cream caramels recipe:
The Recipe: Soft Chewy Cream Caramels
Buttery homemade caramel candies that will outshine any grocery store version!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 pan with non-stick foil. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir in the sugar, cream and corn syrup. Mix and bring to a gentle boil and stir until the sugar is melted.
- Insert a candy thermometer and continue boiling over medium-low heat until the candy reaches 247-248 degrees. Stir occasionally. If you like your caramel slightly firmer, let cook to 250 degrees. This can take 45 minutes to an hour, so be patient.
- Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and stir to combine. Pour into prepared pan.
- Allow caramel to cool, then lift from the pan using the foil as a sling. Place on a cutting board and slice into 1-inch squares. Wrap in wax paper.
- These freeze well.
Notes
Be very cautious as the boiling caramel is extremely hot and can burn your skin.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
32Serving Size:
2 caramelsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 166Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 53mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 0gSugar: 17gProtein: 0g
I love this recipe! It has turned out amazing every time I use it! Thank you so much for sharing it!!
Thanks so much, Shannon! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your week!!
Hi can I substitute the corn syrup for liquid glucose or golden syrup?
From doing some quick research it looks like golden syrup (or even honey) should work. I haven’t tested it, so if you give it a try, please let me know! Happy holidays!!!
This recipe looks great, but could you be more persise in instructions. Do you stir constantly and what temperature do you use. Thank you.
Yes, I’ll edit the recipe with more details. I stir constantly at first while the sugar, butter, cream, etc. are melting together and when starting to boil. Once the mixture hits about 230 degrees, the stirring does not need to be continuous but still stir on occasion. The burner should be on medium-low heat or slightly higher (if needed) to keep the mixture boiling.
I made this recipe twice, and had the same disappointing results both times: very very oily after cutting them. They tasted good, looked pretty (until cut into squares), and had great texture and consistency…but both batches and about four hours of candy making were down the tubes. I’ve made caramels before, I was painstakingly meticulous (very careful of temperature changes, stirring, measuring et.)…I don’t know what went wrong☹️
Oh, how frustrating, Erin! Caramel is SO finicky. I just made a batch 2 days ago and it took an hour of cooking. I’ve had an oily film happen on rare occasions and just dabbed the caramels to soak up excess oil. Here are some reasons it can separate: http://candy.about.com/od/carameltoffee/f/separate_faq.htm
It lists separation as potentially being caused by:
– abrupt temperature shift
– not melting everything evenly at the start (medium/low heat)
– not constantly stirring if the recipe calls for it
– hot spots caused by too thin a bottom on your pan
– humidity