Soft Caramel Candy
Need a holiday treat to share with friends and neighbors? Try this Soft Caramel Candy recipe then sit back and wait for the rave reviews!
Making Caramel Candy takes a bit of finesse, but it’s worth the effort. A Homemade Caramel Recipe is a million times better than anything you’d find bagged on a grocery store shelf. I promise!
Why You Must Make Vanilla Caramel Candy
- Everyone will be impressed when you let them know you made caramels from scratch.
- Once you mastered making caramels, you’ll make them again and again.
- They’re the perfect homemade holiday gift. Everyone shares cookies and fudge, but homemade caramels definitely stand out as something special.
My family knows I’m a sucker for caramel desserts and straight-up caramels are just as irresistible! These are a little softer than other recipes I have shared…and were perfect for filling my boozy holiday truffles. But these Soft Vanilla Caramels are terrific as a sweet nibble on your holiday buffet, too.
Tips for Making Soft Homemade Caramels
- PRO-Tip: Pick up a reliable candy thermometer and you, too, can make homemade Soft Vanilla Caramels. These caramels make a wonderful holiday gift. It takes a little time to boil the sugar and half-and-half mixture up to temperature, but it’s not complicated.
- PRO-Tip: Candy-making can be tricky. Use a heavy saucepan for this recipe as it will keep the temperature of the caramel mixture stable. Make sure not to make drastic changes to the heat of the burner as this may cause the caramel to split. Slow and steady is best!
- Just keep in mind that the molten bubbling mixture is dangerously hot. You may want to have a bowl of ice water nearby in case some of the hot syrup accidentally drips on your skin.
- PRO-Tip: The addition of corn syrup helps prevent recrystallization of the sugar, so it’s a crucial ingredient in this recipe. I don’t mind using it once or twice a year for special recipes.
- Bonus: These Soft Vanilla Caramels keep forever in the freezer, so this is one treat you can make well ahead of the holidays. A double bonus!!
You May Also Like:
- Salted Caramel Cheesecake Dip from Wonkywonderful
- Chocolate Chip Caramel Butter Bars
- Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
- Caramel Baked Brie
- Plus More of the Best Holiday Recipes
Soft Caramel Candy
Soft, vanilla-infused caramels that are perfect for gifting! Plus, they're so much better than any caramels you can buy in a grocery store!!!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon rum
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with nonstick foil and set aside.
- Combine all ingredients except vanilla and rum in a heavy sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, till it begins to boil.
- Put candy thermometer into boiling mixture and continue to cook, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn, till the temperature reaches 244º.
- Immediately add vanilla and rum, stir till combined and pour into prepared pan.
- Let cool completely. Cut into small squares or rectangles. Wrap in waxed paper.
- Store in refrigerator. Freezes well.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
36Serving Size:
1 caramelAmount Per Serving: Calories: 76Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 28mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 0g
Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.
44 Comments on “Soft Caramel Candy”
I love how perfectly chewy these caramels are! A great sweet treat and perfect for gifting!
Yum! This recipe has come in handy for the holidays! I can’t wait to make these for Christmas!
I look forward to making these caramels every Christmas! They are a tradition now!
Made these but I omitted the rum, and added 2tsp of vanilla, I also added a can of evaporated milk cooked on very low heat stirring constantly, cooked until Tandy thermometer read 245f and removed from heat, now I’m just waiting for them to cool
Hope they work for you, Fortune!!! Vanilla caramels are my favorite!
Each year I have to maket hose festive funfetti cupcakes, with the red and green sprinkles inside! It takes me back to my childhood.
What gorgeous caramels, they wouldn’t last a second here 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I’ve never made caramels before. These look great! I just tried homemade peanut butter cups for our neighbors this year, so now I am hooked on making candy! Thanks for such a great recipe–and giveaway!
What a great prize! I love the jars. That group of gifts will really make someone’s Christmas. I also love soft caramels but it’s a very long time since I made any. I love how you wrapped them in wax paper – they look like little bonbons xx
Clever recipe! Have a happy Christmas and a happy New Year! 🙂
Love homemade soft caramels! Yours looks really perfect, Liz.
I love soft caramels and have always wanted to try making them. Yours look perfect 🙂 Love that you added rum in here too! These are perfect tasty gifts for the holidays!
Christmas cookies of any kind are my favorite baking. Unless maybe it’s gingerbread or cinnamon rolls.
I absolutely love to make chocolate covered cherries….its kind of my signature recipe – you know it is Christmas Time when you start seeing these leaving my kitchen.
Cookies – cookies and more cookies!
ooh…I bet these taste like my favorite butter rum lifesavers. Must try! 🙂
My favorite thing to bake for the holidays is anything containing pumpkin. Pumpkin pies definitely, pumpkin pancakes, baked oats, smoothies, fudge, hummus, pasta sauce, pumpkin syrup and butter, muffins, scones…that’s probably more than enough to show my slight addiction to baking all things pumpkin (or kabocha squash-it gets points for having an edible flesh, which makes baking go a lot faster! Happy Holidays!
pumpkin soup to die for
My favorite thing to bake for the holidays is anything with pumpkin! I love baking pumpkin pies, oatmeal, smoothies, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin hummus, pumpkin butter, bars, muffins…I could go on. but I’m sure I’ve made my pumpkin addiction pretty clear! Happy Holidays!
My favorite thing to bake for the holidays is sugar cookies.
hi, i love making many different breakfast breads & cookies, thanks for such a great giveaway
This recipe looks wonderful. I hope to make it before Christmas.
Please please please count me in on one of the most delicious, lovely giftable desserts I’ve seen this month! 😉
I love caramels and never skip baking cookies during the holidays
Chocolate Truffle Cake is always a holiday baking favorite. This giveaway it great also!
I love making baked brie!
definitely cookies!
Great little soft caramels with vanilla notes. I have made sauce but never a caramel candy, very tempting. Great tip too on the corn syrup.
I like the addition of rum, bet it adds great flavor:@)
Love this recipe! Now if I can get over my candy thermometer fear, I might make these! I also have a math fear because i always have to adjust for Denver’s altitude. And then I have a fear that I’m not really reading the thermometer correctly, because of my bad eyes. I really should conquer these!
I’m fresh out of caramels and dying to make a fresh batch, these look wonderful!
Woow Liz, I was just about to ask you in your previous version of Caramel if you have another preferred recipe because I’ve noticed this in the comments. This is just what I was looking for :). Happy holidays dear.
Caramels scare me but really I just to get a thermometer. I really hope my mom is baking up a storm for me when I come home for the holidays.
There is nothing better than homemade caramels! 😀 😀 😀
What a fabulous idea, Lizzy 🙂
Hmmm let’s see my favorite thing to bake for the holidays would probably be cookies. We bake them for everyone in our family as gifts, and for our neighbors and friends. It’s just a great time of year ^_^
xo
Who doesn’t like caramels? Love the texture and the deep flavor. And homemade are definitely the best. These look wonderful! Thanks, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
Soft caramels are the way to go. I see chewing on these all day and love the vanilla flavor with the extra rum boost.
Your vanilla caramels sound so good and with a touch of rum in them – WOW I bet that puts them right over the top. I’ll be sure to try these out during the holidays. I’m sure they will go fast!
oooooh I love these vanilla caramels! I’d love to receive them as a gift, that’s for sure!
Your caramels look wonderful – love how you wrapped them and how you photographed them – beautiful! These sound irresistible – especially with the rum addition.
I’m not much of a sweet eater but I do have a weakness for caramel, Liz. Especially when you add a little booze. Rum makes everything better!
Look absolutely delicious Lizzy!
I would to make these candies for my mama . She loves this type of candies!
xo
Love making gingerbread houses.
Liz, love these caramels!!! I so need a candy thermometer!!! my fave thing to bake over the holidays are cookies!!! gingersnaps!!
Liz, These sound great! I like the idea of boozing the caramels up a bit. Now you have me wanting to make yet one more attempt at making caramels. Usually, I end up with sauce 🙁