My buttery salted caramels recipe is easier than you think. These turn out perfectly soft, chewy, and taste incredible.
With just a few simple ingredients our clear, step-by-step instructions, you’ll be gifting (and enjoying) these soft, melt-in-your-mouth caramels in no time.
We first shared this recipe years ago, and it’s become a favorite for thousands of home cooks. If you’ve never made caramels before, don’t worry. I’ve included all my tips below! If you love chocolate, we use this recipe to make chocolate covered caramels, or for a drizzly sauce, our homemade caramel sauce recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Sugar: Plain granulated sugar works best for this recipe. It melts evenly, giving the caramels a smooth, consistent texture.
- Light Corn Syrup: I don’t use corn syrup often, but it is key for getting the best, most consistent results. It helps prevent the sugar from crystallizing, so the caramels turn out soft and smooth. While I find corn syrup more reliable, I have successfully used pure honey or golden syrup in this recipe.
- Butter: I use salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of fine salt to the butter and cream mixture.
- Heavy Cream: To make soft, melt-in-your-mouth caramels, use cream with a higher fat percentage. In the U.S., look for heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (at least 35% butterfat). For our friends in the UK and Australia, use double cream or thickened cream with at least 35% fat.
- Salt: To turn these into salted caramels, sprinkle a flaky or grey sea salt over the top as they cool.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
Recommended Equipment
- Candy Thermometer: I highly recommend using a candy thermometer. You will need to cook the sugar mixture to two separate temperatures, and while you can use color cues, for the best results and texture, I always use a thermometer.
- Saucepan: You need a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan (thinner pots can scorch the mixture, leading to uneven cooking). For this small-batch recipe, I love my 2-quart All-Clad saucepan.
- Loaf Pan: For forming and cooling, I pour the cooked caramel into a 9×5-inch loaf pan to cool before cutting.
How to Make Homemade Caramels
Tip 1: Get prepared before you start. This recipe moves quickly, so set yourself up for success. Read through the recipe first, then gather and measure all your ingredients. Having everything ready makes a huge difference once the sugar starts cooking.
Tip 2: Melt the butter and cream together. Combine the butter and cream in a small pot (or microwave-safe bowl) and heat until the butter melts. Set aside until needed. If you want to add flavor or spices, like vanilla beans, lavender, espresso powder, or even pumpkin pie spice, add them now so they steep in the warm mixture.
Tip 3: Prevent crystallization early on. Add the sugar, corn syrup, and a splash of water to another saucepan and heat over medium until boiling. Once boiling, cover the pan with a lid for one minute. The lid generates steam inside the pot, which melts any sugar crystals on the sides, helping you avoid grainy caramels later.
Tip 4: Cook to the right temperature. Uncover the pot and continue cooking until the candy thermometer reads 320°F. This gives your caramels a rich, deep flavor and beautiful color.
Tip 5: Carefully add the cream mixture. Slowly pour in the warm butter-and-cream mixture in batches, and be prepared for some intense bubbling! The temperature will drop when you add this mixture. Continue cooking until the thermometer reads 240°F, which is the sweet spot for a soft and chewy texture.
Tip 6: Finish with salt. Pour the caramel into a lined loaf pan and let it start to cool. After about 20 minutes, sprinkle flaked or grey sea salt over the top. Let this cool completely (a few hours) before cutting into pieces.
Tip 7: Make cleanup easy. To clean your pot and thermometer, fill the pan with water and bring it to a boil. The heat will melt away any caramelized sugar stuck-on to the side of the pan, and you can place the thermometer in the boiling water, too. So much easier than scrubbing!
More Candy Recipes
- Homemade Chocolate Truffles
- Nutella Truffles
- Dark Chocolate Bark
- Chocolate Covered Caramels
- Candied Pecans
Homemade Salted Caramels
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
These buttery salted caramels are soft, chewy, and melt in your mouth. Before making our recipe, gather the equipment and measure the ingredients. A candy thermometer is essential for this recipe’s success.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
8 tablespoons salted butter, see tips for unsalted (113g)
½ cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, at least 35% butterfat (120ml)
3 tablespoons water (44ml)
¼ cup light corn syrup (60ml)
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
½ teaspoon flaked sea salt, like Maldon
Directions
1Prepare pan: Lightly oil a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside the pan with at least an inch overhang on the sides. Lightly oil the parchment paper, place it in the pan, and set it aside.
2Heat butter and cream: Cut the butter into 8 pieces, then add it to a microwave-safe bowl. Add the heavy cream. Heat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until the butter melts and the mixture is hot. Set this aside for later use.
3Make sugar syrup: In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the water and corn syrup. When you add the sugar, be careful not to splatter it up the sides of the pan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook until the sugar boils. Cover with a lid for 1 minute to create steam, which helps any sugar stuck to the sides melt back into the mixture.
4Cook to 320°F: Remove the lid and attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Cook the sugar until it reaches 320°F (160°C) and turns an amber color around the edges, 5 to 10 minutes.
5Add butter and cream: Carefully and slowly pour about a sixth of the butter and cream mixture into the sugar, stirring with the base of the thermometer to incorporate it. Repeat with the remaining cream and butter, adding it in small batches and stirring between each addition. The mixture will bubble vigorously, so proceed cautiously to prevent it from overflowing.
6Cook to 240°F: After adding the butter and cream, the temperature will drop. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches 240°F (115°C), 5 to 10 minutes.
7Cool: Once the temperature reaches 240°F (115°C), carefully pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Let it cool for 20 minutes, then sprinkle with the salt. Allow to cool completely (about 3 ½ hours).
8Cut into caramels: Unmold the cooled caramel. If it’s too soft to handle, refrigerate it for 30 to 45 minutes to firm up. Use a large, sharp knife to cut into your desired shape. We like 1-inch by 1/2-inch rectangles.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Wrap the caramels individually in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Enjoy them immediately, refrigerate them for up to two weeks, or freeze them for up to a month.
- Equipment I use: I use a standard candy thermometer (a Taylor thermometer is shown in the video and photos) and a 1 ½ to 2-quart heavy, thick-bottomed saucepan (I love my All-Clad D5 2-quart).
- Corn syrup substitutes: Corn syrup is reliable in this recipe. However, we have had success substituting with pure honey and golden syrup.
- Salted butter: After years of making these, I prefer salted butter. If you have unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of fine salt. You can also use unsalted butter, which we use in the video.
- Make them softer: This recipe already makes soft and chewy caramels, but for a softer result, experiment by adding 2 to 4 more tablespoons of cream.
- Make them firmer: For slightly firmer caramels, after adding the butter and cream, instead of cooking to 240°F (115°C), cook to 245°F (118°C).
- Doubling the recipe: I generally don’t recommend doubling this recipe. Doubling can make it difficult to control the temperature accurately, which is crucial for achieving the right texture and consistency in caramel. If you need a larger quantity, it’s best to make multiple batches. However, if you’re experienced with candy-making and have a large enough pot, you can try doubling the recipe. Just be extra vigilant about monitoring the temperature and adjusting cooking times.
- This recipe has been inspired and adapted from Jacques Pépin’s book, “Chez Jacques: Traditions and Rituals of a Cook.”
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I made these to give out for Christmas to family and friends, it was my first time making caramels. I followed your directions and tips to a T…and they came out PERFECTLY!!! The only thing I will warn others and I would have loved to have this tip: it takes a LOOONNG time to wrap all those beautiful and delicious pieces of caramel. Thank you for this recipe and tips and techniques. FYI, it took me about 2 hours to cut the wax paper and wrap these gems.
I’ve made these sweets several times and they never fail to impress. Its that time id year again…..can I double up and make two batches in one pan? I cover 50/50 dark and milk chocolate. They are absolutely divine
I’ve made this recipe before and it’s just perfect and so easy. Today I made it and poured it into molds and then wrapped in clear wrappers. Yum! Presentation is everything. Oh I also used a little lemon and vanilla extract.
Love that you added the lemon and vanilla. I bet they taste incredible!
Honestly, the lemon was brief, it smelled heavenly when I added it, but didn’t last. The vanilla adds the perfect touch. I’d love to add raspberry, but am wondering if it would do the same as the lemon. I’m making several batches for a bake sale and really need to double the recipe….have you done that? I mean is it really difficult to monitor the temp by doing so??
Hi Becky, Raspberry sounds so fun. If you try it, go with a small amount of raspberry extract so the flavor sticks around. As for doubling, we usually don’t recommend it since it can be tricky to control the temperature evenly and the mixture can bubble up quite a bit. If you do give it a try, make sure to use a larger 2-quart, heavy-bottomed pan and keep a close eye on the temperature.
Just made these, super duper easy! Set up well, sliced and packaged well. I’ll be making about a million of these!!
Recipe sounds awesome.I hope to try it this next week for treats for my clients. Can you tell me if I want chopped walnuts in this When would I add those?? Thx!
Hi Susan, I’d add them right at the end (off the heat) before pouring into the pan.
I am in high altitude, do I need to adjust cooking temperature?
Yes, always check your thermometer before starting. Boil some water and see what temperature it reads. Water boils at 212°F at sea level, but drops about 1°F for every 500 feet above sea level. Then, adjust the target caramel temperatures in our recipe by that difference. Hope that helps!
Hello! After I cut and individually wrap the caramels in wax paper, could they just sit out in a candy jar? Would they be safe at room temperature?
Thank you!
I’ve been making caramels for quite a few years…the lid trick and waiting to add the cream and butter make this a reliably great recipe. Thank you!
Amazing recipe! Everyone I know begs me to make more. HOWEVER, my advice to fellow experimenters out there is, DON’T try maple syrup as a corn syrup alternate, it’s not listed for a reason! I made it the other day, and it came out TASTING delicious, but the sugar in the maple syrup seems to work differently on a chemical level, and the final result is gritty like sand and more like a sticky brown sugar. Overall, I absolutely recommend, I find myself making this recipe more than I’d like to admit! Thank you so much for such great caramels 🙂
Hi Adam and Joanne, I have made your caramels twice now covered in melted chocolate and topped with toasted pecan, they are delicious. I subbed the corn syrup and white sugar for raw honey and raw sugar and added vanilla to the cream mix, both times came out perfectly with your detailed instructions. Question, can I add more cream or butter or drop the sugar amount as I’m not a massive sweet tooth and these would be so perfect for me if they were less sweet and more buttery (though they are perfect as is, just personal preference)? I am not sure if adjusting the amounts would result in a major failure. Thanks so much.
Loved this easy to follow recipe video. Wonderful instruction, thank you!
Oh goodness, I forgot heavy cream at the store. Is there any chance that half n half will work?
Hi Kelley, Unfortunately, you need the fat in the cream for this recipe to work out.
can you dip apples in these and use for caramel apples?
Hi Donna, Great question, but I’ll be honest, I’ve never tried! If you do, I’d love to hear how they turn out.
Wondering if adding the sugar to the saucepan first, then adding the combined water& corn syrup would help eliminate any crystallization?
It’s up to you, but the lid trick will prevent it.
Amazing recipe! It was quick and easy. I added crushed candy canes on top instead of salt.
OMG! The best caramel recipe ever! I made them exactly as the recipe says to. Perfect texture. An exposion of smooth buttery sweetness in your mouth.
Hi Nancy, We are so happy you enjoyed them!