Easy Salted Chewy Caramels Recipe – Must Love Home (2024)

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Salted Chewy Caramels are easy to make little bites of sweet vanilla comfort. Buttery and soft – great for wrapping individually or using in recipes!

If you have been looking for an easy salted chewy caramel recipe, you have found it here. These are little pieces of buttery soft, chewy candy that will melt in your mouth. You can eat them right away or wrap each piece individually in wax paper for enjoy later. They are also great for holiday gift-giving. Pack them into a tin or mason jar and tie with a bow.

I have been making these for years, but this is the first time I have salted the tops. Now, I’m totally hooked. The combination of biting into a sweet caramel, then feeling the scrape of the salt is pure magic. Don’t worry, the salt does not overpower or make the candy “salty”. It just adds another layer to flavor for your taste buds to sort out.

How To Make Salted Chewy Caramels

Making salted chewy caramels at home can seem complicated, but it is all in the recipe. Some recipes call for granulated white sugar and cream, which can lead to the sugar crystallizing and the cream burning or boiling over. This recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk, so the sugar and milk have already been processed together perfectly so you don’t have to. And the brown sugar makes the caramels extra rich and chewy. Who can argue with that?

Ingredients Needed To Make These Caramels

  • Butter – we used unsalted butter for this recipe. If using salted butter, omit the pinch of table salt from the recipe.
  • Brown Sugar – light or dark are both fine. The color may be a little different depending on which yo use.
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT Evaporated Milk) – Sweetened Condensed Milk has SUGAR added…and is rich and thick, unlike evaporated milk which is simply milk that has the amount of natural water reduced. Can be tricky because they are usually found right next to each other in the grocery aisle.
  • Corn Syrup
  • Vanilla Extract

To start, put all of the ingredients except the vanilla and sea salt into a medium-sized saucepan. I like to use a heavy pot with a thick bottom to stabilize the pot while stirring and provide even heat.

Bring the caramel mixture to a temperature of 234 -240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. The caramel is done at the soft-ball stage.

WHAT IS THE SOFT BALL STAGE?

When making caramels, fudge and pralines, the mixture is done when it reaches the Soft Ball Stage. This is when the sugar mixture dropped into cold water will form asoft, flexibleball. If you remove theballfrom the water, it will flatten like a pancake after a few moments in your hand.

How To Store Homemade Caramels

If I am not going to wrap the pieces individually, I cut the pieces a little larger to make them easier to handle. Anyway, that is the excuse I use. Regardless of how you cut them, store the caramels in a tightly covered container or zip lock bag. If not wrapped individually, put pieces of wax paper between the layers to keep them from sticking together. Store in the pantry for 2 weeks, refrigerator for a month or freezer for up to 3 months.

Easy Salted Chewy Caramels Recipe – Must Love Home (5)

Salted Chewy Caramels

Salted Chewy Caramels are easy to make little bites of sweet vanilla comfort. Buttery and soft – great for wrapping individually or using in recipes!

3.77 from 13 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time :5 minutes minutes

Cook Time :20 minutes minutes

Total Time :25 minutes minutes

Servings :24

Calories :240

Course :Dessert

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter 2 sticks
  • 2-1/4 cups brown sugar
  • 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch table salt
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  • Grease a 9 x 7 or similar size pan. Line with parchment, then grease again, to easily remove the cooled caramel. Leave an overhang of paper on the side to act as handles.

  • Add all of the ingredients except the vanilla and sea salt to a medium heavy saucepan.

  • Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until a candy thermometer reaches 234 -240°F. This will take about 10 – 15 minutes. Large bubbles will form at the edges of the pot. Cook, still stirring constantly for 2 minutes at 234 -240°F.

  • Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the vanilla.

  • Pour into the prepared pan and allow to cool and firm up. Sprinkle with sea salt. Cut into bite size pieces and wrap in wax paper.

Chef Tips

Chilling the caramel will make it easier to cut. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, remove the caramel using parchment handles. Use a sharp knife to cut into pieces.

If using this caramel for another recipe, omit the final sea salt step.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts

Salted Chewy Caramels

Serving Size

1 piece

Amount per Serving

Calories

240

% Daily Value*

Fat

9.14

g

14

%

Saturated Fat

5.77

g

36

%

Cholesterol

25.96

mg

9

%

Sodium

200.04

mg

9

%

Carbohydrates

40.18

g

13

%

Sugar

39.95

g

44

%

Protein

1.41

g

3

%

Vitamin A

280.52

IU

6

%

Vitamin C

0.43

mg

1

%

Calcium

68.2

mg

7

%

Iron

0.18

mg

1

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

© Copyright Christine Mello for Must Love Home. We would love for you to share a link to this recipe but please do not copy/paste the recipe instructions to websites or social media. We are happy for you to share a photo with a link back to this website instead.

One Comment

  1. Easy Salted Chewy Caramels Recipe – Must Love Home (7)

    denmom

    at

    Easy Salted Chewy Caramels Recipe – Must Love Home (8)
    Who can resist salted caramels. It’s my favorite recipe!

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Easy Salted Chewy Caramels Recipe – Must Love Home (9)

Easy Salted Chewy Caramels Recipe – Must Love Home (10)

I’m Christine, and I’m glad you’re here! Must Love Home is a food blog where you’ll find easy, family recipes with lots of flavor that even the beginner home cook can make. All are simple and most call for less than 10 ingredients Learn more…

Easy Salted Chewy Caramels Recipe – Must Love Home (2024)

FAQs

What is chewy caramel made of? ›

Combine butter, brown sugar, condensed milk, corn syrup, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Why is my homemade caramel hard? ›

If caramels are too hard, you can try placing them back in a saucepan, adding a couple tablespoons of water and stirring until the thermometer reads 242°F. Pour back into a prepared buttered pan. If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough.

How long do homemade caramels last? ›

The shelf life of caramel varies depending on several factors, including its ingredients, how it's stored, and whether it's homemade or commercially produced. Homemade caramel typically lasts about 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

How to get caramel to harden? ›

Cool: Pour caramels into prepared pan then refrigerate until cooled and hardened. (Best if you refrigerate them overnight, or for several hours.

What are the three types of caramel? ›

Caramel can be produced in so many forms such as, sauce, a chewy candy, or a hard candy because of how much of an ingredient is added and the temperature it is being prepared at.

What's the difference between salted caramel and caramel? ›

The primary difference between salted caramel and normal (or unsalted) caramel lies in salt in the former, which significantly impacts both the flavour profile and the overall taste experience.

Should you stir sugar when making caramel? ›

Like dry caramel, you want to gently move the sugar mixture in that same side-to-side paintbrush-like fashion until the sugar dissolves. Then, as soon as the mixture comes to a boil, it should not be stirred, as the agitation can cause crystallization.

Which method is quickest in caramel making? ›

For the "dry" caramel method, you simply heat the sugar in an empty pan until melted and caramelized. It's quick and direct, but the risk is that some parts of the sugar melt faster than others, and can burn before the rest had made it even to light amber.

What thickens caramel? ›

To thicken a caramel sauce, use one tablespoon of cornstarch or tapioca starch (sometimes known as tapioca flour) and one tablespoon of water per cup of caramel. Then simmer the caramel, stirring it constantly with a wooden spoon until it becomes thick.

Does homemade salted caramel go bad? ›

Caramel sauce isn't necessarily dangerous if it's been kept for a few days too long, but it certainly won't taste as nice. The absolute exception to that rule is the presence of mold. If you notice mold, toss the sauce immediately. Before you reheat your sauce, be sure to check it for signs that it might have spoiled.

Can you leave homemade caramel out overnight? ›

This sweet sauce can be left out at room temperature for a few days, but because of the dairy incorporated into the sauce, it's best kept refrigerated. Plus, popping it in the fridge will keep your caramel sauce fresher for longer.

Why is my caramel chewy? ›

The softness comes from the ratios of ingredients - condensed milk and butter help to soften the mix to give perfectly chewy, delicious caramels. The ingredients list for these caramels is super simple, and likely things that you already have at home: Butter.

What makes caramel soft vs hard? ›

Heat until the syrup reaches 240 to 245 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower the temperature, the softer the resulting caramels will be.

Why is my homemade caramel sticky? ›

Too much humidity – An overly humid environment can make caramel sticky and create a less than desirable layer of scum on its surface. Too avoid exposure to excessive humidity, pack and store cooked caramel away from steam kettles and in an area with a relative humidity of 40-50%.

Is chewy toffee the same as caramel? ›

As to the dividing line — toffee is cooked at higher temperatures to give it the characteristic crunchy or hard chewy texture. Caramel, on the other hand, is allowed to retain more of its moisture and can be kept at the consistency of a viscous sauce or thickened into a softer, chewy candy.

What are the two types of caramel? ›

Dry caramel uses just sugar, while wet caramel features water in the manufacturing process. To make caramel, you'll need to heat the sugar to around 170 degrees Celsius. This temperature is the point at which its molecules break down and form new compounds.

Will chewy caramels melt? ›

Absolutely! Werther's Original Soft Crème and Chewy Caramels are ideal for baking. You can also use Soft Éclair Caramels for that caramel chocolate flavour profile. Just melt on medium low heat, add a little milk or cream until you get the consistency you want.

What is real caramel made of? ›

The main ingredient in caramel is sugar. However, depending on the recipe you use, you may have to incorporate butter, heavy cream, water, or corn syrup as additional ingredients. High-quality, real caramel is always made with three basic ingredients and those are sugar, heavy cream, and butter.

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