EASY soft caramels you can whip up in about 15 minutes. You don’t need a candy thermometer to make these caramels and they literally melt in your mouth!
Looking for more easy dessert recipes? I have you covered with my posts for Peanut Butter Fudge, No Bake Peanut Butter Bars, Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle, and 3 Ingredient Old Fashioned Potato Candy.
Why This Recipe Works
Old-fashioned flavor — People just LOVE my mom’s candy caramel recipe. Truly, it’s famous. And, while it’s delicious, it’s one of those recipes requires a candy thermometer, a giant pot, and a LOT of pot-stirring. As much as I adore those caramels, I tend to be a slightly less patient person than my mother and need something quick and easy that still delivers a big buttery caramel flavor. That’s where this recipe comes in. Big flavor, little work. I love it.
Easy — These homemade caramels seriously are so easy to make. They only require four ingredients (5 if you decide to go all-out and sprinkle on the sea salt) and you spend about 10 minutes stirring and keeping an eye on the stove pot.
No fancy gadgets — The best part is that NO fancy gadgets (namely, no candy thermometer) are needed. Do you have a saucepan, a can opener, and a spoon? Then you are good to go!
Delicious — Not only is this easy caramels recipe quick, but they are also soooooo melt-in-your-mouth yummy. BIG caramel flavor, with just a hint of sea salt (if you chose to add it). The hardest part is waiting for the caramel to cool before eating it!
Ingredients
- Butter — Melt the butter and mix in the sugar to start your base for this soft caramels recipe.
- Sugar — Use all-purpose, white sugar here for the best-tasting caramels.
- Light Corn Syrup — Make sure you use light corn syrup because this type of corn syrup keeps the sugar from crystalizing as it cooks, ensuring a rich, chewy texture.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk — This is the trick to easy caramels because the condensed milk easily caramelizes when put to heat and helps the caramels maintain smoothness and creaminess.
- Coarse Sea Salt & Vanilla — Optional flavors you can add to the caramels but not necessary!
Here’s How You Make It
- Combine the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir, stir, stir, till the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved into the melted butter. They’ve become one.
- Add the corn syrup and condensed milk to the butter/sugar mixture.
- Allow the candy syrup to boil then decrease the heat and let it simmer for about 7-10 minutes or so.
- Keep stirring till the caramels have reached a deep golden color.
- Pour the caramels into a foil-lined 8×8 inch pan and let them cool completely. (Here’s where you’ll sprinkle them with coarse sea salt if you choose.)
- When the candy has completely cooled, you can cut the caramels into squares and wrap them in wax paper.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- This recipe creates roughly 20-30 caramels (depending on how large you cut them).
- Store wrapped caramels in an airtight container at room temperature.
- For additional richness and flavor, stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla after removing the caramel from the heat and before pouring it into your prepared pan.
- Want to add a little salty zing to your caramel? Sprinkle coarse sea salt on top of them after you pour them into a pan to cool.
Once the caramels have cooled, you can cut them up and wrap in wax paper. I use wax paper because it will not stick to the caramels. Depending on what size you want to cut your candy you’ll want to cut squares or rectangles of wax paper the same shape as your caramels, and slightly larger (I give them about a half inch extra on each side).
Once you have all your wax paper cut, add a caramel to the center and roll the caramel up in it, then twist both ends tight to keep it secure.
Want to use your homemade caramel for more than just individual candies? You could:
– Make caramel apples by dipping and twirling apples into the caramel while it is still warm in the pot (put the apples on a stick or use a fork inserted into the top of the apples before dipping).
– Don’t want whole caramel apples? Slice apples up and put them in concentric rings on a plate and drizzle warm caramel over the top of them. Bonus: Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the warm caramel over the apples before it cools for an extra treat.
– Have an ice cream social and pour warm caramel over the top of ice cream sundaes.
– Dip pretzel sticks into the caramel and then roll in sprinkles or chocolate chips or crushed candy.
– Add caramel to brownie batter before or after baking.
– Add a little square of caramel into the middle of a chocolate chip cookie before baking.
Easy 4 Ingredient Soft Caramels (no candy thermometer required)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ sticks butter - (12 tablespoons)
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- optional: coarse sea salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla - (see note)
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan combine butter and sugar and stir over medium heat until melted. Stir in corn syrup and condensed milk.
- Bring to a boil and then decrease to simmer 7-10 minutes or until mixture achieves deep golden color, stirring constantly. (*For lower altitudes, simmer time may need to be reduced 2-3 minutes, watch carefully for coloring and read note!)
- Pour caramel into a foil-lined 8×8 inch pan and allow to cool completely. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt if desired.
- When completely cooled, cut into squares and wrap in wax paper.
Delicious! I only had 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup so I substituted some molasses. Any recommendations how to dip these in chocolate?
Just let them set and then dip them in your choice of chocolate and then let them set again 🙂
In step 2 which is correct…simmer over medum or low heat? In the “notes” it says low? Thanks so much!
Medium heat 🙂
Do you salted butter or sweet butter
Salted 🙂
Can you use unsalted butter?
I personally haven’t tried unsalted butter but another reader has with success! They did mention adding a bit of salt in the recipe but that’s up to you 🙂
Not even close to a real caramel. Nice try, but not good.
Tried to make it twice. The butter kept separating. It looks like a fantastic recipe. Kudos to all who got it to work.
Is it salted or unsalted butter?
Salted 🙂
I love this recipe so much… I’m not the type to make anything, let alone caramels that tend to be finicky and time consuming, but these are so simple even I could do it! They make for a fantastic last minute gift for birthdays or Christmas, and my family looks forward to them every year. Some have been hounding me for the recipe, but I claim it as my secret because I’m the only one in the family that knows how, and it’s kinda nice to have others looking forward to something only I can provide. A tip for those making them for the first time: stir them until the candy pulls away from the pot. Might be longer than 15 minutes, but it will save so much time and energy in the long run. Not cooking long enough makes them super gooey and won’t set up. (Those are my kid’s favorites though because we get to eat those 😉)
My batch neverd d id reach a deep, golden color, even after 15 minutes. The butter definitely separated, but I didn’t know how to fix it until I read about after making them. Not sure if they’re going to set up yet or not. Probably not a recipe I”d do again.
These all bring back memories of my grandmother, thank you
Oh that’s sweet <3 I'm so happy you enjoy them! 🙂
This is a great recipe! I am glad I read the comments first though to know to boil for 5 minutes , everyone I give them to loves them, I will be making this often.. Thanks so much!!
I LOVE this recipe!! So easy!! I had to let it cook a little longer but way shorter than any other recipe I saw AND it is delicious!! I will be adding these to my Christmas gifts this year for sure!!
I made your delicious caramel this morning…Easy as pie….When I added the sugar and condensed milk it looked like the butter was separating, so I took it off the heat and whisked it like crazy…All went well after that….I hate to tell you this,, I had more trouble wrapping it in wax paper…Thank goodness I finally got the hang of it…I will make them again….thank you for your recipe and all the details…💕
I have not made this recipe yet, but it sounds great. I’m also going to substitute maple 🍁 syrup for corn 🌽 syrup. I’ll see how that goes.