EASY 4 Ingredient 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
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
More Recipes for Caramel Lovers!
- Caramel Cookie Bars
- Salted Caramel Brownies
- Caramel Apple Dump Cake
- Salted Caramel Stuffed Double Chocolate Cookies
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
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.
Made these for A CHURCH BAKE SALE. oNE OF THE FIRST THINGS TO SELL – AND PEOPLE WERE CLAMORING FOR MORE! i DID FOLLOW THE EXTRA TIPS AT THE END OF THE RECIPE; i HAD TO WHISK THE BUTTER BACK INTO THE MIXTURE 2 TIMES WHILE COOKING. tHEY CAME OUT SO YUMMY!
Kristi, great idea for a bake sale! Glad that they turned out well for you and the sale!
Worked perfectly i waited until It all pulled away from the side of the pan cant wait to sliCe suoer cool and Drizzle on chocolate!
SOrry for the typo but update! i am cutting into squares if my family would quit stealing them
Do you know how this works with Splenda or any kind of sugar free product
I have not tried it with any sugar substitutes, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. Please let me know if you try it and how it goes. Thanks!
I used coconut sugar with these and they turned out really good.
just made this and made turtles to give at christmas- thank you fantastic flavor!!!
Made this tO use as a layer in soMe bar cookies. It was a little too much caramel so i poured tHe rest into a foil lined pan. The caramels set up great and taste delish but i cant get tham off the foil without mngling them. Is there a missing step with cooking spray or parchment or wax paper? Or did i not wait long enough? The cooled off but are still soft.
Wax paper is hard to come by, can they be wrapped in foil wraps or baking paper?
Definitely!
I’m anxious to try these – they probably wouldn’t survive mailing from Carmel, CA to Miami, FL for Christmas would they? Carmel is cool, but Miami?? Thanks for the recipe….i read almost all of the comments!
I think it would be easier for me to use my candy thermometer rather than have it not turn out. What temperature should it be when it’s done? Soft ball?
Thank you
Iused a candy thermometer since I am not a risk taker!! I stirred like crazy until 255° on my thermometer and they turned out awesome!
I made these tonight with our 10 & 11 year old daughters. They were the official “dip a spoonful into ice cold water” checkers I also switched up recipe because I didn’t have some things in our pantry. The sweetened condensed milk…made my own out of whole milk and sugar! It took us about 35 minutes of SLOW simmering to get them to perfect color and texture. Most definitely keeping this recipe tucked away!! Sugar coma here we come!!!
First time making candy and this was super easy and so good. People at my job and my hubby’s job loved them. My husband did too apparently because he are like 20! Thanks for the recipe!
And also, Wow! Everyone loves them! They say it’s the best caramels they have ever had!
You can not get dark golden brown. When do it’s to hard to eat. Are you sure dark golden brown? I do a light golden brown and it’s perfect.
Hey, could I use margarine in place of the butter?
I used coconut oil in place of butter. It was just harder to tell when they were done but they turned out great
Just finished making this caramel candy. Super easy , great results ! Thanks so much.
I have achieved 5 star results first time round! 😀 But I hasten to add that I’m convinced , had I not thoroughly read /studied all preceding comments, I might have also failed. I’m situated 320 km inland from the coast and had to continuously stir the mixture for 20 minutes before reaching the softball and “deep golden brown” stage. After cooling the slab was sprinkled with grounded Muldan Sea Salt before cutting the slab in precisely 64 squares (2.5 x 2.5 cm.)
For wrapping I have used foil and wax paper (10 x 10 cm) and wrapped the toffees as squares. Found the foil to be the better wrap of the two, although the wax paper also worked just fine.
This is one of the best recipes I’ve discovered as far as toffee is concerned, and tasted exactly like my favorite English Caramel Toffee. Thanks for sharing 🙂