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.
I just tried this recipe to drizzle on Pawpaw eclairs and it worked perfectly! I poured the rest in a parchment lined pan and sprinkled with sea salt. My honey, who LOVES soft caramel candies said it was the best caramel he’s ever had.
Eclairs were a lot of work though, in the future, I’ll just make easy ice cream with the Pawpaws and easy caramels with this recipe! Thank you for sharing it!
That sounds super delicious, Barb!!
They set fine… but I cant get the caramel off of the foil to save my life.. I have it in the freezer currently to try to make it a little easier but other than that I’m at a loss
My first batch came out too soft, so I’m going to try again and cook it on a higher heat for longer.
I’m in Cape town, south africa, so altitude and humidity play a role.
I added a teaspoon of instant coffee – so they are absolutely delicious and I put them in the freezer to set – they are now “caramel pops” and fantastic for our hot summer days 🙂
Can you add pecan to the carmel after you cook it.
For sure!
If I were using this recipe to make turtles, do I wait until it cools, use while hot or can I store to use for later. Thanks
These caramels are pretty soft, you can probably get away with either way – using it while hot and fresh or after storing. I’d love to hear what you end up doing!
ICook Carmel to the temperature of 270
Remember to check humidity beFOre making caraMels. Humidity over 35% can cause them to not set up.
Help i cant get off the foil
Hi love tgis rexipe however can i cut the shapes into a round shape or can i mould Them into a round shape
Sure!
I tried using a mold and they came out really cute… At first.A couple hours later they were blobs- no details or shape survived. Might’ve been better if I’d cooked it longer, mine are pretty soft. They hold the square or rectangle pieces fine.
The taste was excellent.
But I had a pool of butter when it was done.
Thesevare delicious. I’ve got a question, though. In the first step, is it the butter melting, or the sugar?
I guess technically both? haha. The two combined melt together!
These are unbelievably good! I didn’t have corn syrup so I subbed agave 1-1 and they turned out perfect! The butter did separate after I took it off the heat and added the vanilla, but I whisked it like a madwoman and heated it again for a minute and it came back together just fine! As someone who has no experience with candy making, I can say this recipe is pretty foolproof–now I want to try adding different flavor extracts!
Great job, Ann!! Thank you for sharing your input about the agave. Way to whisk like a madwoman.. that’s too funny! 🙂
Hi. I was wondering if you cook them too long, can that be fixed by remelting and adding something to it?
I’ve made these Amazing treats several times now, but once in a while I mess them up lol.
Thank you for your recipe and help along the way.
(I’m unsure if this will be in all caps, I apologize if so)
Hi Zia- you can try melting it back down in a pan and adding heavy cream.
Thank you so much 😁
APPROXIMATELY how much heavy cream do you think it will take?
I’m not positive at this time! I haven’t had that issue and had to use that yet! Sorry
The word “approximately” wasn’t supposed to be in all caps. Oopsy
are there any substitutes you can use for the corn syrup and the condensed milk, like whole milk?
Hi David- I haven’t tried to substitute the corn syrup or condensed milk for this recipe!
it is storming here (pei, canada) and i could get out for storm treats😕 Just whipped up a batch of these and wow! Just wow, they are delicious!
Great job, Melinda! Good luck with your current weather- I hope it passes by quickly!