4 Ingredient Soft Caramels
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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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was really easy to make my only issue was that I’m not sure it tastes right, there is something more then a caramel to it. Not sure if it’s the butter I used or what. I also doubled the batch. But as soon as I got it poured up into pans it started setting up right away, no separation issues. It’s cooling in the fridge can’t wait to see how it comes out.
So we just tried this recipe and all of the butter didn’t incorporate is that normal?if not, how do I fix it?
Hi Kristall! Sometimes that happens when making homemade candy/caramel but with this recipe there’s an easy fix, if you see the butter separating from the rest of the ingredients just grab a whisk and whisk away like crazy, it’ll come back together no problem!
Thanks to whoever suggested the whisk, my soft Pampered Chef whisk worked wonderfully! Thanks for a great, easy recipe! The vanilla was a good suggestion and next time I’m going to try adding some good cocoa powder. I think this recipe would make a great center for truffles…..Christmas will be here soon!
Apparently at sea level and 80 degree weather it never sets up in fact about 10 minutes in it separates in the pan and the butter all float on top and even after 15 minutes you still don’t get the brown caramel color
Hi Marie, when that separation starts happening just grab a whisk and whip it like crazy, it comes back together!
This recipe was awesome; I had to stir a lot longer than 10 minutes more like 20 minutes it was thick. The only problem I have now is, I cooled them for about 5 hours and they are still too soft, not extremely soft but just too soft to wrap. Would it be okay if I chilled them in the fridge? Thank you
HI! So sorry for the delayed response – but yes you can chill them in the fridge if you want to!
I LOVE this recipe!!!! Homeade caramel is my favorite and I haven’t had it since my grandma passed away. I saw this recipe and although I am a terrible cook I had to try it because it looked so simple. …And it was! If you follow the directions precisely, and wait for the candy to start pulling away from the pan (I had to cook mine longer here in AZ) it worked perfectly! This recipe has taken me back to grade school heaven. Thank you so much for a recipe that even those of us who only “cook on a whim” can successfully complete!
Aw Tisha your comment makes me so so happy! I’m sorry to hear about your grandmother passing but it makes me overjoyed to hear that this recipe can bring back a little bit of her for you. So glad the recipe went well for you, it’s my go-to caramel and love it so much!! Congrats on conquering the magic of caramel!! 🙂 🙂
Hi,
I live in Australia and we don’t have sticks of butter here. Could you please let me know how many grams of butter i need.
Thanks so much.
Gabby
Hey Gabby, one stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, 4 ounces, or 113 grams.
I made these this evening, and they turned out fantastic.
Variables: Warm Spring weather, but not overly dry or humid, made sure to wait until the mixture was a dark golden color and pulled from the sides, used a plain old spatula (my whisks were in the dishwasher), and the sweetened condensed milk was very thick not watery.
No puddle of butter or mixing issues, this was a quick way to make some awesome homemade caramel. Mine did “sweat” a little while cooling, and to be honest, I didn’t even wait a full hour, hehe. It was a little tough to peel off of the foil, but I was using cheap dollar store foil and most things stick to it anyway. I just wanted to share my experience, and have to say for my first time making any sort of candy I am so glad you posted this recipe. Totally made my day 🙂
I have a few questions. As I made my first batch of caramels, the color turned a light golden, is that what we want? Or do we want a deeper shade? And when I poured my caramel, it seemed to be separated by a ton of oil, could that be from over-mixing, over-cooking, or is it normal? I’ll see if it starts to smooth, but I want to make sure my next batch is perfect.
Hi Sydney,
You can keep your caramel from separating by whisking vigorously until you pour it. After your caramel cools, check out the texture and see if it is a soft, smooth caramel. If not, you probably didn’t cook it quite long enough. It should be a deep golden color, not too light (but not burned either!)
Sorry for sending a second post but I forgot to ask another question. I will put both questions in this so please go ahead and delete my first comment.
In regards to substitutions, what would your opinions be for swapping out:
1) canned condensed coconut milk (using just the thick part) for the sweetened condensed milk
and
2) Extra Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil instead of butter?
I know it will change up the flavor a bit, which I am fine with. But I am not a candy maker and don’t know changing one or two of the ingredients will affect the end result in texture.
Thanks!
Hi Sandra, I really couldn’t say how those ingredient changes would react in candy making – I’ve only made this recipe as written and it always works great for me! I wish I could be of more help but I think the only real way to find out for sure is to give it a try!
Coconut oil works great and adds a nice flavor.