Homemade Caramels ~ An Easy and Favorite Holiday Candy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best thing to wrap homemade caramels in? ›

Most caramels will need a little time at room temperature in order to cut more easily. Cut in squares and wrap in waxed paper or parchment paper. Wrapped caramels can also be frozen.

If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough. Again place the caramel back into a sauce pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and heat to 244°F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can test with a cold water test.

Refrigerating homemade caramel can extend its shelf life to about a month, and freezing it can further prolong its usability up to a year. However, the texture may change slightly upon thawing.

Remove the caramel slab from the pan using the parchment overhang. Cut into pieces using a very sharp knife. Either wrap in wax paper and store in an airtight container in the fridge, or place into an airtight container with wax paper between the layers and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Alternatively, you can mix in water with cornstarch or flour to thicken the sauce. If you're using cornstarch, add 1 tablespoon each of water and cornstarch for every cup of caramel sauce.

Dry caramel is quicker to make than wet caramel, but it's also trickier: Without additional liquid, the sugar can caramelize very quickly, burning before you realize it.

In general the paper sold for home use is too light weight, the grain of the paper isn't made to withstand twisting (it tears), and the wax coating is too light to prevent the moisture from the candy from seaping into the paper and weakening it thus causing it to tear and stick.

Try milk instead.

If you don't want to make a special trip to the store, you can use whole milk with an extra tablespoon of butter in place of the heavy cream. It may not be quite as thick, but it will work in a pinch!

Caramel sauce should be stored in a heat-resistant, airtight container such as a jar or a glass microwave-safe bowl with a lid. 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.

Do hard caramels go bad? ›

* Caramel: When stored properly at room temperature and away from the heat and light, caramel candy can last six to nine months -- and even up to a year in some cases.

For these homemade caramels you want a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan. I recommend using a pan that does NOT have a nonstick coating. Heavy-bottomed simply means the pot or pan has a thicker base. It shouldn't be thin and tinny.

To wrap the caramels, either cut wax paper into 4x5 inch rectangles, or use candy wrappers.

Silicone spatula.

The caramel needs to be stirred often, so you need a heat-proof utensil to make this recipe. I suggest a high-heat silicone spatula.

Pouring caramel into an ungreased pan

Make life easier by lining your pan with parchment paper and coating it with a layer of baking spray to keep the candy from sticking.

After the caramels have set, use a sharp, buttered knife to cut it into squares. For gift giving, wrap each square into a piece of parchment paper, twisting the ends in opposite directions.

I dust mine lightly with rice flour before wrapping as that will prevent sticking for a time but if they are left for any extended period they will still stick. If you want to make sure they don't stick you can cut the Reynolds Release foil into squares and use that. It works great for sticky candy.