Homemade Caramel
Homemade Caramel is a family Christmas tradition. It is smooth, buttery, sweet, and has a delicious vanilla flavor. It is fun to use for other holidays, too. I love to give this caramel as gifts for Mother’s Day or birthdays.
Welcome to our family recipe blog-we are all about family and friends (and food 😊)-nurturing these relationships is so important. Our family has made candy making a family tradition. Every year, we get together to make our Christmas candy. The old favorites are always included and we like to try new ones all the time. It’s a lot of fun for us all. Here are a few other recipe links we think you will enjoy: The Best Caramel Corn Ever!, Creamy Steak Enchiladas and Philly Cheesesteak Ring.
Ingredients Needed for Homemade Caramel:
Sugar
Butter-cold but not frozen
Karo Corn Syrup
Half and Half
Vanilla
How to Make Homemade Caramel:
Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish well, with butter (or cooking spray). I just rub the leftover butter that is on the butter wrappers, along with a little extra butter from another square of butter, if needed onto my baking dish. Set this dish aside.
When making candy, do not use butter that has been frozen.
In a heavy-bottom pan, begin cooking the sugar, butter, Karo corn syrup, and the half and half. Use your candy thermometer the whole time.
Bring ingredients to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about five minutes. You want to scrape your wooden spoon along the bottom of the pan but do not scrape the sides of the pan. The sugar will crystalize there and we do not want to mix that into our caramel. Watch your candy thermometer. It needs to get to 210 degrees.
Then, turn heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring at all times.
(This is a great recipe to have someone helping you-sometimes your arm can get tired waiting for the temperature to increase. It’s also helpful to have someone hold the pan while you get the caramel out of the pan when pouring into the greased 9 x 13 baking dish)
When your thermometer reaches the soft ball stage-234-240 degrees, Quickly remove the pan from the heat. (234 will be a softer, sticky caramel and 240 will be more firm-I like mine softer so I remove mine around 235)
Stir in the vanilla.
Pour caramel into the greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
Allow time for caramel to cool completely.
Then, cut caramel into desired sized pieces and wrap in cellophane candy wrappers or waxed paper will work, as well.
Cook’s Notes:
If your caramel is too sticky to cut, put the caramel into the refrigerator to chill and then try cutting it again. Candy making can be tricky. Practice makes perfect. I have become better at this over the years-made candy with my mom every year-that’s a lot of practice.
Now that I have made caramel so many times, I use a cup of cool water to test the done-ness. If you test too early, the caramel will kind of disappear in the water. It needs to form a firm ball when you press it between your fingers in the cool water. If it forms crisp threads, too done-you made toffee. The color of the caramel when finished should be just about the color of a brown paper lunch sack.
It’s best to use a candy thermometer until you have made it enough times to be very familiar with it.
Do not use frozen butter, it can separate and ruin your candy.
We also like to use a heavy bottom pan for making candy.
Also, A flat ended wooden spoon is our preferred choice for candy making. It makes it much easier to keep stirring across the entire bottom of the pan. They are great!
I have listed times below for making the candy. Do not get stuck on this. Stoves vary-watch your candy thermometer.
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Homemade Caramel
A smooth, buttery, sweet caramel with a wonderful vanilla flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 pound butter (2 squares) cold but not frozen
- 1 3/4 cup corn syrup
- 12 ounces half and half
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
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Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
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In a large, heavy-bottom sauce pan, bring sugar, butter, corn syrup, and half and half to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly-scraping the bottom of the pan. When candy thermometer reads 210° Turn heat down to medium.
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Continue cooking (boiling) and stirring constantly, scraping the bottom. (Use your eyes and nose, if it looks or smells at all like it's burning, turn down the heat a little-stoves vary).
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When your candy thermometer reads 234-240° (soft ball stage), remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. (I like my caramel soft so I remove it at 235)
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Pour caramel into prepared 9 x 13 pan. Be careful-caramel is SO HOT.
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Allow time to cool. Cut into desired pieces and wrap in cellophane candy wrappers or waxed paper.
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Enjoy!
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We all want to thank you for visiting and trying recipes from our family recipe blog. Your support is very much appreciated. All of us are hoping that all of you are staying healthy, strong and happy. Have a fantastic day and an even better week. Have fun cooking and remember to get the kids involved where it is safe to do so. They may love it and it is a great activity for quality family time. Family and friends are the best!
