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Salted Caramels are the homemade candy that taste like the fancy ones at the chocolate shop: soft, buttery, chewy, and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. I make a big batch every holiday season to wrap up as gifts, and Lizzie always sneaks a few squares before they hit the tins, just like our easy chocolate fudge.
All it takes is one pot and seven simple ingredients to make a whole 9×13 pan of soft, melt-in-your-mouth salted caramels.
Salted Caramels Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 50 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 55 minutes (plus chilling)
- 🍽️ Serving: 60 caramels
- ⚡ Calories: 154kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Buttery, sweet, and salty
- ✋ Difficulty: A fun candy project, easier than it looks, like our chocolate covered pretzels
Quick Answer
Combine salted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and corn syrup in a large pot and bring to a boil. Very slowly stir in heavy cream, then keep boiling and stirring until the caramel reaches the firm stage. Off the heat, stir in vanilla and pour into a foil-lined pan. Chill until firm, cut into squares, and sprinkle the salted caramels with flaky sea salt.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Two sugars give the perfect chew. Brown sugar adds molasses depth while granulated sugar keeps the caramels firm enough to cut but still soft and chewy.
- Corn syrup prevents crystallization. A little corn syrup keeps the sugar smooth so your caramels stay glossy and never turn grainy.
- Adding cream slowly keeps it smooth. Streaming the cream in gradually keeps the boiling caramel from seizing or splitting, for a silky finish.
- Constant stirring prevents scorching. Scraping the bottom as it boils keeps the sugars from burning, so the caramel tastes rich, not bitter.
- Flaky salt balances the sweetness. A generous sprinkle of sea salt at the end cuts the richness and gives these their signature salted-caramel flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They taste like gourmet candy-shop caramels at a fraction of the price.
- One pot and seven ingredients make a big batch, perfect for gifting.
- Soft, buttery, and chewy with the perfect hit of flaky sea salt.
Key Ingredients
These salted caramels use just a handful of pantry ingredients. Here is what you will need and why each one matters.
- Salted butter: The rich, buttery base of the caramel; salted butter adds to the salty-sweet balance.
- Light brown and granulated sugar: Two sugars create the deep flavor and the perfect chewy-but-firm texture.
- Light corn syrup: Keeps the caramel smooth and glossy by preventing the sugar from crystallizing.
- Heavy cream: Gives the caramels their soft, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Flaky sea salt: Sprinkled on top at the end for that signature salted-caramel finish.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These salted caramels are easy to customize.
- Dip them in chocolate: Half-dip the cut caramels in melted chocolate for turtles-style candy.
- Add nuts: Stir chopped toasted pecans into the caramel before it sets.
- Make them boozy: A splash of bourbon with the vanilla adds warmth.
- Wrap for gifts: Cut into squares and wrap in wax paper twists for homemade candy gifts.
- Go extra salty: Use a coarse flake salt for bigger crunch, and pair them with our How to Make Salted Caramels
- Line a 9×13 baking dish with foil and grease it well with butter.
- In a large pot, combine the salted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and corn syrup.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring.
- Very slowly stream in the heavy cream while stirring constantly so it does not seize.
- Continue to boil and stir, scraping the bottom, until the caramel reaches the firm-ball stage.
- Take it off the heat, stir in the vanilla, and immediately pour the caramel into the prepared pan.
- Refrigerate until firm, 4 to 6 hours or overnight, then lift out and cut into squares.
- Sprinkle the salted caramels generously with flaky sea salt and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use a candy thermometer for the most consistent results; aim for the firm-ball stage around 245 to 250 degrees.
- Add the cream very slowly to keep the hot caramel from bubbling over or seizing.
- Stir constantly and scrape the bottom so the sugars do not scorch and turn bitter.
- Grease the foil well so the caramel lifts out cleanly for cutting.
- Chill until fully firm before cutting, or the squares will not hold their shape.
- Use a warm, buttered knife for clean cuts, and wrap squares in wax paper to store.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These salted caramels are a holiday gifting favorite, but they are just as good on an everyday dessert tray. Pair them with our easy chocolate fudge and a batch of chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels for a candy box everyone will love. Wrap individual caramels in wax paper twists, pile them in a tin, and tie with ribbon for the easiest homemade holiday gift. They also make a sweet party favor. Chop leftover caramels and fold them into cookie dough or sprinkle over ice cream and brownies for an instant upgrade.
Salted Caramels FAQs
Do I need a candy thermometer to make salted caramels?A candy thermometer makes salted caramels more foolproof, helping you hit the firm-ball stage around 245 to 250 degrees. You can also use the cold-water test if you do not have one.
Why are my salted caramels too soft or too hard?Texture comes down to temperature. Caramels cooked to a lower temp stay soft and sticky, while higher temps make them firmer, so use a thermometer for consistent salted caramels.
How do I store homemade salted caramels?Wrap salted caramels individually in wax paper and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or refrigerate them for longer.
Can I freeze salted caramels?Yes. Wrap the salted caramels well and freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature before serving.
Why did my salted caramels turn grainy?Grainy caramels usually mean the sugar crystallized. The corn syrup helps prevent this, so do not skip it, and avoid stirring sugar crystals from the side of the pot back in.
What kind of salt is best for salted caramels?A flaky finishing salt like Maldon is best for salted caramels because it adds crunch and bursts of salty flavor without fully dissolving.
Love making homemade candy? Try our easy chocolate fudge next.
If caramel is your thing, do not miss these homemade Carmelitas with melty chocolate chips.
Add these festive chocolate covered Oreos to your homemade candy and treat lineup.
Love homemade candy? These Nestle crunch bars come together with just chocolate, cereal, and Kit Kats.
Salted Caramels
These easy homemade Salted Caramels are soft, buttery, and chewy, made in one pot with seven simple ingredients and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter plus more for greasing pan
- 2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups light corn syrup
- 3 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- flake sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- Using a 9×13 baking dish, line it with foil or parchment paper. Take some butter and generously grease the foil/paper. Set the dish aside.
- Place the salted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and light corn syrup into a dutch oven or medium to large pot. Place over medium heat and constantly stir until the sugars melt and boil for about 10 minutes.
- Once the mixture is at a boil, very, very slowly add the heavy cream. I mean slow, add about 1 teaspoon at a time, and constantly stir; you want the mixture to be boiling the entire time. This step can take 20-30 minutes to add all the cream.
- Continue to boil the mixture and stir constantly. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pot while doing so until the mixture comes to 240-245°F. I like to use a candy thermometer for this.
- Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Immediately pour the caramel into the prepared baking dish. Let it sit out at room temperature until completely cooled.
- Refrigerate until hardened, 4-6 hours or overnight is best. Take the caramels out by lifting the foil or parchment paper out of the dish and then cut them into small pieces.
- Sprinkle generously with sea salt and serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/homemade-caramels/- This makes a large batch, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe as needed.
- These freeze well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Wrap individual caramels in wax paper to give as gifts!
- Add any salt you want on top, but we prefer flake sea salt.
- Eat cold or at room temperature.
Nutrition DisclaimerNutrition
Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 23mg | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.1mgLove This Recipe?
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This recipe makes an excellent soft caramel product. I’m going to work with this moving forward. I have two new experiments to do with this wonderful recipe: (1) brown butter caramels – interesting, right? and (2) hard caramel – cooking it out to 305F and seeing if I get that great buttery caramel in a hard caramel version. Well done, Ms. Silly Girl!
I’m sorry but I did not weigh ingredients for this recipe.
Hello to you
I saw your recipe on Pinterest and it looks great.
I have 2 questions.
What is the definition for 1 cup?
200 ml? 250 ml? 300 ml?
How much butter goes in the cup? in weight
200 gr. 220? 250?
Thanks and all the best
Rina