Soft Chewy Caramels

Name: Soft Chewy Caramels
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: about 2-1/2 pounds.
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon plus 1 cup butter, divided; 2-1/4 cups packed brown sugar; 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk; 1 cup dark corn syrup

One of my first experiences with cooking was helping my mother make these caramels. We'd make up to 12 batches each year. Today, I do at least 95 percent of the cooking at home, but my wife does much of the baking. —Robert Sprenkle, Hurst, Texas

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1 cup butter, divided
2-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup dark corn syrup

Directions

Line a 15x10x1-in. pan with foil; grease the foil with 1 tablespoon butter. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining butter. Add the brown sugar, milk and corn syrup. Cook and stir until candy thermometer reads 250° (hard-ball stage).
Pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Cool completely before cutting.

Editor's Note

We recommend that you test your candy thermometer before each use by bringing water to a boil; the thermometer should read 212°. Adjust your recipe temperature up or down based on your test.

Nutrition Facts

1 each: 58 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated fat), 7mg cholesterol, 32mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 0 fiber), 0 protein.

Originally published as Soft Chewy Caramels in Taste of Home December/January 2004

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Jeremy

Jan 15, 2018

This sounds delicious but as I'm an insulin dependent diabetic...can I use stevia or something instead of sugar?thanksJeremy
chefheidi18

Dec 21, 2017

I make these every Christmas and they are a huge hit.
Dina

Nov 26, 2017

Hi I tried this and it was awesome. Just want to know if I can double it or it won't work?
Lucy

Nov 23, 2016

I made this recipe yesterday fit the first time, I added vanilla at the end but next time will add spiced rum. I cooked it to 250 and the texture was perfect. I then dusted the top of the caramel with kosher salt. Super awesome delicious and will be wrapping them in a ginger cookie for a super awesome sweet treat. Thank you for this recipe
bluewithoutu

Oct 27, 2016

I used this recipe last night and while the flavor was amazing, heating it to 250 degrees was WAAAAAAY too high. I have brittle, not soft chewy caramels. Pretty disappointed.I wasted a lot of ingredients to have a pan full of inedible caramel.Do NOT boil this to 250! Otherwise the flavor is perfect!
dot444

Feb 29, 2016

These are SO GOOD!!!! I kept some in the fridg to keep for a while, of course I had to hide them.
randcbruns

Dec 15, 2015

This is one of the best caramel recipes I've made. These never last long in my house.
Nerak1960

Dec 15, 2015

I would have given a 5 star rating, because the caramels are great, but they do not keep long. They start turning sugary and grainy. Maybe they don't last that long at your house, but when I gave them for gifts everyone said they were great, but started getting grainy after a few days. Has anyone ever put them in the refrigerator? Would that work?
tsuop

Dec 6, 2015

I also make these every year. It is important to cook them long enough, I too use the cold water method. It is also important to use a non-stick pan, makes clean up sooo much easier!! I use a jelly roll pan, it gives the correct thickness for me. Thanks for the pizza cutter idea. My husband ( the cutter upper) will appreciate that tip!
ilenemchone

Dec 5, 2015

I would give this recipe 6 stars! I have made this recipe for decades using light corn syrup instead of dark syrup. They are an institution! :) I make them every year for family and give them to my employees as part of their Christmas. The caramels are very much expected! I prefer using the cold water method to test when they are done. I pour just a little mixture in cold water. I roll it into a ball and taste. Whatever the firmness is then is about what it will be when they are cool. So you can instantly tell how soft or firm they are. I did made them too firm one time. I put the room temp caramels into a bigger pot, added all the ingredients for another batch and cooked them again. They turned out perfect. I have also cooked them in a huge pot with four batches at once. It works fine....just a little longer cooking time. I usually make about 8 batches each year, so this cuts down on cooking time considerably.