How to Make Sea Salt Caramels (regular, cinnamon and licorice flavors)

Soft chewy sea salt caramels are one of the very best holiday treats! I LOVE them and make a batch every single year. They are great to give as gifts, to share with friends, and bring to all the parties and get togethers. They are extremely delicious and addicting! Once you eat one you cannot stop!!

Why This Homemade Caramels Recipe Works

Making sea salt caramels is really easy- only a few ingredients and a few steps HOWEVER it can be tricky if you don't do it right and don't read all the tips below.

This easy soft caramels recipe includes lots of step-by-step instructions and with all the tips so you won't mess up a thing!

No need to just make one type of caramel! Try out making different flavors such as cinnamon caramels and licorice caramels.

Ingredients You Need

Making the best soft caramels starts with a few simple ingredients. Here's what you need:

• Sugar: Regular granulated white sugar will work just fine!
• Corn syrup: Use light-colored corn syrup for the best results.
• Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. You're adding salt on top too so keep that in mind.
• Sweetened condensed milk: The combination of milk and sugar is what gives caramel its luscious color!
• Sea salt flakes: A flaky salt is best. I use Maldon Sea salt. It is a high-quality sea salt flake. I grab it from Amazon. Might as well grab the bucket because you will be addicted.

How to Make Soft Caramels

1. In a heavy-bottomed pan combine all your ingredients on low and stir. When butter and all ingredients are combined and melted turn the heat up to med. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly.

Pro Tip: Use a good quality heavy-bottomed pan. DO NOT USE a cast iron pan. They retain heat which will overcook your caramels and basically make them rock hard. If your pan is too thin, the caramels may get too hot or cook unevenly.

2. Bring your caramels to a slow boil over medium to medium-high heat. Stirring the entire time until your caramels come to a golden caramel color and the temperature reaches 244 degrees F.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and add flavor or food coloring if desired!  More on that below!
4. Pour caramels into a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper (I love these precut parchment paper sheets). and add your sea salt!

5. Once the caramels are completely cooled and set, cut them into small bite-sized squares or rectangles. For best results, let the caramels cool overnight, or for several hours.

How to Make Cinnamon Caramels or Licorice Caramels

Every year I grew up with a friend who would bring us regular, red, and black caramels... cinnamon, and licorice caramels.

I loved EVERY ONE of them...even though I don't even love black licorice, the mix of the anise flavor with the creamy buttery caramel is like no other! You have to try these!

Here is what you need:

• Black licorice caramels: Black food coloring + anise extract.
• Cinnamon caramels: Red food coloring + cinnamon oil.

1. Follow all the exact same steps to cook the caramel as noted above.
2. When caramel reaches temperature remove the pot from the stove and add in your flavoring and color.
3. Let them set for at least several hours or overnight before cutting and wrapping.

How to Wrap Sea Salt Caramels

Once your caramels have set and you've cut them, then they're ready for wrapping.

For caramels cut to the size of about 1" x 1" squares I like to use pre-cut 6"x 6" wax paper sheets. They are really affordable and cut down your wrapping time by hours! If you make your caramels long and skinny you can get away with cutting the papers in half and doing 6"x3".

1. Place a caramel in the middle of one end of the sheet.
2. Roll it towards the opposite end of the paper.
3. Carefully and tightly twist one end 3 times.
4. Repeat on the other end. I like to twist it in the opposite direction of the other side.

Your caramels are now completed!! and you are ready to devour and or share! These make a TON! Which is totally fine by me because I LOVE THEM!

Best Equipment for Making Caramels

The equipment when making sea salt caramels is almost as important as the ingredients since they can greatly impact the outcome.

When making homemade caramels you want to use a heavy-bottomed pan. A good quality heavy pan. Avoid cast iron and thin pans as they will not cook correctly.

Your caramels are going to boil to a very high temperature (244 degrees F) You do not want to use a stirring utensil that will overheat and melt, or burn your hand. (I've totally done both before ha!) Make sure you stir caramels with either a wooden spoon or a spatula that can stand hit temps (silicone).

What's the Best Thermometer to Use?

It's almost impossible to guess when to take the caramels off the stove so it is IMPORTANT to use an accurate thermometer. The slightest degree can make a difference between soft chewy to hard candy caramels.

You can use any of these three thermometers, however, I don't really recommend a candy thermometer unless you are desperate.

1. Candy thermometer: These are glass and pretty unstable. I've gone through so many of these that I could have bought two Thermoworks thermometers. On top of that they are not the most accurate, so if you are using a candy thermometer as pictured far left, double-check your caramels by using the cold water test. (Cold water test: in a small glass add ice and water, and drop a large drop of caramel into the cup. When the caramel is cold that will be its consistency when it is cooled to eat. If it is too soft you know to continue cooking)                         
2. Thermoworks Chef Alarm: THIS IS THE BEST. Why? because it is the most accurate and the probe can attach to the side of the pan so you don't have to keep checking back and forth.
3. Thermoworks Thermopen or Thermopop: Either of these is amazing and incredibly accurate. You do have to consistently check the temperature, and every time you remove the thermometer make sure to clean it off before re-inserting it, or you may cause the sugar to crystalize.

Expert Tips

Stir THE ENTIRE TIME your caramels are boiling.

Do not scrape the sides of the pans. Scrape only the bottom of the pan. If you bring the sugar crystals from the sides of the pan back into your candy it will 'sugar' and become crunchy and hardened in areas instead of smooth when it is all done.

If you remove your utensil out of the pan wash it off before re-inserting it back into the pan.

Put your candy thermometer into the candy after it has boiled for a bit and started to change colors don't drag it around because scraping the metal to metal together can also sugar your candy.

Once you put the thermometer in you have to keep it in until it is done, don't take it out and put it back in unless you clean it.

Double-check your caramel mixture by using the ice water method. Drop a bit of caramel in ice water, dump the water out and test the texture of your caramel. If it doesn't form a soft ball the caramel needs to cook longer. If it is firm remove it immediately from heat. If it is rock hard it is overcooked for the soft caramel method.

Keep the pan on medium heat and if you start seeing little brown specks in your candy take it off the heat immediately and turn it down. That is the candy scorching. Otherwise, cook until the candy has reached desired temperature or texture.

FAQ

More Holiday Candy Recipes

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