Simple Salted Caramels Recipe
Hey friends!! Every year around Christmas I make these salted caramels and add them to my friends gifts as a fun little treat. This recipe isn’t anything custom or special, just simple and delicious salted caramels with only 6 ingredients! A little heads up before you start — this recipe is VERY temperature sensitive, so pay close attention when in the boiling stages. Also it’s a bit of a messy and sticky clean up process. After i’m done, I put water in the saucepan and boil it with the utensils I used for an easier clean up. I hope you enjoy these yummy caramels!!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon course or flaked sea salt
Tools You Need:
9 x 5 inch loaf pan
parchment paper
small saucepan
candy or food thermometer
Directions:
Oil the parchment paper and put in into the 9x5in loaf pan, make sure there is at least 1in of paper on each side.
Divide the unsalted butter into chunks and melt with the heavy whipping cream in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until the butter has completely melted. Set aside for later.
In a small saucepan combine water and light corn syrup, then add sugar carefully to the mixture, making sure not to splash onto the sides of the saucepan. Using a spoon mix sugar into the mixture until the sugar is moistened.
Heat over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Then, cover with a lid for 1 minute to add moisture.
Remove lid and quickly put in the candy thermometer, cook at medium heat until the mixture reaches 320 degrees F (should take from 5-10 minutes). The mixture should have a light amber color around the edges.
Right when the sugar reaches its temperature, pour in 1/8 a cup of the butter and cream mixture, slowly stirring. The mixture will be very bubbly. Continue adding 1/8 cup of cream mixture and stirring until all is added.
Continue on heat until the thermometer reaches 240 degrees F. (It will have cooled down from adding the cream mixture). As soon as it hits 240 degrees F, remove from heat and more caramel into prepared loaf pan.
Let cool for 20 minutes, then sprinkle your desired amount of salt on top of the caramels. Then continue letting the caramels cool for 3 -4 hours.
Once it is completely cooled, take caramel out of loaf pan, remove parchment paper, and and slice caramels into desired shapes. If the caramel is too soft, put it into the fridge for 30 minutes before cutting.
Wrap caramels into plastic or parchment paper and feel free to get creative! I like to add ribbon to the ends of mine to make it feel more like a gift.