Chewy Chocolate Coated Caramels

Caramels are my absolute favorite in a box of chocolates. Don’t you agree?! I often wished I could get a whole box of them…so I took things into my own hands, and here we are. (And they taste way better homemade, of course!)

What You’ll Need

• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or your preferred chocolate)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or your favorite flaky salt)

Equipment You’ll Need

Just like my other caramel recipes, I recommend a heavy-bottomed pan and a candy thermometer. These are the two tools you’ll need for recipes that require precise temperature control.

And for this recipe, you’re going to need a double boiler to properly melt the chocolate. If you don’t have one, you can use a heatproof bowl over a pot of water. A stainless steel bowl works perfectly. Worst-case scenario, you can use the microwave, and I’ll get to that later!

You can also use a dipping tool to make dipping into the chocolate easier, but a fork works just fine.

Instructions

Line the pan

Start by lining an 8×8 square pan with parchment paper. You can also use a 9×9 pan, but I wouldn’t go much bigger, or your caramels won’t be thick enough. It’s okay if a bit of the paper sticks out. It will make it easier to pop the caramel out of the pan once it’s cooled.

Combine the ingredients

Next, put the brown sugar, condensed milk, butter, and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed pot.

Using a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot is the best tool for this. If you use a regular saucepan, the temperature can get out of control, and you’ll burn the mixture.

Melt everything together

Turn the heat to medium and begin heating the mixture. Stir constantly so everything melts together and nothing burns. We don’t want burnt sugar! It’s a mess, and then you have a ruined pan…no thanks!

Take your time, stir often, and everything will start to come together.

Cook to temperature

Once everything is melted together, bring the mixture to a very specific temperature for the caramel to set properly.

It will start to boil, and that’s when you can insert the candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. We’re looking for 240°F, and this won’t happen quickly! It’ll take about 15-18 minutes, so be patient.

Add salt and vanilla

Once you hit that temperature, remove the pot from the heat.

Now you can stir in the salt and vanilla extract.

Pour and cool

Carefully pour the mixture into the parchment-lined pan. It’ll take a while, but you’ll need the caramel mixture to cool for at least 3-4 hours. The caramel will go from glossy to more matte; that’s when you know it’s setting correctly.

Your home’s temperature and humidity will affect the timing, so keep an eye on them and make sure they’re completely cool and set before moving forward.

Cut into squares

Take the caramels out of the pan and place them on a cutting board. Now, cut into small squares with a sharp, lightly greased knife. I like to give my knife a light spritz of non-stick cooking spray for this.

Re-grease the knife as needed for clean, smooth cuts. Place the cut squares on a sheet of parchment paper for the next step (you can reuse the same parchment sheet as before if it’s still in good shape).

Melt the chocolate

Make sure you’re ready to finish all of the caramels when you start this step. You don’t want the chocolate to melt, harden, and then require melting again. The chocolate will taste the same, but won’t look as pretty and will get harder to work with.

Prep the double boiler by adding a small amount of water to the pan (1-2 inches will work). Melt the chocolate in the bowl, stirring often.

I prefer a double boiler because it gives better heat control, but if you don’t have one, it’s ok! You can use a microwave. Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Work in 30-second increments, stirring every time you take it out to check if it’s melted. Keep going until all the chocolate is melted.

Dip the caramels

Then, using a fork or candy-dipping tool, dip each caramel into the chocolate, then set it back on the parchment paper.

You’ll notice that you have a lot of chocolate, and that’s ok. I’ve found that making “too much” chocolate makes the dipping process easier. If you have a deeper “pool” of chocolate, it’s easy to dip the candy and get it coated in one dip. Ultimately, I use the extra chocolate to decorate the chocolates with cute drizzles and swirls. We’ll do that in the next step.

Salt and set

Salting the chocolates is optional, but it honestly makes these caramels crazy good. It’s a classic sweet-and-salty combo, and it’s the best. So don’t skip it if you don’t have to!

You have to work quickly here so that the salt sticks to the chocolates. Sprinkle with salt and decorate with the extra chocolate, if you’d like. Put the extra chocolate in a piping bag and drizzle it on. Just remember to work quickly before the chocolate sets. Then let them cool completely before storing and eating.

Storage Instructions

These little chocolates make GREAT gifts. You can also make them ahead of time to keep things simple and stress-free.

Make sure that the chocolates are completely cooled and hardened before storing. Store them in an airtight container (a holiday tin or sealed decorative plastic baggie works great) in a cool, dry place.

I like to keep them in the fridge until I’m ready to give them away. Seal them tightly and keep them away from strong smells. I suggest gifting them within a week or so.

Questions and Troubleshooting

More homemade caramel and chocolate treats

• Old-Fashioned Soft Caramels
• Homemade Fireball Whiskey Caramels
• Chocolate Marble Shortbread Cookies