These sweet buttery caramels are infused with a cinnamon whiskey kick for a delicious flavor. They’re soft, chewy, and irresistible.
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- They’re easy to make. Just throw everything in, cook it, and pour. This is one of the easiest candies you’ll ever make.
- The flavor is delicious. Classic sweet and buttery caramels with just a hint of cinnamon and whiskey.
- They’re perfect for gifting. These make quite a few! And mixed with homemade hard fudge or cookies, you’ll have the best homemade sweets on the block.
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
Here’s what you’ll need to make these homemade candies:
- brown sugar
- sweetened condensed milk
- corn syrup
- butter
- salt
- Fireball whiskey
- vanilla
🥣 Equipment
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- 3-quart saucepan
- Candy thermometer
- Wax paper
- 9×9 or 8×8 baking pan
🍴Instructions
Step One: mix
Put butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, whiskey, and salt in a saucepan.
Step Two: cook
Put butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, whiskey, and salt in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat until the mixture reaches 246 degrees Fahrenheit (firm ball stage). You don’t need to stir.
Step three
Remove the pan from the heat and add vanilla. Stir until smooth and no longer bubbling, less than 1 minute. Pour it into your prepared dish.
Step Four: cool
Let the caramels cool completely. They will firm up quite quickly since this has been cooked to firm ball stage. Depending on room temperature, this will take 2 to 4 hours.
Step Five: cut
Cut the caramels into small squares using a buttered knife. Wrap each square in wax paper and store at room temperature.
🥫 Storage instructions
Just wrap them up in wax paper and keep them at room temperature until you’re ready to enjoy them again. You can freeze them, but it’s not necessary. They’ll keep for weeks and weeks.
🔍 FAQs
The cinnamon flavor! It’s perfect in these caramels, but if you don’t want to use it, you could try any other kind of whiskey. Just be aware that the flavor will change. The alcohol flavor will be stronger and there will be no spice.
It makes cutting and removing the caramels so much easier.
It’s too stiff, and the caramels will stick over time. I know it’s annoying, but it’s nice to have both on hand.
Yes, up to 1/2 a cup is fine!
I do! There’s only a small amount of alcohol, and each caramel is like 1/64th of the recipe. No biggie. 😊
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
Spray a cup with nonstick spray before measuring the corn syrup; it will slide right out!- Don’t touch the caramel as it cools. It will stay hot in the pan and can burn your skin. Also, you’ll leave fingerprints!
- I’ve included images of what the syrup looks like as it cooks. But your candy thermometer is the final word! Check it a few times a year by placing it in boiling water and ensuring it reads 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
📘 Related Recipes
📖 Here’s the recipe
Fireball Whiskey Caramels
Equipment
- 3 quart saucepan
- Candy thermometer
- Wax paper
- 9×9 or 8×8 baking pan
Ingredients
- 16 ounces brown sugar
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup Fireball whiskey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 9 dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, whiskey, and salt in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cook until a candy thermometer reads 246 degrees Fahrenheit (firm ball stage). Don't stir, but keep a careful eye on the temperature of the syrup. It will darken as it cooks. This stage will take at least 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat, add vanilla, and stir until smooth and no longer bubbling, less than 1 minute. Immediately pour into your prepared dish and let it cool completely. Depending on room temperature, this will take 2 to 4 hours.
- Cut into one-inch squares using a buttered knife. Wrap in wax paper and store at room temperature.
I’ve tried twice, and neither time did they get firm. First time questionable if I made it to hot enough. 2nd time definitely got to 246 – bottom of pan even burnt. What should I do differently with batch 3?
Hey Danielle, are you using a candy thermometer? If so, test it by measuring pot of boiling water and make sure it reads 212. If they get hot enough, they absolutely will set. The scorching could be that your pot is too thin. If you have stainless steel. or a dutch oven, that is perfect.
How big do you cut the wax paper that you use to wrap the caramels? 4×4″? 5×5″? Bigger?
Love fireball cant wait to make it thanx!