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Amish caramels on a plate and rows of caramels on a board.

Homemade Amish Caramels Recipe

Made with only a few basic ingredients, rich and buttery homemade caramel candy is easy to make. It's a sweet caramel treat for the holidays that is popular in Amish country.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
cool 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Candy, Snack
Cuisine American, Amish
Servings 40 servings
Calories 85 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup (Karo)
  • 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (or 1 3/4 cup heavy cream)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • coarse salt or salt flakes (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Line a 9" square pan with parchment paper, and for the easiest removal, you can also spread a bit of butter on top of the parchment. Set aside.
  • Add the butter, sugar, and corn syrup to a large heavy-bottom (at least 3 qt. size) pot. Bring it to a rolling boil over medium heat.
    1 cup butter (2 sticks), 1 cup sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup (Karo)
  • While stirring or whisking, slowly add the sweetened condensed milk to the boiling mixture.
    1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (or 1 3/4 cup heavy cream)
  • Continue boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches soft ball stage (235 - 240℉). Use a candy thermometer to achieve the most accurate cooking time.
  • Remove from the heat, add the vanilla, stir to combine, and immediately pour the caramel into your parchment-lined pan.
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Let it cool for about 30 minutes, then sprinkle the top with coarse salt.
    coarse salt or salt flakes (optional)
  • Cool completely. Refrigerating the caramel for at least an hour before cutting, helps to make it easier to work with.
  • With a long sharp knife, cut the caramel into little candy pieces and wrap them individually in parchment paper or candy papers. Store the wrapped candies in an airtight bag or container.

Notes

If hard caramels are preferred, cook the caramel to hard ball stage.
If preferred, you can omit the salt, or add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the caramel mixture after it is finished cooking instead of sprinkling it on the top.
*See the post above for more detailed instructions.
*Nutrition is approximate.

Nutrition

Serving: 2piecesCalories: 85kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 0.1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 42mgPotassium: 2mgSugar: 12gVitamin A: 142IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.004mg
Keyword Amish Caramels Recipe, Homemade Caramel Candy, Homemade chewy caramels
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