Apple Cider Caramels

These Apple Cider Caramels taste like fall wrapped up in a little square! They are buttery, and packed with real apple cider and cinnamon, that gives them cozy vibes you'll love any time of the year! If you love homemade candy and want something a little different, this recipe is it!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Candies, chocolate, Homemade Caramels, Soft Caramels

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1 30

Total Time: 2

Servings: caramels

Calories: 54kcal

Ingredients

4 cups Apple Cider
2 cups Granulated sugar
1/2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
12 oz evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
flaky sea salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Line a 8x8 in pan with parchment paper, and light grease. Set it aside.
Add the apple cider to a large, heavy bottomed and heat it over medium on the stove top. Bring it to a simmer and cook until it is reduced to about 1/2 cup. 4 cups Apple Cider
Add the sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt to the large pot with the apple cider and heat it over medium on the stove top. Stir occasionally as the mixture comes to a boil. 2 cups Granulated sugar, 1/2 cups light corn syrup, 1/2 cup unsalted butter,
Once boiling, very slowly add the evaporated milk a little at a time, a couple TBS at a time, stirring constantly. It will take a few minutes to add, and you need to stir the whole time so the milk doesn't significantly lower the temperature of the mixture. 12 oz evaporated milk
Once all the milk has been added, add in a candy thermometer and continue cooking, stirring constantly until the mixture comes between 245 and 250 Fahrenheit.
Once the temperature is reached, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon. 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and spread out the top as needed.
Let the caramels cool for 30 minutes. Then sprinkle the top with flakey sea salt if desired. flaky sea salt
Let the caramels cool until totally set. Lift the caramels out of the pan, with the parchment paper and cut them into bite sized pieces, using a sharp knife.

Notes

Stir Constantly: Once the mixture starts to boil you need to stir it constantly to keep it from burning in any spots on the bottom of the pot.
Use a Candy Thermometer – This is a recipe that needs a candy thermometer! You need to ensure your caramel reaches the right temperature for the perfect texture!
Firm Ball Stage – You want to cook your caramels to be soft and chewy, but firm enough to hold their shape. The temperature range is between 244 and 250 F.
Altitude – Altitude can greatly affect temperatures for your candy making. The easiest way to test this is by boiling a pot of water on the stove, and checking the temperature of the boiling water. At sea level water typically boils around 212 F. If your water boils lower than that (for example, mine boils at about 204 F) then I will lower my desired candy temperature also by 8 degrees. For a general guide:
- Sea level: You’ll want to your caramel to hit between 242 – 245 °F
- 2000 ft: Between 238 – 241 °F
- 4000 ft: Between 234 – 237 °F
- 6000 ft: Between 230 – 233 °F
Cutting Caramels – Use a sharp knife, or a stainless steel scraper to cut the caramels into straight lines, then wrap individually. I also feel like sawing into the caramels can work too, working the knife forward and backward to avoid squishing the caramel as you cut.

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