Chocolate Covered Caramels

These homemade Chocolate Covered Caramels are such an indulgent treat for candy lovers. With a buttery, rich homemade soft caramel dipped in smooth chocolate. Add a little sprinkle of salt on top for the perfect sweet and salty treat. These candies are perfect for gifting, and everyone will be amazed at your gourmet-quality chocolates!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Candies, chocolate, Homemade Caramels, Soft Caramels

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 1

Cooling Time: 2

Total Time: 2

Servings: caramels

Calories: 87kcal

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 oz evaporated milk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
10 oz high quality chocolate
flaky sea salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Line a 8x8 in pan with parchment paper, and light grease. Set it aside.
Add the sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt to a large, heavy bottomed pot and heat it over medium on the stove top. Stir occasionally as the mixture comes to a boil. 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cups light corn syrup, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Once boiling, very slowly add the evaporated milk a little at a time, about 1 TBS every 30 seconds, stirring constantly. It will take between 10 and 15 minutes to add, and you need to stir the whole time so the milk doesn't 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 242 and 245 Fahrenheit.
Once the temperature is reached, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and spread out the top as needed.
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.
Add the chocolate to a double boiler over medium heat, and stir until melted. Remove from the heat. 10 oz high quality chocolate
Drop one caramel at a time into the chocolate. Lift it out with a fork, and tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate. Carefully transfer the chocolate caramel to a piece of parchment paper.
Sprinkle the tops of the caramels with flakey salt if desired. flaky sea salt
Let the caramels sit until the chocolate is hardened.

Notes

Pour very Slowly - Very slowly add the evaporated milk, it will take about 12-15 minutes for each can. The easiest way for me is I add about 1 TBS every 30 seconds or so.

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!

Soft Ball Stage - You want to cook your caramels to be soft and chewy, but firm enough to hold their shape so you can dip them in chocolate. This is referred to as the soft ball stage in candy making. I like to range around the upper end of this stage for a chewier candy when dipping in melted chocolate.

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 guid:
- 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

Flavors - Add different extracts instead of, or in addition to the vanilla extract, about 1/2 teaspoon when adding the vanilla. Try coconut, maple, orange, etc.

Cutting Caramels - Use a sharp knife, or a stainless steel scraper to cut the caramels into straight lines, then wrap individually.

Nutrition