Pumpkin Spice Caramels

A stack of two pumpkin caramels topped with cinnamon and sea salt.

These Pumpkin Spice Caramels are soft, buttery, and filled with warm pumpkin spice flavor. It turns homemade caramels into a delicious treat to enjoy in the fall and winter! They have the best chewy, melt in your mouth texture, warm cozy flavors, and are the perfect addition to a Christmas candy tray!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: candy, Homemade Caramels, pumpkin, pumpkin caramels, Soft Caramels

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Cooling Time: 2

Total Time: 40

Servings: caramels

Calories: 81kcal

Ingredients

2 cups Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree (100% Pure Pumpkin)
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
12 oz Heavy Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Ground Ginger

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Line a 8×8 in pan with parchment paper, and light grease. Set it aside.
Add the granulated sugar, corn syrup, pumpkin, and butter to a large pot over medium heat on the stove top. Stir occasionally as the mixture comes to a boil. 2 cups Granulated Sugar, 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree, 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, 1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup,
Once boiling, very slowly add the heavy cream 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 Heavy Cream
Once all the cream has been added, put a candy thermometer in the pot (clipped to the side) and continue cooking, stirring constantly until the mixture comes between 245 and 250 Fahrenheit.
Once the right temperature is reached, remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon , 1/4 tsp Salt, 1/8 tsp Ground Cloves, 1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg, 1/8 tsp Ground Ginger
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.
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

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. If your caramel is getting squished down when cutting it you can chill it in the fridge for about 15 minutes before cutting. It also helps to run the knife under warm water and spray it with nonstick spray.

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