Amish caramels are soft, buttery, chewy squares of homemade caramel candy, cooked in one pot and wrapped by hand in little twists of paper. They are the candy for Christmas tins, teacher gifts and cookie trays, and for anyone who likes a caramel that gives when you bite it.
How to make Amish caramels: Boil butter, sugar and light corn syrup, then slowly stir in sweetened condensed milk. Keep cooking and stirring over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 235–240°F, about 25–30 minutes. Stir in vanilla, pour into a lined 9-inch pan, cool, chill for at least 1 hour, then cut and wrap.
Why You’ll Love It
- Five ingredients. Butter, sugar, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Salt on top is optional.
- One pot. Everything cooks together on the stove.
- A big batch. One pan cuts into about 40 pieces, enough to share.
- Soft and chewy. Cooked to the soft-ball stage, they are tender, not hard.
Ingredient Notes
Butter. One cup, which is 2 sticks.
Sugar. One cup of regular granulated sugar.
Light corn syrup. One cup. It goes in at the start with the butter and sugar.
Sweetened condensed milk. One 14-ounce can, added slowly once the pot is boiling. The recipe offers 1 3/4 cups of heavy cream as an alternative.
Vanilla extract. One teaspoon, stirred in off the heat.
Coarse salt. Optional, for sprinkling on top. Salt flakes work too. The recipe gives no amount.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Coarse salt, optional
How to Make Amish Caramels
1. Prepare the pan. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper. For easier removal, spread a little butter on the parchment.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Put the butter, sugar and corn syrup in a large heavy-bottomed pot of at least 3 quarts. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.
3. Add the milk. While stirring or whisking, slowly add the sweetened condensed milk to the boiling mixture.
4. Cook to the soft-ball stage. Continue boiling over medium heat, stirring or whisking very often, until a candy thermometer reads 235–240°F. This part takes about 25–30 minutes. Do not walk away for long, and whisk more attentively as the mixture gets close to the target.
5. Add vanilla and pour. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and immediately pour into the prepared pan.
6. Cool and optionally salt. Let cool for about 30 minutes, then sprinkle with coarse salt if using. Cool completely. Refrigerating for at least 1 hour before cutting makes the caramel easier to work with.
7. Cut and wrap. Cut into small pieces with a long, sharp knife. Wrap individually in parchment or candy papers and store in an airtight bag or container.
How to Tell When the Caramel Is Ready
The caramel is ready when it reaches 235–240°F on a candy thermometer. That range is called the soft-ball stage, and it is what makes these caramels soft and chewy.
No thermometer? Use the cold-water test. Drop a small bit of the hot syrup into a cup of cold water. At the soft-ball stage it forms a soft, flexible ball that you can pick up and squish between your fingers.
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Thermometer under the target range | Not there yet | Keep boiling and stirring |
| Thermometer at 235–240°F, or a soft, flexible ball in cold water | Soft-ball stage | Take the pot off the heat |
| Thermometer at 245–250°F | Past the target | Expect a firmer caramel |
The last few degrees go quickly. Stay at the stove, keep whisking and watch the thermometer closely near the end.
Tips for Success
How do I make the caramel easier to cut and wrap?
Chill it first. After it cools, refrigerate the pan for at least 1 hour. Then use a long, sharp knife and press straight down instead of sawing back and forth.
What size pot should I use?
A large, heavy-bottomed pot that holds at least 3 quarts. The mixture needs room to boil.
Why add the condensed milk slowly?
The recipe has you pour it in slowly while stirring or whisking, so it blends into the boiling mixture as it goes in.
When does the salt go on?
After the caramel has cooled in the pan for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle it over the top before the caramel is completely cold.
How do I get the caramel out of the pan?
Line the pan with parchment and rub a little butter on the paper before you pour. The whole slab comes out with the parchment.
How Long Do Amish Caramels Take?
About 150 minutes from start to finish. Only 5 minutes of that is prep and about 25 minutes is cooking. The rest is waiting: the caramel cools in the pan, then chills in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before you cut it.
Variations
Heavy cream. The recipe offers 1 3/4 cups of heavy cream as an alternative to the can of sweetened condensed milk.
Salted. Sprinkle coarse salt or salt flakes over the top after the first 30 minutes of cooling.
Plain. Leave the salt off for a classic sweet caramel.
If you’re making homemade caramels, Peanut Butter Buckeyes are another sweet to make, with no baking required.
Storage & Reheating
Wrap each piece in parchment or a candy paper so the caramels do not stick to each other, then keep them in an airtight bag or container. The recipe does not give a number of days, so I will not put one on it.
These caramels have butter and milk in them. Do not leave the pan out on the counter overnight to cool. USDA FSIS advises refrigerating perishable food within 2 hours, and this recipe sends the pan to the refrigerator before cutting anyway.
What to Serve With It
If you love caramel, try the slow cooker pot of gold caramel dip, the 3-ingredient caramel apple dip or the 4-ingredient Depression era caramel dumplings. For more Amish-style cooking, there is slow cooker Amish blueberry oatmeal for breakfast, and slow cooker Amish buttered noodles or slow cooker Amish beef and noodles for dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature gives these caramels a soft-ball texture?
235–240°F on a candy thermometer.
How can I check the soft-ball stage without a candy thermometer?
Drop a little syrup into cold water. If it forms a soft, flexible ball, it is ready.
How many caramels does one batch make?
About 40 small pieces from a 9-inch square pan.
Can I cook the caramel hotter for a firmer candy?
Cooking to 245–250°F gives a firmer caramel, but that is not the target for this recipe. For soft, chewy pieces, stop at 235–240°F.
Final Notes
I chill the pan for the full hour before I cut, because cold caramel wraps without sticking to my fingers. If you make them, leave a comment to tell me how they turned out or ask a question.
Homemade Amish Caramels
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Ingredients
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounces; 1 3/4 cups heavy cream is an alternative
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- coarse salt optional; salt flakes also work
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper. For easier removal, spread a little butter on the parchment.
- Put the butter, sugar and corn syrup in a large heavy-bottomed pot of at least 3 quarts. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.
- While stirring or whisking, slowly add the sweetened condensed milk to the boiling mixture.
- Continue boiling over medium heat, stirring or whisking very often, until a candy thermometer reads 235–240°F. This part takes about 25–30 minutes. Do not walk away for long, and whisk more attentively as the mixture gets close to the target.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and immediately pour into the prepared pan.
- Let cool for about 30 minutes, then sprinkle with coarse salt if using. Cool completely. Refrigerating for at least 1 hour before cutting makes the caramel easier to work with.
- Cut into small pieces with a long, sharp knife. Wrap individually in parchment or candy papers and store in an airtight bag or container.
