Butterscotch Caramels
These butterscotch caramels are rich, chewy and so, so buttery! And if you think you can’t make them because you don’t have a candy thermometer or other special equipment, think again! These caramels plus a whole bunch of other candy recipes are so easy to create, you’ll be making them for every special occasion.
Not only are these caramels wonderful to have around for yourself, they are perfect for gifting during holidays, birthdays or just because days. And what a unique gift they make! After all, anything handmade beats a gift pinched off a shelf at Walmart. And what’s great about homemade candy is you can’t just buy them anywhere, which makes them truly one of a kind.
What Makes These Caramels Butterscotch?
The ingredient that makes these caramels butterscotch is brown sugar. Unlike the old fashioned caramels recipe on this blog, which uses white sugar. Because brown sugar contains some molasses, it delivers a deep caramel flavor that you can really taste compared to the old fashioned caramels, which are essentially vanilla flavored.
How Can I Make Caramels Without a Candy Thermometer?
It’s so easy to make these butterscotch caramels (and other candies) without a candy thermometer if you don’t have one. All you need is a cup of very cold water.
When you think the mixture is ready to be tested based on the recommended time in the recipe (always check sooner than the suggested time), drop a bit of the candy mixture into the water. It should start to form some kind of a ball. If it doesn’t, it means your mixture has not cooked long enough to become candy but rather a sauce or syrup. The consistency of the ball that forms will determine how soft or hard the candy will be when it cools. This way, you can know what texture the candy will be when it’s cooled without having to use a candy thermometer!
What if my Caramel Mixture is Too Hard?
If your mixture forms a ball that becomes too hard in the cold water, it means you’ve cooked it too long. This means you will end up with hard candies instead of chewy ones. While there is nothing wrong with this, it’s not ideal when you actually want your candies to have a chewy texture.
If this happens, you can easily fix it by adding a small amount (say half a cup) of warm water to the mixture. This brings the caramel back down to a lower temperature thus changing its consistency from hard to softer. Do the cold water test again to check how much softer it’s become, then start testing again as the caramel cooks. Take it off the heat immediately when it reaches firm ball stage.
Do I Have to Individually Wrap my Butterscotch Caramels?
Because these butterscotch caramels stick together easily, the unfortunate answer is, yes. There is no getting by wrapping each candy individually. You can use waxed paper cut into approximately 4 inch squares. Do a test wrap to see if this is the right size for your caramels before cutting a whole bunch. Or you can actually purchase candy wrappers of different colors and designs for a fancier looking presentation.
If you absolutely dread the idea of wrapping your caramels individually, you can also turn them into homemade turtles. You can check out the method for that on this website here.
How Long do Butterscotch Caramels Keep?
Your butterscotch caramels will keep in a cool dry place almost indefinitely, but they will taste best if eaten within about 3 months.
I really hope you’ll try out this recipe for butterscotch caramels–they are really worth the effort! And if you do, let me know how they turned out for you and for what occasion you made them! And as always, don’t forget to share and give a rating for the recipe. Happy Cooking!
Butterscotch Caramels
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Lightly oil an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small sauce pot, heat the heavy cream until lukewarm. Set aside.
- In a medium sauce pot, combine brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring, reduce the heat and cook to firm ball stage or 248℉/120℃ on a candy thermometer. This will take about 1-2 minutes. If you don't have a candy thermometer, drop some of the mixture into a cup of very cold water. If it forms a firm ball, it is ready. (Do not worry if it forms a hard ball.)
- Slowly begin adding the lukewarm heavy cream, stirring constantly. Do not allow the mixture to stop boiling. Once all the cream has been added, stop stirring and continue cooking on medium low heat until the mixture reaches 248℉/120℃ (firm ball stage) again. This will take much longer, around 35-45 minutes. Start checking the mixture after about 30 minutes with a candy thermometer or using the cold water test.
- Once the mixture reaches 248℉/120℃ again, start adding the pieces of unsalted butter bit by bit so the mixture never stops boiling. Stir constantly; it will take a while for the butter to fully incorporate. Once all the butter has been added and is well mixed in, stop stirring and cook one last time to 248℉/120℃ or firm ball stage. This will take approximately 8 more minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir in vanilla until well mixed. Pour the caramel into the prepared baking pan, getting in as much of it as you can without scraping too much. Allow the caramel to cool and set up for a few hours. Once cooled, turn out onto a board and cut the caramel slab into 64 squares (or as many as you'd like). Wrap each square in waxed paper or other candy wrappers. Caramels will keep in a cool dry place for several months.