EASY microwave caramel candy - I Heart Naptime (2024)

Homemade microwave caramels made in 6 minutes with only 5 ingredients! No candy thermometerneeded. These will be the easiest candy you will make this holidays!

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The Easiest Homemade Caramels

These microwave caramels are soft, chewy and SUPER easy to make! I seriously love how homemade caramels taste and these have that delicious flavor. I love pretty much any dessert that has caramel like this microwave caramel corn, caramel browniesand caramel apple pie bars.

These microwave caramels are pretty dang close to my grandma’s homemade caramel candy recipe but so much easier to make. I still love making those every year, but they take quite a bit of time (and stirring), so it is nice to have this recipe on hand for when you need a quick treat.

The best part about this recipe is you only need to stir it once. Seriously it couldn’t be any easier. They are so soft, chewy and have the perfect flavor! Everyone always asks for this recipe.

Ingredients

There’s only a 6 basic ingredients in this recipe, I bet you have most of these already in your pantry.

• Butter: I like to use unsalted butter so that it does not splatter while cooking. You can always add in a pinch of salt if you prefer saltier caramels.
• Sweetened condensed milk: This adds a sweet taste and a creamy consistency. You can find this in a can on the shelf in the baking aisle.
• Karo syrup: The light corn syrup works best. It has a more mellow flavor than the dark (which has a similar flavor to molasses).
• Sugar: Use granulated white sugar for this recipe (brown sugar will give it a butterscotch taste).
• Pure vanilla extract: A little goes a long way to add a big boost of flavor.

How to Make Microwave Caramels

You seriously won’t believe how easy these caramels are to make! It’s done in one bowl in your microwave.

• Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Then you’ll add the sugar, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk and stir until smooth.
• Place in the microwave and cook for six minutes, stirring half way in between.
• Allow to set and then slice and wrap in wax paper.

Helpful Tips

• Test the caramel by dipping a spoon in the caramel and then dipping in cold ice water. If it comes out the caramel texture (a soft ball), it’s ready. Then pour it in your dish and allow to set. If it’s too soft, microwave another 30 seconds.
• I love using a plastic knife to cut the caramels. I’ve tried fancy knives and for some reason the plastic knives work better.
• Once the caramels are cut make sure to wrap them in your wax paper squares and then place in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
• If you’re adding nuts, make sure to add right away before the caramel starts to harden.
• Dip in chocolate or drizzle over top with a little sea salt for a more gourmet caramel.

How to Store Microwave Caramels

After the caramel has set, use a plastic knife to cut them into pieces. Then wrap each piece in wax paper so that they don’t stick. They will stay soft for about 2 to 3 weeks.

More Candy Recipes

Homemade treats are my favorite to pass out around the holidays. Everyone always loves them. Here’s a few of my other favorites.

• Christmas crack – a saltine cracker with a caramel toffee on top.
• Homemade toffee – a little more work, but so delicious.
• Twix cookie bars – A homemade Twix bar always hits the spot!
• Chocolate turtles -only 4 ingredients to make!
• Buckeyes – a chocolate and peanut butter lovers dream.
• Divinity candy – tastes just like the version grandma made!

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