This Chocolate Covered Caramel recipe provides easy-to-follow instructions so that even beginners can make these delicious candies in their very own kitchen. These soft and chewy caramels are dipped in melted chocolate then topped with flakey sea salt for a perfect treat no matter what the occasion.
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Homemade Chocolate Covered Caramel Candies
If you’ve ever been intimidated by making your own Chocolate Covered Caramel Candy, never fear! This recipe is complete with step-by-step instructions, tips and tricks and answers to your most frequently asked questions so that even a beginner can make delicious candies right in their very own home.
We’ll show you how to make perfectly chewy caramel that doesn’t stick to your teeth but still holds its shape. Then, you’ll learn how to melt, dip and decorate your homemade candies so they look like they came from a box. You’ll be a pro in no time - ready to make these little candies for holidays, gifts, bridal showers and more.
Ingredients in Chocolate Covered Caramels
- Butter - you can use unsalted or salted butter, depending on how “salted” you want your caramel to be.
- Sugar - regular granulated sugar.
- Brown Sugar - we use light brown sugar for this recipe. You can use dark brown sugar, too, which will make a slightly darker caramel sauce.
- Karo Syrup - this is sometimes called corn syrup. It’s added in order to keep the sauce from getting grainy.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - be sure you purchased sweetened condensed and not evaporated milk.
- Salt - sea salt or kosher salt works great.
- Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract tastes best.
- Maldon Sea Salt - this is to sprinkle over the tops of each caramel after dipping. You can use any type of flakey salt that you want.
- Chocolate for Dipping - choose either a high quality chocolate bar or else chocolate that is specifically marked for coating or dipping. Milk chocolate, semi sweet chocolate and dark chocolate would all taste great.
How to Make Chocolate Covered Caramel Candy
- Prepare pan. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with butter and set aside.
- Cook the caramel. In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, sugar, brown sugar, Karo syrup, sweetened condensed milk, salt and vanilla. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a flat bottomed wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Be sure to scrape the pan's bottom constantly until all of the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted. Increase to high heat and cook the caramel mixture, stirring constantly, about 4-5 minutes, or until it reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
- Pour into prepared pan and cool. Once it reaches 240 degrees, remove from the heat immediately and pour into your prepared pan. Let cool completely at room temperature - about 2-3 hours.
- Cut caramels. Once the caramels are completely cooled, slide a sharp knife around the edges and transfer the caramel to a cutting board (Note: if they are too soft to easily remove, transfer to the freezer for about 30 minutes before removing). Cut caramels into 1" pieces, lining them up on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Transfer to the fridge while you prepare your chocolate.
How to Dip Caramels in Chocolate
- Melt chocolate. Melt your chocolate either in the microwave or over a double boiler* and transfer to a metal or plastic bowl.
- Dip caramels. Dip each caramel square one at a time into the melted chocolate, using a fork to dip and cover each caramel with chocolate. Lift the caramel out using the fork and tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Lightly scrape the bottom of the fork on the side of the bowl to remove more excess from the bottom and use a butter knife or offset spatula to help slide the caramel from the fork to the parchment paper or wax paper.
- Drizzle the tops. Drizzle the tops with extra melted chocolate and sprinkle with a pinch of Maldon sea salt.
- Let the candies firm up, then store. Allow the dipped caramels to harden in a cool place, then transfer to an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Whatever you do, do not stop stirring!
- Do not use non-stick cooking spray to prepare your baking dish or it will give your caramels a strange flavor.
- A nonstick pot will help ensure the caramel doesn’t stick and make your clean up much easier.
- The best way to avoid burning your caramel while cooking is to stir in a vertical pattern, then around the perimeter and then in a horizontal pattern.
- A square-tip wooden spoon is great for scraping the entire bottom of the pan.
- You can speed up the cooling process by sliding the baking dish into the fridge or a cool garage.
- Resist the urge to cut caramels before they are completely cooled or they will not hold their shape, creating a giant mess.
- If you plan to dip these caramels in chocolate, be sure to have them cut into pieces and then cooled in the fridge for at least 15 minutes so the caramels keep their shape.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can use the cold water method. Put about 2 cups of cold water into a cereal bowl then drop a tablespoon of caramel into the cold water. Move the caramel mixture around with your fingertips. If the caramel forms a "soft-ball" it's ready. If the caramel dissolves or runs through your fingers, keep cooking.
You can choose to buy a coating or dipping chocolate, or else go for a high quality semi sweet, milk chocolate or dark chocolate bar. We don’t recommend trying to melt down regular chocolate chips as they contain ingredients that keep them from melting well.
Yes! These freeze super well, so feel free to make them ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the freezer.
Storing
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Chocolate Covered Caramels Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Karo Syrup
- 1 14-oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tablespoon Maldon Sea Salt
- 1 ½-2 pounds Dark Chocolate high quality for dipping
Instructions
How to Make Homemade Caramels
- Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with butter and set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, sugar, brown sugar, Karo syrup, sweetened condensed milk, salt and vanilla.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring with a flat bottomed wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Be sure and scrape the bottom of the pan constantly until all of the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
- Increase to high heat and cook the caramel mixture, stirring constantly, about 4-5 minutes, or until it reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
- Once it reaches 240 degrees, remove from the heat immediately and pour into your prepared pan. Let cool completely at room temperature - about 2-3 hours.
Cutting and Dipping Caramels
- Once the caramels are completely cooled, slide a sharp knife around the edges and transfer the caramel to a cutting board (Note: if they are too soft to easily remove, transfer to the freezer for about 30 minutes before removing). Cut caramels into 1" pieces, lining them up on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Transfer to the fridge while you prepare your chocolate.
- Melt your chocolate either in the microwave or over a double boiler* and transfer to a metal or plastic bowl.
- Dip each caramel square one at a time into the melted chocolate, using a fork to dip and cover each caramel with chocolate. Lift the caramel out using the fork and tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Lightly scrape the bottom of the fork on the side of the bowl to remove more excess from the bottom and use a butter knife or offset spatula to help slide the caramel from the fork to the parchment paper or wax paper.
- Drizzle the tops with extra melted chocolate and sprinkle with a pinch of Maldon sea salt.
- Allow the dipped caramels to harden in a cool place, then transfer to an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!
Notes
- Transfer your chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl or container.
- Heat for 30 seconds at a time, stopping and stirring with a rubber spatula in between.
- Once almost all of the chocolate has melted, remove from the microwave and stir, allowing the residual heat to do the rest of the melting.
- Depending on how much chocolate you are melting at once, this can take anywhere from a total of 90 seconds to 4 minutes.
- Put a small pot of water on the stovetop and bring to a low simmer.
- Add your chocolate to a large metal or glass mixing bowl and place the bowl on top of the pot of simmering water. Make sure the bowl isn’t actually touching the water at all (if it is, remove some of the water until it doesn’t touch).
- Stir occasionally as the chocolate melts and keep a close eye on the heat level to make sure that none of the chocolate starts to burn.
Nutrition
More of Our Favorite Caramel Recipes to Try
- Caramel Dip for Apples
- Homemade Caramel Candies {Video}
- Homemade Caramel Sauce
- Caramel Apple Punch
- Caramel Popcorn
- Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Rods
- Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
- More Dessert Recipes
- More Holiday Favorites
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This Chocolate Covered Caramel recipe will guide you through making your very own hand-dipped chocolate caramels in no time. These buttery chewy caramels are covered in chocolate and sprinkled with flakey sea salt for an out-of-this-world homemade candy.
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