Soft buttery sea salt caramels (Printable)

Soft, buttery confections enhanced by a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for ideal sweet and salty notes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 1 cup heavy cream
02 - 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

→ Sweeteners

03 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 cup light corn syrup
05 - 1/4 cup water

→ Flavorings

06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Finish

08 - Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Lightly butter the parchment.
02 - In a small saucepan, combine heavy cream and butter. Warm over medium heat until butter melts and mixture is hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and set aside.
03 - In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir gently to blend, then cook over medium heat without stirring until sugar dissolves.
04 - Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil. Cook without stirring until it turns light golden and reaches 320°F (160°C) on a candy thermometer.
05 - Carefully pour warm cream and butter into caramelized sugar; mixture will bubble vigorously. Stir constantly and cook until temperature reaches 245°F (118°C) for soft caramels or 250°F (121°C) for firmer texture.
06 - Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and fine sea salt.
07 - Immediately pour hot caramel into prepared pan. Let sit 5 minutes, then evenly sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.
08 - Allow caramel to cool completely at room temperature for approximately 2 hours. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife.
09 - Wrap each caramel in wax paper or cellophane to prevent sticking.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • They taste like an expensive candy shop confection but cost a fraction of the price and actually taste fresher.
  • The contrast of buttery soft caramel with that salty crunch is addictive in the best way—it's the kind of balance that keeps you reaching for one more piece.
  • Homemade means you control exactly how soft or firm they are, plus you can gift them wrapped in pretty paper and feel genuinely proud.
02 -
  • Temperature matters more than time—invest in a candy thermometer and trust it completely, because eyeballing the color will eventually lead you astray.
  • Never, ever stir the sugar mixture before it boils or you'll trigger crystallization and end up with a grainy, unworkable mess that can't be saved.
  • That vigorous bubbling when you pour in the cream isn't a disaster—it's exactly what should happen, and stopping or hesitating means the temperature drops unevenly.
03 -
  • Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan for the sugar mixture because thin pans heat unevenly and create hot spots that burn the caramel while other parts stay pale.
  • Have all your ingredients measured and ready before you start cooking—once the sugar begins its transformation, there's no pausing to find the vanilla bottle.
Go Back