These Easy Microwave Caramels are buttery and soft and made in just 7 minutes in the microwave. This is the easiest way to make this homemade candy!
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Buttery, sweet, and gooey caramels made in the microwave in just 7 minutes. Say what? Simply melt butter, add white and brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and corn syrup, and cook in the microwave. The result: perfect, golden, gooey, and buttery caramels you ever had!
These Easy Microwave Caramels are quite easy to make and totally irresistible! You can wrap them in wax paper for a sweet treat anytime, dip them in chocolate and dress up with sprinkles for a festive holiday platter, or hide them inside a cookie dough ball before baking! Either way, these caramels are bound to be a hit!
Ingredients:
- unsalted butter: gives the caramels a rich and smooth flavor;
- sugar: I use white and brown for rich flavor;
- corn syrup: I recommend the clear one; dark corn syrup has more of a molasses flavor;
- sweetened condensed milk: makes caramels creamy and soft;
- salt: any type works; sea salt pairs very well with caramel;
- vanilla extract: adds delicious flavor to this simple candy.
Tools You'll Need:
- 8" square baking pan
- parchment paper
- wax paper
- microwave-safe bowl
- wooden spoon or spatula
How to make microwave caramels?
- Start by lining your baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Set aside, so it's ready as soon as the caramel mixture is done.
- Make sure the bowl you will be making the caramels in is microwave safe and clean and dry. Place butter (chopped into tablespoon-size pieces) in the bowl and microwave for 1 minute. It will be almost all melted. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Place mixture in a bowl into the microwave and cook for 2 minutes. Stir well. Set timer to cook for 4 minutes, but stop it every minute to stir the mixture. It will bubble up and rise up in the bowl, so stir it until it calms down. Once done, carefully remove the bowl with caramel from the microwave and pour into prepared pan. Let cool completely in room temperature.
- Once the caramel is cooled, lift up the parchment paper and set on a cutting board. Slice caramel into squares and wrap each one individually. If you keep them all together unwrapped, they will stick together and get messy.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Helpful Tips!
- Plan ahead: make sure nothing will be distracting you (phone, kiddos, laundry, etc.). We are dealing with a hot sugar mixture here that you need to watch and stir every minute.
- Prep: make sure your 8" square pan is lined with parchment paper and ready before you start microwaving the mixture. Once the caramel is done, pour it carefully into the pan, smooth out, and let cool completely.
- Parchment paper: line your 8" square pan with it for easy removal. Once the caramel cools, lift it out of the pan, place on a cutting board and slice with a knife into small squares. Each one will easily come off the parchment and will be ready for wrapping.
- No need to pull out the bowl out of the microwave, just hold it with one hand (in a kitchen mitten since the bowl will be hot!) so it won't be turning around and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the bubbling stops and the mixture falls a little bit. Be careful while handling the mixture. The bowl and the caramel will be very hot!
- Use real unsalted butter (no margarine, Imperial spread, etc.): real butter won't splatter and it will make the caramels buttery and delicious.
How to wrap homemade caramels?
This recipe makes 100 pieces if you cut the cooled caramel into 1" x ½" pieces. Cut wax paper into 4" x 3" pieces and wrap each piece of caramel, rolling it into a 2" x ¼" candy. See the photo below for visual help.
Recipe FAQs:
Caramels can be stored at room temperature and stay well for a few weeks. You can keep them in the fridge or freezer for up to 3 months. I highly recommend wrapping them in wax paper. This way they won't stick together.
Corn syrup prevents the caramel mixture from becoming grainy. Without it, candy syrup will crystalize. If you
Absolutely! Double the ingredients and use 2 square pans or one 13" by 9" pan.
More candy recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Easy Microwave Caramels
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line an 8″ square baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Set aside, so it’s ready as soon as the caramel mixture is done.
- Make sure the bowl you will be making the caramels in is microwave safe and clean and dry. Place butter (chopped into tablespoon-size pieces) in the bowl and microwave for 1 minute. It will be almost all melted. Add white and brown sugar, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk and salt and stir well.
- Place mixture in a bowl into the microwave and cook for 2 minutes. Stir well. Set timer to cook for 4 minutes, but stop it every 1 minute and 30 seconds to stir the mixture. It will bubble up and rise up in the bowl, so stir it until it calms down.
- Once done, carefully remove the bowl with caramel from the microwave, stir in vanilla extract and pour mixture into prepared pan. Let cool completely in room temperature.
- Once the caramel is cooled, lift up the parchment paper and set on a cutting board. Slice caramel into squares and wrap each one individually.
Notes
- No need to pull out the bowl out of the microwave, just hold it with one hand (in a kitchen mitten since the bowl will be hot!) so it won’t be turning around and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the bubbling stops and the mixture falls a little bit. Be careful while handling the mixture. The bowl and the caramel will be very hot!
- To wrap caramels in wax paper: This recipe makes 100 pieces if you cut the cooled caramel into 1″ x ½″ pieces. Cut wax paper into 4″ x 3″ pieces and wrap each piece of caramel, rolling it into a 2″ x ¼″ candy.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Rowen Schwartz says
do we need the corn syrup for the carmels becuse I don´t have anymore?
Carol says
How do the varying wattages of different microwave ovens affect this recipe? My microwave ocean is only 900 watts. Would I need to increase the overall time?
Becki says
I too have a low wattage microwave and have made this recipe numerous times and they always come out perfectly. Just cook at full power (high) for around 5 minutes, stopping every 1 minute and 30 seconds to stir.