Chewy Salted Caramel Recipe Without Corn Syrup (2024)

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Are you looking for a fantastic chewy caramel recipe without corn syrup? Well, you’ve come to the right place. It can be disheartening when you want to make caramels but find that nearly every recipe out there calls for corn syrup or glucose syrup. Though this syrup can really help with preventing crystals from forming when cooking a caramel, it isn’t actually a necessary ingredient to make a killer caramel — in fact, it isn’t even a traditional ingredient!

Where I live in Tbilisi, Georgia, corn syrup isn’t even available and I would have to special order it from abroad in order to have it. This was frustrating at one point when I was making a caramel for a recipe and continually had problems with it crystalizing and seizing.

After two or three failed batches of caramel, I took to the internet to find out how to prevent this from happening. Much to my chagrin, every tip I found insisted that I needed to add corn syrup or cream of tartar, another ingredient unavailable in Georgia.

Rather than giving up, I set my mind to figuring out just how to make caramel without corn syrup or cream of tartar and through a bit of trial and error, I’ve developed it.

So if you’re looking for a great chewy salted caramel recipe without corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, cream of tartar or any other odd add-ins, then look no further. In fact, this caramel recipe only uses four ingredients and yields an extraordinary result.

How to Make Caramel Without Corn Syrup

The reason corn syrup is an ingredient that features so heavily in caramel recipes is that it helps prevent the sugar from crystalising and your caramel from seizing.

Sugar crystals are the bane of any caramel’s existence and will ruin your caramel in an instant, so it makes sense that cooks over the years have devised some shortcuts to prevent this from happening. It’s the same reason why you will find cream of tartar in so many recipes, as well — the acidity prevents crystals from forming.

Chewy Salted Caramel Recipe Without Corn Syrup (1)

But the good news is, you absolutely can successfully execute a caramel recipe without corn syrup. It just takes a little extra attentiveness and no half measures – you have to watch that caramel like a hawk while also making sure not to do anything that will result in crystals forming! And once you get the technique down, you can make any caramel-based candy without corn syrup – like caramel apples, peanut brittle or caramel corn! It’s also the same method as in my candy strawberry and candy apple recipes.

Keep in mind that this recipe uses a wet caramel method, as opposed to the dry caramel method I use in my caramel sauce recipe.

First things first, however, you need to prepare your mold where your caramels will cool down. I recommend using a 22x11cm (8.5×4.5in) loaf pan for this. In order to easily release the caramels once they’ve cooled down, I fashion a bit of a parchment sling in the pan.

Grease your loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. Then cut two pieces of parchment so that they are the same width as the long side of the pan and the short side of the pan but longer than the sides so you can use it as a handle. Lay these into the pan so that they’re overlapping, and then brush them with more butter or cooking spray. Set the pan aside until needed.

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To begin this caramel recipe without corn syrup, pour your heavy cream into a small saucepan and add your butter. Melt the butter into the cream, remove from the heat, pour into a jug and set aside (but keep it close to the stove!) until needed.

Now, you need to actually make the caramel that is the basis of these chewy caramel candies. This is where you can easily mess up if you do not heed my advice.

In a medium saucepan over the lowest flame possible, add your sugar and 60ml of water (about 1/4 cup). Stirring constantly with a heatproof silicone spatula, gently dissolve the sugar.

This is the absolute most crucial step to the caramel recipe without condensed milk or corn syrup, you HAVE TO ensure that all of the sugar is dissolved before it comes up to a boil. This will take a bit of time but do no rush it or your caramel will be ruined. This is the same thing you must do when making the syrup for my marshmallow recipe.

Once your sugar is dissolved, bring the mixture to a gentle boil. AS SOON as the mixture has started to boil, stop stirring. Remove your spatula and brush down the sides of the pan with some water to wash off any sugar that has begun to crystalise on the sides of the pot. Increase the heat to medium and allow to bubble.

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This is where your patience will be tested. The sugar can take a while to caramelise (much like caramelising onions for French onion soup!) but once it begins taking on even a shade of colour, it can go from pale to burned in a flash. So make sure to monitor the mixture intensively, just DO NOT stir it — this will cause it to crystalise!

After about 10-15 minutes (but it could be sooner depending on a number of factors), you will notice your caramel begin to take on a honey colour. Keep an extra attentive eye on the caramel at this point. In the next few minutes, you will notice it beginning to darken in colour.

As soon as you see the caramel reach a dark amber colour with the slightest whisps of smoke emerging from the top, turn off the heat. If you have a candy or instant-read thermometer, you want to pull it when it reaches 175°C (350°F). However, if you want to know how to make caramel without a candy thermometer, then just rely on these visual indicators.

Chewy Salted Caramel Recipe Without Corn Syrup (4)

Now, pour in your cream and butter mixture while stirring constantly with the same heatproof spatula. It will sputter and foam up a lot, so do not be alarmed. Then, add your salt. Keep stirring and return to the heat. At a medium flame, cook the caramel (stirring constantly now!) until it reaches 120°C (250°F), this will take about 5-10 more minutes.

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If you don’t have a thermometer, keep a dish of cold water nearby and drop a spoonful of the caramel in there. This will call it to instantly harden and you can gauge the consistency.

We’re cooking the caramels to what is referred to as the firm ball stage. This means that when dropped in water, the syrup will form a ball that won’t flatten when you pick it up but it is still very malleable.

Once you reach this stage, remove your caramel from the heat and immediately pour it into your prepared loaf pan. Set aside in a cool place and allow the caramels to cool for at least 3 hours (or overnight) until the caramels are completely cooled through and firm.

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Using the sling, pull the caramels from the pan once they’re cooled and remove the parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut the caramels into 16 even squares and sprinkle with a generous dusting of a flaky sea salt like Maldon or fleur de sel.

You can then wrap the caramels individually in wax paper or store them in an airtight container. Enjoy!

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Chewy Salted Caramel Without Corn Syrup

Yield: 16 caramels

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

These chewy candies are very sweet, decadent and relatively easy to make. So long as you have the patience, you can whip up these delicious caramels in your sleep!

Ingredients

  • 125ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream
  • 100g (7 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 200g (1 cup) sugar
  • 8g (1 teaspoon) salt
  • Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Brush a 22x11cm (8.5x4.55in) loaf pan with melted butter or spray with cooking spray. Cut two pieces of parchment to fit the length of both sides of the pan. Place them in the pan, overlapping, so they form a sling. Brush these with butter or cooking spray as well. Set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter into the heavy cream. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  3. In a medium saucepan over very low heat, pour 60ml (1/4 cup) of water over the sugar. Stirring constantly, slowly dissolve the sugar in the water, ensuring that the sugar is completely dissolved before it comes to a boil.
  4. Once the sugar is dissolved, wash down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent any sugar from crystalizing. Once the mixture has come to a boil, stop stirring and allow to boil until the sugar mixture reaches a deep amber colour and an instant-read thermometer registers at 175°C (350°F). Do not stir the mixture at all once it has come to a boil.
  5. Turn off the heat and, stirring constantly, pour in the butter and cream mixture along with the salt. It will sputter, foam and steam at this point so do not be alarmed. Stir until well combined and return the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 120°C (250°F).
  6. Remove from the heat and pour into prepared loaf pan. Allow to cool until completely cooled and set, at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
  7. Once cooled, remove from the pan and, using a sharp knife, cut into 16 equal pieces. Garnish with flaky salt and serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 120Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 197mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 0g

Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

As you can see, it is completely possible to make delicious chewy salted caramels without corn syrup. In fact, once you get the hang of it, you will be able to make these in your sleep.

Have you been looking for a caramel recipe without corn syrup? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!

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Chewy Salted Caramel Recipe Without Corn Syrup (9)

Chewy Salted Caramel Recipe Without Corn Syrup (2024)

FAQs

Why do you need corn syrup in caramel? ›

Why do I add corn syrup? Corn syrup acts as an "interfering agent" in this and many other candy recipes. It contains long chains of glucose molecules that tend to keep the sucrose molecules in the candy syrup from crystallizing. Lots of sucrose crystals would results in grainy caramels.

What is chewy caramel made of? ›

The ingredients for these caramels are very simple. Butter, sugar, karo syrup, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. However, the key to creating magic–that amazing rich caramel taste and texture–is in the cooking process.

Can I substitute honey for corn syrup in caramel corn? ›

Instead of the usual corn syrup or brown sugar, this healthy caramel popcorn gets its sweetness from honey. The sweet taste of honey mixed with the richness of butter creates a homemade caramel sauce that's simple and yet so good.

What is a substitute for 1 cup of corn syrup? ›

You can replace 1 cup of corn syrup with one of these simple substitutes: 1 cup sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water. 1 cup honey. 1 cup light molasses.

Is Karo syrup the same as corn syrup? ›

Karo syrup is a popular brand of corn syrup, which is obtained from corn starch that is derived from maize. It is a concentrated solution of several sugars, such as glucose (dextrose), derived from corn starch. Because of various sugars, corn syrup has a naturally mild sweet taste.

Why shouldn't you stir sugar when making caramel? ›

Like dry caramel, you want to gently move the sugar mixture in that same side-to-side paintbrush-like fashion until the sugar dissolves. Then, as soon as the mixture comes to a boil, it should not be stirred, as the agitation can cause crystallization.

Why is my caramel corn chewy? ›

The ingredients for a chewy caramel corn and a hard caramel corn are exactly the same, it just comes down to how long you cook the caramel. For a softer, chewier caramel (Camp #2!), cook the mixture only until it hits 235 degrees F. For a harder bite, cook the caramel to 250 degrees F.

Can I use liquid glucose instead of corn syrup? ›

Essentially, glucose and corn syrup are the same thing. All corn syrup is glucose syrup, but not all glucose syrup is corn syrup. This means they can be used interchangeably, but as mentioned above, they are different types of glucose syrups that can aid in certain recipes.

What's the difference between salted caramel and caramel? ›

Salted caramel is often used as a topping for desserts or as a filling for candies and chocolates. In summary, the main difference between caramel and salted caramel is the presence of salt in the latter. Caramel is sweet and has a rich, buttery flavor, while salted caramel has a slightly savory edge to its sweetness.

What are the three types of caramel? ›

Caramel can be produced in so many forms such as, sauce, a chewy candy, or a hard candy because of how much of an ingredient is added and the temperature it is being prepared at.

What is the difference in Carmel and caramel? ›

Generally, “caramel” is defined as a chewy, light-brown candy made from butter, sugar, and milk or cream. For example: I love eating caramels because they are soft and chewy. In contrast, “Carmel,” is used as a proper noun, and it is a popular beach town in California, known as Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Why is honey better than corn syrup? ›

Here's the good news about honey. Unlike table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (the most commonly used sweeteners in the U.S.), honey contains other nutrients that studies show to be beneficial to health. The biggest health boost comes from the antioxidants in honey.

How much honey do I substitute for corn syrup? ›

You can substitute an equal amount of honey for light corn syrup in many recipes. Like maple syrup, honey is not the best choice for making candies or caramel because it may crystallize. However, it is a good option for making frostings, baked goods, jams, and jellies. Be sure to opt for raw honey whenever possible.

Can you substitute brown sugar for corn syrup? ›

For each cup of light corn syrup in a recipe, substitute 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup water. For each cup of dark corn syrup, substitute 1 cup of packed brown sugar and 1/4 cup water.

Can you use maple syrup instead of corn syrup in caramel? ›

Maple syrup fits the bill. A generous half cup infused my caramels with pure, sweet, fall flavor. Each bite is salty, chewy, and full of maple sugar.

How does corn syrup affect caramel? ›

Whether you're making brittle or butterscotch, adding corn syrup along with the sugar results in smooth, never-grainy caramel. It serves a similar role in recipes for meringue or marshmallows, preventing the hot sugar syrup from going clumpy, and gives the topping on this sweet potato-pecan pie a glossy sheen.

How do you make caramel thicker without cornstarch? ›

Add more sugar to the sauce.

If you increase the amount of sugar in the recipe you'll end up with a thicker caramel. Try increasing the sugar by about 1/3. The amount of milk suggested by the recipe, then, will leave you with a thick caramel sauce.

References

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