These chocolate-covered caramels are the ultimate treat! Thanks to homemade caramel and a little salt on top, they taste incredible. Perfect for gifts!
We dip soft butter caramel into this recipe and then dip sea salt into cream chocolate. They are almost irresistible! I’m using my own homemade caramel recipe that hundreds of home cooks use and like.
These chocolate-covered caramels are soft, chewy and melt perfectly in your mouth. For another caramel recipe, see my homemade caramel sauce. Or, for another fertile snack, these chocolate truffles.
Key ingredients and equipment
- chocolate: I recommend using high quality chocolate for best results, whether you choose milk, dark or white. Some of the brands I personally like are Ghirardelli, Callebaut and Scharffen Berger.
- sugar: Pure sugar is the method of this recipe.
- Light Corn Syrup: While I don’t use it often in other recipes, it’s key to achieving the best, most consistent caramel texture. However, if you’re in trouble, I’ve successfully used pure honey or gold syrup as a replacement.
- butter: I use salted butter to enhance the flavor of these caramels. If you only have unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon fine salt to the butter and cream mixture.
- Heavy cream: For soft and chewy caramel, choose higher fat creams, such as “heavy cream” or “heavy whip cream.” If you are in the UK or Australia, use double cream or thickened cream with at least 35% fat content works well.
- Salt: To make salty chocolate covered caramels, sprinkle with flakes or gray sea salt while they are still warm. Smoked salt is also good!
- equipment: For this recipe, you will need a candy thermometer for precise cooking, a small, thick-bottomed pan to prevent caramel, and a standard 9 x 5-inch bread tray to cool the caramel. I like using smaller batches in my 2 quart full clothes pan.
How to make chocolate covered caramel
Before making caramel at home, read the recipe a few times, prepare all the equipment, and measure the ingredients. Making candy can be done quickly, and if you aren’t ready, things can go from good to bad.
Don’t try this recipe without a candy thermometer. Temperature is important. Our recipe is a two-part process. First we cook the syrup (sugar, corn syrup and water) and then add the cream and butter mixture. For more details, I recommend watching our video or skipping to this caramel recipe where I share extra tips.
You will pour the caramel mixture into a lined bread dish and let cool for a few hours before cutting it into caramel. You can then dip them in melted chocolate.
I melt the chocolate in the microwave, but you can use a dual boiler. We then dip each caramel into the chocolate (a chaotic but delicious process!).
Finally, to make them really special, we added a bunch of sea salt to it.
Salty chocolate covered with caramel
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I love these chocolate-covered caramels, they are soft, chewy and melt perfectly in your mouth. Before making these devices, prepare all the devices and measure the ingredients. I love dark chocolate, but milk or white chocolate is also cute.
Make 32 caramel
Watch us make recipes
You will need
Homemade caramel
1/2 cup (113g) butter
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream or heavy cream (36 to 40% butter content)
3 tablespoons (44 ml) water
1/4 cup (60ml) light corn syrup
1 cup (200g) sugar
Chocolate paint
1 lb (450g) high quality chocolate, milk, dark or white
2 tablespoons (28g) butter
1/2 teaspoon peeled sea salt or more
direction
- Making caramel
1First oil the 9×5-inch bread dish. Cut a piece of parchment and place the paper into the pan with at least one inch of overhang on the sides. Oil the parchment paper and place it in a pan and set aside.
2Cut the butter into 8 pieces and add to the microwave safe bowl. Add heavy cream. Heat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until the butter melts and the mixture becomes hot. Set it aside for later use.
3In a small pot, mix water and corn syrup. Add sugar, be careful not to splash it on the sides of the pan. Gently stir the sugar into water and corn syrup, enough to moisten it.
4Heat the mixture over medium heat until the sugar boils. Cover with the lid for 1 minute to create steam, which helps to secure any sugar on the sides back into the mixture.
5Remove the lid and attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Cook the sugar until it arrives 320°F (160°C) and turn light amber around the edges, 5 to 10 minutes.
6Carefully, slowly pour about one-sixth of the butter and cream mixture into the sugar and stir with a thermometer.
7Repeat the remaining cream and butter, add it to small batches and stir between each addition. The mixture will bubble violently, so proceed with caution to prevent it from spilling.
8After adding cream and butter, the temperature will drop. Continue cooking until caramel arrives 240°F (115°C), 5 to 10 minutes.
9After reaching 240°F (115°C), pour the caramel into the prepared bread pan. Let it cool completely (about 3½ hours).
10Remove the caramel. If it is too soft to handle, refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes to keep it firm. Use a large sharp knife to cut the caramel into the desired shape. We cut into 1-inch squares of 1-inch.
- Caramel dipped in chocolate
1Arrange the baking sheet with parchment paper.
2Cut the chocolate into small pieces with a strong knife. Keep about 1/3 of these chocolate chunks and set them aside.
3Place the remaining chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Add the butter and microwave at 30 to 45 seconds intervals, stirring after each interval until the chocolate is almost completely melted.
4Remove it from the microwave and stir the remaining chocolate chunks. Continue to stir until the mixture is smooth and shiny.
5To coat caramel, use two forks to dip each caramel into melted chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off and place dipped in caramel on the prepared baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle a little salt on top of each caramel.
6Allow the chocolate to set completely at room temperature.
7Once set, wrap each caramel in plastic wrap or wax paper to protect them. Enjoy them now, refrigerate them for up to two weeks, or freeze them for up to a month.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- The device I use: I use a standard candy thermometer (Taylor thermometer shown in the video and photos) and a heavy, thick bottomed pan with 1½ to 2 quarts (I love my full card d5 D5 2 quarts).
- Salted Butter: After years of making, I prefer salty butter. If you have unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt. You can also use the unsalted butter we use in our videos.
- Double the recipe: I don’t usually recommend doubling this caramel recipe. Double the formula can make it difficult to accurately control the temperature, which is crucial to achieving the correct texture and consistency of the caramel. If you need a larger quantity, it is best to do multiple batches. However, if you have experience in candy making and have a pot that is large enough, you can try doubling the recipe. Just be cautious about monitoring temperature and adjusting cooking time.
- The recipe was inspired and adapted by Jacques Pépin’s book “Checked Traditions and Rituals”.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We include all the chocolate in the calculation, which is unlikely because you will have some leftovers leftovers.
Nutrition per serving
Service size
1 caramel
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Calories
141
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Tota fat
8.3 grams
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cholesterol
11.7mg
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sodium
39.1mg
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carbohydrate
17.5g
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Dietary fiber
1G
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Total sugar
16.4g
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protein
1.1 g
We are Adam and Joanne, a couple who are passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? Inspire you to enter the kitchen and cook fresh and delicious meals confidently.
