Vanilla Cream Caramels
Soft and chewy caramels with a vanilla cream center.
Prep
0
min
Cook
120
min
Serves
50
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 50🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 285 grams corn syrup
- 75 grams corn syrup
- 10 grams water around 1 tablespoon
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 340 grams evaporated milk
- 170 grams heavy cream
- 113 grams unsalted butter
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 340 grams brown sugar
- 475 grams powdered sugar
- 2 grams vanilla
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 4 grams salt
📦Other(1)
- 90 grams vegetable shortening
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
136
Protein
1g
Carbs
22g
Fat
5g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Lay out a large piece of parchment paper. This should be large enough to fit a 10" x 15" rectangle with room around each side.
- 2
In a heavy duty, thick bottomed pot, combine butter, brown sugar, salt, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and corn syrup.
- 3
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until butter has melted and sugar has dissolved.
- 4
Turn heat to medium. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil.
- 5
Turn heat to medium high. Stirring constantly, cook caramel until temperature reaches 241F.
- 6
Turn off heat. Pour caramel on parchment. Spread into a thin layer, making a 10" x 16" rectangle. Cool completely. Make vanilla cream while it cools.
- 7
Place shortening in mixing bowl. Mix on low for one minute.
- 8
Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time.
- 9
Add vanilla and corn syrup. Mix until combined. Ingredients will resemble goat cheese crumbles.
- 10
Add water. Mix. A small amount of additional water might be needed to achieve texture. You are looking for the ingredients to feel like play-doh and to become like clay when you squeeze them together in your hand.
- 11
Dump out contents of mixing bowl onto work surface (parchment paper or a large cutting board is great!) Work the ingredients until a dough forms. Set aside.
- 12
Cut caramel slab into four equal pieces.
- 13
Apply vanilla cream in a thin layer to caramel, leaving ½ " space at the top long side. Vanilla cream layer should be about half the height of the caramel layer.
- 14
Roll up caramel into a log.
- 15
Using your hands, roll caramel long like you are rolling pretzel dough to lengthen it. Aim for 12-15 inches in length. You should no longer hear or feel a caramel seam when rolling the piece.
- 16
Cut the caramel into ½" slices. Wrap in desired packaging.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use a candy thermometer clipped to the pot's side (not touching the bottom) and maintain medium-high heat to reach 241°F, which represents the firm-ball stage (approximately 52% sugar concentration by weight). This specific temperature creates a chewy texture because the caramel has enough moisture (≈48%) to stay pliable without becoming tacky.timing241°F | 52% sugar concentration
- ✓Stir constantly throughout cooking using a silicone spatula in a figure-8 pattern to prevent hot spots and localized crystallization, especially when the mixture reaches 220°F+, where sugar molecules denature rapidly and uneven heating can cause graining.technique220°F+ critical threshold
- ✓Pour the finished caramel onto parchment at 241°F immediately after removing from heat—waiting more than 30 seconds allows carryover cooking to reach 245-250°F, which hardens the final texture by 15-20% and makes it difficult to bite through cleanly.timing30 seconds maximum delay
- ✓Beat the shortening on low speed for exactly one minute before adding powdered sugar to introduce 8-12% air by volume, creating a lighter, fluffier vanilla cream that won't compress the caramel layer when spread (mixing at high speed traps excessive air and causes separation).techniqueLow speed | 1 minute | 8-12% air incorporation
- ✓Allow the caramel to cool completely (60-90 minutes at room temperature) before spreading vanilla cream, because the residual heat (above 90°F) will soften the cream layer's emulsion and cause it to separate, reducing its binding capacity by up to 35%.timing60-90 minutes | below 90°F surface temperature
Share this recipe
Prep
0
min
Cook
120
min
Serves
50
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Vanilla Cream Caramels
Soft and chewy caramels with a vanilla cream center.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 50🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 285 grams corn syrup
- 75 grams corn syrup
- 10 grams water around 1 tablespoon
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 340 grams evaporated milk
- 170 grams heavy cream
- 113 grams unsalted butter
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 340 grams brown sugar
- 475 grams powdered sugar
- 2 grams vanilla
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 4 grams salt
📦Other(1)
- 90 grams vegetable shortening
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
136
Protein
1g
Carbs
22g
Fat
5g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Lay out a large piece of parchment paper. This should be large enough to fit a 10" x 15" rectangle with room around each side.
- 2
In a heavy duty, thick bottomed pot, combine butter, brown sugar, salt, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and corn syrup.
- 3
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until butter has melted and sugar has dissolved.
- 4
Turn heat to medium. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil.
- 5
Turn heat to medium high. Stirring constantly, cook caramel until temperature reaches 241F.
- 6
Turn off heat. Pour caramel on parchment. Spread into a thin layer, making a 10" x 16" rectangle. Cool completely. Make vanilla cream while it cools.
- 7
Place shortening in mixing bowl. Mix on low for one minute.
- 8
Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time.
- 9
Add vanilla and corn syrup. Mix until combined. Ingredients will resemble goat cheese crumbles.
- 10
Add water. Mix. A small amount of additional water might be needed to achieve texture. You are looking for the ingredients to feel like play-doh and to become like clay when you squeeze them together in your hand.
- 11
Dump out contents of mixing bowl onto work surface (parchment paper or a large cutting board is great!) Work the ingredients until a dough forms. Set aside.
- 12
Cut caramel slab into four equal pieces.
- 13
Apply vanilla cream in a thin layer to caramel, leaving ½ " space at the top long side. Vanilla cream layer should be about half the height of the caramel layer.
- 14
Roll up caramel into a log.
- 15
Using your hands, roll caramel long like you are rolling pretzel dough to lengthen it. Aim for 12-15 inches in length. You should no longer hear or feel a caramel seam when rolling the piece.
- 16
Cut the caramel into ½" slices. Wrap in desired packaging.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use a candy thermometer clipped to the pot's side (not touching the bottom) and maintain medium-high heat to reach 241°F, which represents the firm-ball stage (approximately 52% sugar concentration by weight). This specific temperature creates a chewy texture because the caramel has enough moisture (≈48%) to stay pliable without becoming tacky.timing241°F | 52% sugar concentration
- ✓Stir constantly throughout cooking using a silicone spatula in a figure-8 pattern to prevent hot spots and localized crystallization, especially when the mixture reaches 220°F+, where sugar molecules denature rapidly and uneven heating can cause graining.technique220°F+ critical threshold
- ✓Pour the finished caramel onto parchment at 241°F immediately after removing from heat—waiting more than 30 seconds allows carryover cooking to reach 245-250°F, which hardens the final texture by 15-20% and makes it difficult to bite through cleanly.timing30 seconds maximum delay
- ✓Beat the shortening on low speed for exactly one minute before adding powdered sugar to introduce 8-12% air by volume, creating a lighter, fluffier vanilla cream that won't compress the caramel layer when spread (mixing at high speed traps excessive air and causes separation).techniqueLow speed | 1 minute | 8-12% air incorporation
- ✓Allow the caramel to cool completely (60-90 minutes at room temperature) before spreading vanilla cream, because the residual heat (above 90°F) will soften the cream layer's emulsion and cause it to separate, reducing its binding capacity by up to 35%.timing60-90 minutes | below 90°F surface temperature