Boiling eggnog down to 248°F replaces heavy cream in these caramels, trapping nutmeg and rum flavor into a chewy, spiced candy.
Eggnog Caramels
Homemade caramels made from using a holiday classic - store bought eggnog!
Prep
5
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
26
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
Eggnog itself dates back to medieval Britain's 'posset'—a curdled milk-and-wine drink the aristocracy swigged—before colonial Americans spiked it with rum and dragged it across the Atlantic in the 1700s, and now some caramel-obsessed cook has bottled that boozy Christmas custard into chewable form, proving Virginia plantation nightcaps and French confectionery techniques could, eventually, become proper stocking-stuffer material.
Regional Twist
Down in Louisiana's Cajun country, cooks swap plain white sugar for dark cane syrup and spike the butter with a splash of bourbon, turning these eggnog caramels into something closer to a praline's boozy, molasses-heavy cousin than a prim New England confection.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 26🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- ¾ cup corn syrup
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- ½ stick butter
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1.5 cups white sugar
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 teaspoon salt
📦Other(1)
- 2 cups eggnog liquid measurement
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
105
Protein
0g
Carbs
21g
Fat
3g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prep your sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper.
- 2
In your pot, combine eggnog, sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt.
- 3
Cook over MEDIUM heat, stirring constantly until temperature reaches 245F. Caramel will stop releasing steam 5-10 minutes before this temperature is hit.
- 4
Pour into prepared pan. Cool completely before cutting (around 12 hours).
- 5
Cut caramels and wrap using either cello candy wrappers, parchment paper, or wax paper. Store in an airtight container.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Reduce your eggnog by 15-20% (to ~1.6-1.7 cups) before combining with other ingredients by simmering it for 3-4 minutes, because eggnog's high fat content (10-20%) will destabilize the emulsion and cause graining if you don't concentrate the milk solids first.ingredient15-20% reduction | 3-4 minutes simmering
- ✓Stop stirring at 240°F and use a wet pastry brush to wash down sugar crystals from the pot sides until you reach 245°F, because continued stirring after 240°F causes nucleation and grainy texture; brushing prevents recrystallization without agitation.technique240°F threshold
- ✓Use a candy thermometer clipped 2 inches from the pot bottom and ensure the bulb doesn't touch the pan surface, because eggnog caramel's dairy content causes heat conduction variations that can give false readings of ±5°F if positioned incorrectly.equipment2 inches from bottom
- ✓Cool your caramels at 65-68°F room temperature for exactly 12-14 hours before cutting, because temperatures above 70°F cause butter fat to separate and create a greasy surface, while cutting before 12 hours results in pulling and tearing due to incomplete crystallization.timing65-68°F | 12-14 hours
- ✓Dip your cutting knife in hot water and wipe dry between each cut to cleanly slice through the caramel's toffee structure, because eggnog caramels set harder than traditional caramels due to milk protein coagulation and require the heat to prevent sticking and cracking.technique
Share this recipe
Prep
5
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
26
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Boiling eggnog down to 248°F replaces heavy cream in these caramels, trapping nutmeg and rum flavor into a chewy, spiced candy.
Eggnog Caramels
Homemade caramels made from using a holiday classic - store bought eggnog!
The Story
Eggnog itself dates back to medieval Britain's 'posset'—a curdled milk-and-wine drink the aristocracy swigged—before colonial Americans spiked it with rum and dragged it across the Atlantic in the 1700s, and now some caramel-obsessed cook has bottled that boozy Christmas custard into chewable form, proving Virginia plantation nightcaps and French confectionery techniques could, eventually, become proper stocking-stuffer material.
Regional Twist
Down in Louisiana's Cajun country, cooks swap plain white sugar for dark cane syrup and spike the butter with a splash of bourbon, turning these eggnog caramels into something closer to a praline's boozy, molasses-heavy cousin than a prim New England confection.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 26🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- ¾ cup corn syrup
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- ½ stick butter
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1.5 cups white sugar
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 teaspoon salt
📦Other(1)
- 2 cups eggnog liquid measurement
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
105
Protein
0g
Carbs
21g
Fat
3g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prep your sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper.
- 2
In your pot, combine eggnog, sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt.
- 3
Cook over MEDIUM heat, stirring constantly until temperature reaches 245F. Caramel will stop releasing steam 5-10 minutes before this temperature is hit.
- 4
Pour into prepared pan. Cool completely before cutting (around 12 hours).
- 5
Cut caramels and wrap using either cello candy wrappers, parchment paper, or wax paper. Store in an airtight container.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Reduce your eggnog by 15-20% (to ~1.6-1.7 cups) before combining with other ingredients by simmering it for 3-4 minutes, because eggnog's high fat content (10-20%) will destabilize the emulsion and cause graining if you don't concentrate the milk solids first.ingredient15-20% reduction | 3-4 minutes simmering
- ✓Stop stirring at 240°F and use a wet pastry brush to wash down sugar crystals from the pot sides until you reach 245°F, because continued stirring after 240°F causes nucleation and grainy texture; brushing prevents recrystallization without agitation.technique240°F threshold
- ✓Use a candy thermometer clipped 2 inches from the pot bottom and ensure the bulb doesn't touch the pan surface, because eggnog caramel's dairy content causes heat conduction variations that can give false readings of ±5°F if positioned incorrectly.equipment2 inches from bottom
- ✓Cool your caramels at 65-68°F room temperature for exactly 12-14 hours before cutting, because temperatures above 70°F cause butter fat to separate and create a greasy surface, while cutting before 12 hours results in pulling and tearing due to incomplete crystallization.timing65-68°F | 12-14 hours
- ✓Dip your cutting knife in hot water and wipe dry between each cut to cleanly slice through the caramel's toffee structure, because eggnog caramels set harder than traditional caramels due to milk protein coagulation and require the heat to prevent sticking and cracking.technique