Chocolate Caramels Recipe (2024)

Recipes » Dessert » Grandma Klein’s Chocolate Caramels

by Brenda Score onDecember 7, 2017 (updated December 5, 2023)

My grandma’s recipe for Chocolate Caramels is a family tradition. These homemade caramels are rich and buttery, perfectly chewy, and infused with chocolate – my favorite caramels in all the world!

Chocolate Caramels Recipe (1)

The Best Chocolate Caramels Recipe

If I had to choose one Christmas treat with the most sentimental value attached to it, this would be it, my Grandma Klein’s Chocolate Caramels.

These caramels are perfection. They’re rich and buttery and chewy, like caramels are supposed to be. And they’re infused with chocolate. I don’t see any way this recipe could be improved! It’s 1000% delicious!

“These have become a favorite for our family. My grandkids asked me if I could make some and send them to them (600 miles away) so I got some festive foil wrappers and will be sending them soon. Your Grandma is/was awesome!”

Nancy
Chocolate Caramels Recipe (2)

Where This Recipe Comes From

For so many people, including myself, these caramels could be considered my grandma’s food legacy, the single recipe that we’ll always remember her by.

Each Christmas day, Grandma Klein wouldoffer two pans of her homemade chocolate caramels. One pan with nuts, one pan without. I always went for the no-nuts, but if that pan was emptied I had no problem moving on tothe one with nuts!

Chocolate Caramels Recipe (3)

I smile to think about Christmas memories:

  • Playing at Grandma Klein’s house on Christmas day. Her little house at the end of the street was filled to the brim with cousins, cousins, everywhere!
  • Listening to my mom, grandma, and many aunts bustling away in the kitchen, preparing the feast. Their happy chatter and laughter could rival my boombox any day!
  • Snitching Grandma Klein’s homemade chocolate caramels. She always made two pans. One with nuts, one without.
  • Singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Jesus at our small town church’s Christmas program, in the same angel costume I had worn the previous year. And the year before that. AND the year before that!
  • Visiting Grandpa and Grandma Renelt at their winter Florida home, celebrating with a decorated Christmas palm tree instead of our usual evergreen.
  • Slurping Grandma Renelt’s heavenly oyster stew on Christmas Eve.
  • Baking Christmas goodies with Mom and my sisters.
  • Making homemade ice cream, taking turns cranking the pail by hand. And taking that first spoonful…yum!
  • Waking up on Christmas morning to Mom’s magnificently tender caramel rolls.
  • Indulging in just one more of Aunt June’s cream wafer cookies or one more piece of Aunt Donna’s cranberry cake. (Yes, I have LOTS of fond food memories!)
  • Listening to Grandpa Renelt or my dad read the Christmas story from the Bible on Christmas Eve, the room reverently silent.
  • Looking out across the farm, at the lit star that Dad hung from the northward pointing peak of the barn, imagining that one bright star so many years ago…
Chocolate Caramels Recipe (4)

Christmas has become increasingly more about focusing on finding joy and meaning, about savoring the stuff that’s real. And passing all this good stuff (including the food!) on to my own kids.

So, here’s that recipe that I love so much, an annual Christmas treat. I hope you like it, too.

Chocolate Caramels Recipe (5)

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Chocolate Caramels Recipe (6)

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Chocolate Caramels Recipe (7)

Chocolate Caramels Recipe (8)

Grandma Klein’s Chocolate Caramels

Yield: 1 9×13 pan

prep time: 10 minutes mins

cook time: 20 minutes mins

total time: 30 minutes mins

My grandma’s recipe for Chocolate Caramels is a family tradition. It wouldn’t be Christmas without this homemade treat!

4.4 Stars (80 Reviews)

Print

Ingredients

  • 2 c. white sugar
  • 1-1/2 c. corn syrup
  • 1-1/2 c. heavy cream
  • 1 c. unsalted butter plus more for buttering the pan
  • 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate I use Baker’s brand
  • 1-1/2 c. chopped nuts optional (I prefer without!)
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Generously butter a 9" x 13" pan and set aside.

  • Place all ingredients except nuts and vanilla in a heavy medium sauce pan. Over medium to medium-high heat, stir the mixture quite constantly with a spatulaor wooden spoon until it just reaches 240° F, and then quickly pull pan from heat. This will take quite some time, be prepared to stand by the stove for awhile, stirring, stirring,
    stirring! Do not let the caramel mixture overcook, or you will have hard caramel. Likewise, undercooking will result in softer caramels. (See note below about using acandy thermometer.) Withpan off theheat, stir in the vanilla. Stir in nuts, if using. Pour into preparedpan. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

  • If you prefer regular caramels, omit the chocolate.

  • If you want to gift these caramels, simply cut them into your desired size and wrap in wax paper.

  • This is how I achieve those super clean cuts: With refrigerated caramel, I first cut around the outer edge of the pan to loosen the caramel from the sides, and then invert caramel onto a wood cutting board that has a layer of wax paper on it, flipping the caramel slab right-side up again. Let warm a bit. Depending on the consistency of the caramel, this can take 20 to 60 minutes. If it’s hard to cut, wait another 15 minutes and repeat as necessary. Then I use a long non-serrated knife (a "sandwich knife") to make the cuts. For even more precision, use a ruler to mark out exact sized cuts.

Notes

Please note: Using candy thermometers can be a tricky thing. Thermometers are known to vary, which can give you different results. It’s a great idea to know the accuracy of your candy thermometer. If you want to calibrate your thermometer, to know exactly where yours sits, I found a great tutorial over atOur Best Bites. Check it out!

From Grandma Klein’s recipe box, originally from her dad’s (my Great Grandpa Braun’s) sister, Victoria Sand.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 78kcal Carbohydrates: 9g Protein: 1g Fat: 5g Saturated Fat: 2g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 9mg Sodium: 12mg Sugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.

Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!

© Brenda | A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Here are a few more favorite family Christmas treats you might like:

  • Mom’s Ultra Soft and Tender Caramel Rolls
  • Mom’s Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
  • Patsy’s Chocolate Covered Cherry Cordials
  • Donna’s Cranberry Cake with Butter Cream Sauce

(This post was previously published December2010. Grandma passed away in the fall of 2017 and I wanted to update this post with new photos and share it again.Because it really is one of my favorite recipes of all time. Photographs and some of the text were updated December2017.)

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38 comments on “Grandma Klein’s Chocolate Caramels”

Leave a comment »

  1. NancyReply

    These have become a favorite for our family. My grandkids asked me if I could make some and send them to them (600 miles away) so I got some festive foil wrappers and will be sending them soon. Your Grandma is/was awesome!

    • Brenda ScoreReply

      Hi Nancy – your comment makes me happy! I’m so glad you and your family love these!!!

  2. BeaReply

    I always cut my caramels with a pizza cutter. It’s super quick & easy plus it doesn’t stick either
    I love the recipe..no nuts!! I can’t fathom nuts in my caramels. These will be perfect in my baskets for Christmas for the ones who would rather have chocolate than the regular caramels. I love BOTH …

  3. DallasReply

    I just found your website and your recipes look amazing. I am wanting to give this one a try ASAP, but I have a question. Do you think a pizza cutter would work to cut the pieces?
    Thanks for the recipes!

  4. RebeccaReply

    Tried these for the first time and got distracted and forgot the sugar….and vanilla….and they still turned out perfect. I tried a new batch with the sugar and they were good but not as good as without. Either way, easy recipe and excellent caramels.

Leave a Reply

Chocolate Caramels Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What determines the consistency of caramels? ›

Temperature matters when making caramel. How hot the liquid mixture gets will determine its consistency once it cools. Typically, recipes will provide temperature guidelines, which is why it's helpful to have a thermometer on hand to quickly and accurately evaluate your caramel.

What is caramel chocolate made of? ›

What is Caramel Chocolate? Caramel Chocolate is caramelized white chocolate. By playing with flavors and caramelization levels of sugar and milk powder we can offer the same diverse flavor profiles as we see in caramel candy and caramel fillings.

Can homemade chocolate caramels be frozen? ›

Using a knife or pizza cutter (this works best), cut 1×1 inch squares and wrap in wax candy wrappers. Caramels have a 6 week shelf life at room temperature. These do no need to be refrigerated. They can also be individually wrapped and stored in a freezer bag for 3 months.

Why did my caramel fail? ›

If your caramel becomes gritty or grainy, the sugar probably crystallized. If the melting sugar splashes up onto the sides of the pan, it quickly loses its moisture content and forms back into crystals. That can set off a chain reaction that can cause caramel to seize up, ruining the entire batch.

What is the formula for caramel? ›

Explanation: The typical formula for caramels is C24H36O18 , so the elements of water have been removed from the sucrose.

What does adding butter to caramel do? ›

Once the sugar has all dissolved and turned brown, we add butter. The heat of the caramel will melt the butter and create even more wonderful flavors. Finally, after the butter has melted, we add heavy whipping cream. This will allow the mixture to be loose enough to be used as a sauce.

What is the difference between caramel and Carmel candy? ›

Carmel and caramel are not different spellings of the same word. Caramel is the correct spelling if you're talking about food or colors. Carmel is a misspelling when used in those contexts, but it is a word that can be used as a name for people or places.

Does caramel use white or brown sugar? ›

The difference between toffee and caramel is that caramel is made with white granulated sugar and cooked to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas toffee is made with butter and brown sugar and cooked to 295 - 309 degrees Fahrenheit.

What is the difference between hard caramel and soft caramel? ›

If caramels are too hard, you can try placing them back in a saucepan, adding a couple tablespoons of water and stirring until the thermometer reads 242°F. Pour back into a prepared buttered pan. If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough.

Who makes the best caramels? ›

  • Best Taste.
  • GOLD. aL chocoLat Boutique Passion Caramel. Virtuoso Confections Whiskey Maple Pecan Caramel.
  • SILVER. Kwoka caramel Salted caramel with peanuts and chocolate. Panache Chocolatier Rosemary Fig Caramel. Delysia Chocolatier Truffle Sampler: Caramelized Black Truffle.
Nov 28, 2023

How long do homemade chocolate caramels last? ›

Refrigerating homemade caramel can extend its shelf life to about a month, and freezing it can further prolong its usability up to a year. However, the texture may change slightly upon thawing.

Do chocolate covered caramels go bad? ›

Chocolates with filling (including peanut butter, nuts or caramel) typically have shorter shelf lives, ranging from six to nine months. Eifert adds that people might see a white coating on older chocolate called "bloom." Bloom is not harmful and should not be confused with mold.

What not to do when making caramel? ›

12 Mistakes To Avoid When Making Caramel
  1. Not assembling your ingredients. Juanmonino/Getty Images. ...
  2. Choosing the wrong pan. Milanchikov Sergey/Shutterstock. ...
  3. Using the wrong sugar. ...
  4. Getting the temperature wrong. ...
  5. Stirring the sugar too much. ...
  6. Forgetting about safety. ...
  7. Not heating your liquid. ...
  8. Stopping before the sugar browns.
Jan 29, 2024

Why does my homemade caramel taste bitter? ›

The temperature of the caramel can rise so rapidly that it is hard to keep it in the desired temperature range, shown above. As a result, the caramel could burn and taste bitter.

Why is it hard to make caramel? ›

The longest (and “hardest”) part of making caramel is just toasting and melting down the sugar at the very beginning. The rest is smoooooth sailing. The thing that makes caramel, or any candy, so tedious is the fact that cooking the sugar to different temperatures can result in a whole different product.

What is the different consistency of caramel? ›

If you let the temperature reach 355 – 360°F, the caramel will turn medium brown, and when cooled, it still will be hard, but not quite as brittle as its previous version. Once heated to 365 – 380°F, the caramel will get very dark brown, and once cooled, it will have a stickier, softer texture.

What makes caramel more runny? ›

To thin caramel, just add some cream or water over heat. Melt caramel loaves in the oven. You can also add corn syrup or lemon juice to caramel sauces to prevent them from crystallizing.

What makes caramel soft or hard? ›

Burning
TemperatureCaramel Status
179°C (355°F)The caramel starts to turn medium brown; hard when cooled
185°C (365°F)The caramel turns dark brown; soft and sticky when cooled
210°C (410°F)The caramel turns black and bitter; often used in this stage as a coloring agent
2 more rows
Apr 6, 2021

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