Microwave Caramels

Homemade microwave caramels are soft, chewy, buttery, and full of rich caramel flavor. This simple recipe makes a wonderful sweet treat to enjoy at home or package as a homemade gift for family and friends. Despite their delicious flavor and satisfying texture, these caramels are surprisingly easy to prepare using the microwave.

Making caramel doesn’t have to involve complicated steps or standing over the stove. The microwave offers a convenient way to prepare these buttery sweets in just a few minutes, making homemade candy feel much more approachable. The result is a batch of chewy caramels that taste like they took far more effort to make.

For the best results, use unsalted butter, as salted butter can cause the mixture to splatter. It’s also important to pay attention to the cooking time because microwaves vary in wattage, and the size of the bowl can affect how quickly the caramel cooks.

Rather than automatically cooking the mixture for the full seven minutes, start checking it at six minutes. A candy thermometer should register between 238°F and 242°F. Alternatively, drop a small spoonful of the caramel into ice water and let it cool briefly. It should become pliable and chewy rather than hard.

Cooking the caramel for too long can make the finished candy overly firm, so checking it early helps prevent that problem. Once you get familiar with how your microwave handles the recipe, it becomes easier to find the right cooking time for consistently soft, chewy results.

These homemade caramels are especially lovely for gifting because they feel thoughtful and special without requiring complicated candy making techniques. With their buttery texture and rich flavor, they’re the kind of homemade treat worth keeping in your recipe collection for holidays, celebrations, or whenever a sweet little indulgence sounds good.

Microwave Caramels

No Ratings

Print

Homemade Caramels are one of those classic, irresistible treats that never go out of style! This foolproof recipe makes perfectly soft, chewy, and buttery caramels with that deep, rich caramel flavor everyone loves.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 16 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter,* cut into 4 pieces
• 1/2 cup (120ml) light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (120ml) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Maldon sea salt or fleur de sel (optional)

Instructions

1. Lightly butter an 8 × 8-inch baking dish and set it aside. Place the butter in a large, high-temperature microwave-safe bowl, such as a heavy-duty glass bowl, and microwave until completely melted.
2. Add the corn syrup, granulated sugar, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and salt to the melted butter. Whisk thoroughly until the mixture is well combined.
3. Return the bowl to the microwave and cook on HIGH for 6–7 minutes.
4. Using oven mitts or heat-resistant pads, carefully remove the hot bowl from the microwave. Stir in the vanilla extract until evenly incorporated.
5. Pour the caramel mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top lightly with Maldon sea salt or fleur de sel, if desired.
6. Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes, or until the caramel is set. Cut into rectangular pieces. To make uniform portions, slice the caramel into rows slightly less than ½ inch wide, then cut each row into three pieces. Wrap each caramel individually in a small rectangle of wax paper.

Notes

• * Use unsalted butter for this recipe, as salted butter can cause excessive splattering during cooking.
• ** For safety, check the bowl manufacturer's instructions to ensure the bowl is microwave-safe at high temperatures. Avoid placing a hot bowl on a cold surface after removing it from the microwave, and make sure the bowl isn't cold before heating, as sudden temperature changes could cause it to shatter.
• *** Start checking the caramel at around 6 minutes. A candy thermometer should read between 238–242°F. Alternatively, drop a small spoonful of caramel into a bowl of ice water. Remove it from the water and check that it forms a small, pliable ball that isn't too soft or too hard.
• *** If the caramel needs more time, return it to the microwave and heat in 20-second intervals. The caramel may be ready in about 6 minutes and 20 seconds, but the exact cooking time will vary depending on your microwave's wattage and the size of the bowl.

Let us know if you liked this recipe. Try the other recipe categories as well!