Perfect Microwave Caramel Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (2024)

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Perfect Microwave Caramel is the softest, creamiest, and easiest caramels you will ever make! No constant stirring, no candy thermometer, no-fuss recipe. And they are soft, chewy, buttery, and they absolutely melt in your mouth!

This recipe can be made in about 15 minutes!

Perfect Microwave Caramel Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (1)

When I was a little girl I always wanted to try making homemade caramel candy on the stovetop. Do you know the kind where you boil ingredients until they hit a certain temperature on a candy thermometer? My mom wouldn’t ever let me try it. She said it was too much work.

Well, I’ve lived on my own for quite a while now and I still haven’t tried it because I found this MICROWAVE caramel recipe and it’s so EASY and turns out perfectly every single time…no candy thermometer needed!

What? Caramel from condensed milk in the microwave! It sounds too good to be true, but I promise it works! I think it’s actually better than the old-fashioned recipes! I love caramel, but not when it’s so hard I have to chew it forever. This is soft and perfect!

Why This Recipe Works:

  • Quick and Easy! I’m in love with microwave recipes! This is a perfect recipe to let the kids help with! They are going to need a little supervision because the bowl gets really hot!
  • Simple ingredients! You probably already have everything on hand already.
  • No special equipment! If you’ve got a microwave, bowl, spatula, whisk, and pan you’re set!
  • Fool-proof! This no fuss recipe always turns out perfect!
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Ingredients Needed:

  • Butter: Unsalted is recommended because it won’t splatter in the microwave. However, I always buy salted and use it for this recipe too. It will still work great. I cover my bowl with wax paper to contain the splatters.
  • Brown Sugar
  • Light Corn Syrup
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk -this is not the same as evaporated milk. It’s thicker and sweeter.
  • Vanilla

HOW TO MAKE CARAMELS FROM CONDENSED MILK:

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STEP 1: Melt butter in the microwave. Cover the bowl with wax paper to keep it from splattering.

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STEP 2: Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk to the melted butter. Stir. Microwave on full power for 4 minutes. Using hot pads, carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and stir. I like using a wooden spoon or spatula. Be sure to scrape the edges and the bottom of the bowl.

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STEP 3: Cook the caramel mixture in the microwave (this is the 2nd cooking time) on full power for 4 minutes. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and stir again.

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STEP 4: Cook the caramel (this is the 3rd cooking time) on full power for 4 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir.

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STEP 5: Add vanilla and stir again. NOTE: If you think your microwave is cooking too hot, too quickly, shorten the cooking time by a minute and move to step 7.

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STEP 6: Check for doneness by dropping a spoonful of caramel sauce into a cup of ice water.

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STEP 7: After a few seconds, roll the caramel in a ball. It should be soft and pliable. OR, you can use a candy thermometer to check for doneness. The candy should be between 238-242 degrees. If the caramel isn’t quite firm enough return to the microwave and cook in 1-minute intervals until it’s done.

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STEP 8: Pour caramel into a parchment-lined or buttered baking dish. For thinner caramels pour into a 9″ x 12″ pan. For thicker caramel pour into a 9″ x 9″ pan. Let sit at room temperature to cool for several hours, or in the fridge for 2 hours. Cut into pieces and wrap in candy wrappers.

This really is an easy recipe and really quite foolproof! But there are a few things that will make it easier and perfect every single time.

  • The pan – Butter the pan before starting. Once the caramel has finished cooking it will start to set up quickly. You can also line the dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
  • Microwave This recipe is made using an 1100 wattage microwave. Wattages vary and that means cook times vary too. You might need to adjust the cooking time depending on your microwave. Older microwaves tend to cook slower and lower than newer models. If you think the caramel is getting to done, back of the cooking time by a minute or two, test for doneness. If it’s not quite done cook at 1 minute intervals until it’s done.
  • How do I know if my caramel is done? You want to cook it to the soft-ball stage. How do I know when the caramel is at the softball stage? Do a softball test by dropping a small ball of caramel into a glass of water. Check to see how soft the caramel. is. The caramel should hold together in a ball and be pretty soft. Determine if the caramel is the consistency you would like. If caramel is a little too soft still microwave for another 1-2 minutes. I microwaved mine for 1 more minute and it still produced a very soft caramel.

Recipe FAQ’s:

How should I store caramels?

Wrap caramels in individual wrappers then store them in an airtight bag or container to keep them from moisture. They can be stored at room temperature, preferably in a cool, dark, dry place. Although they don’t need to be stored in the fridge, you can store them there.

How long will homemade caramel candy last?

It will last 2-3 weeks. Be sure to follow the storage tips above.

Can I add other flavors to a caramel recipe?

Yes! Add extracts and flavorings after cooking. Chopped nuts or dried fruits may be added after cooking. You can also drizzle with chocolate or dip in chocolate. Coarse sea salt is also delicious sprinkled on top before the caramel cools.

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Other Microwave Candy Recipes:

It doesn’t get any easier than making candy in the microwave! These recipes are quick and easy!

I love it when you make my recipes and give me feedback! If you have a minute please comment below and leave a star ranking! Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!

Perfect Microwave Caramel Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (12)

Perfect Microwave Caramels

4.56 from 38 votes

Author Amy

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 60 Caramels

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 14 minutes mins

Total Time 24 minutes mins

These Caramels are perfect because they are soft, and creamy, and dreamy and the are made in the microwave. No scorching, no constant stirring, no candy thermometer. Just a microwave and a spoon, that’s about all you need!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • dash sea salt

Instructions

  • Line a pan with parchment paper and spray paper with baking spray. If you want taller caramels use a 9 x 9 pan. If you want short caramels use a 9 x 13 pan. If you want medium sized caramels use an in between sized pan. That’s what I did.

  • Use a large microwave safe bowl for this recipe. Make sure your bowl is pretty big or the caramel will boil over.

  • Melt butter in bowl.

  • Add brown sugar, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk to butter. Stir to combine.

  • Microwave on full power 4 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir.

  • Microwave another 4 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir.

  • Microwave another 4 minutes. Remover from the microwave and stir.

  • Do a soft ball test by dropping a small ball of caramel into a glass of water. Check to see how soft the caramel. is. The caramel should hold together in a ball and be pretty soft. Determine if caramel is the consistency you would like. If caramel is a little to soft still microwave for another 1-2 minutes. I microwaved mine for 1 more minute and it still produced a very soft caramel.

  • Once you’ve reached desired consistency remove caramel from microwave and stir. Add vanilla. Add a dash of seas salt if desired.

  • Pour caramel mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.

  • Let caramel sit until completely cooled.

  • Remove from pan and cut into squares. Wrap in small squares of wax paper or store in an air tight container.

  • Store in refrigerator.

Notes

How to store caramels:

Wrap each piece of caramel in candy wrappers or wax paper. Store in an airtight container away from heat and light. Homemade caramel will last up to 3 weeks.

Sea Salt Caramels:

After pouring caramel in the pan sprinkle with coarse sea salt if you want.

Chocolate Caramels:

Drizzle individual caramels with melted dark or milk chocolate if you want.

Nutrition

Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 38mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 112IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Perfect Microwave Caramel Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (13)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Amy Engberson says

      These caramels are really soft and could be a tiny bit sticky, although I haven’t ever had them stick to the paper before. Maybe it needed to cook in the microwave for a little bit longer.

      Reply

  1. Ginger says

    Perfect Microwave Caramel Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (14)
    Carmamels are delicious and easy.

    My beef … you have way too many pop up ads, I couldn’t get to the recipe. I understand you need to make money, but this is obnoxious, not worth the hassle.

    Reply

  2. Emmajean Hicks says

    Perfect Microwave Caramel Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (15)
    I have come back looking for this recipe for 5 yrs now it is by far the best ever.. I know it is you by the green and white checked wrappers… Thank you so much my coworkers always ask if I am making this for the holidays.

    Reply

    • Amy Engberson says

      Since I live on a dairy farm and we milk cows for a living we don’t buy margarine! I did that once and my husband wasn’t thrilled! Ha! I’ve never tried making this recipe with margarine. I imagine it would turn out fine, but the flavor wouldn’t be as good. There’s nothing quite like real butter!

      Reply

  3. Deb G says

    Perfect Microwave Caramel Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (16)
    I’ve never made caramel before. These were insanely quick, easy and delicious! And no big mess to clean up. I didn’t quite get the hardness that I “thought” I wanted and that was actually a really good thing. I did try adding a couple extra minutes. I found them much easier to handle, cut and wrap when I put them in the fridge for a bit. I’ll be making more of these! Thank you so much for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Amy Engberson says

      Oh my goodness! I love how easy this recipe is to make! Yes, these caramels are very soft, which I happen to love! Refrigerating them to firm them up a little is a great idea! Merry Christmas!

      Reply

  4. Sarah says

    Perfect Microwave Caramel Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (17)
    These are my go to caramels for coworkers Christmas gifts. They love them and would be disappointed if I didn’t make them each year

    Reply

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Perfect Microwave Caramel Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (2024)

FAQs

Perfect Microwave Caramel Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms? ›

To melt caramels using a microwave, open up a bag of soft caramels, unwrap the individual candies, and place them in a microwave-safe dish. Next, add milk to the bowl, or if you'd like a richer treat, add heavy cream instead. Then, place the bowl in the microwave and heat the caramels on HIGH for 1 minute.

How long to melt caramel in the microwave? ›

To melt caramels using a microwave, open up a bag of soft caramels, unwrap the individual candies, and place them in a microwave-safe dish. Next, add milk to the bowl, or if you'd like a richer treat, add heavy cream instead. Then, place the bowl in the microwave and heat the caramels on HIGH for 1 minute.

Can you turn condensed milk into caramel in the microwave? ›

How to make caramel from a tin of condensed milk in a microwave - Quora. It's easy, as long as you have a nice large bowl. Empty a can of condensed milk into a bowl and microwave it for 3 minutes. Take it out, stir it, and do it again, watching carefully.

How high to heat caramel? ›

Usually, the caramelization process starts at around 320°F, when the sugar starts melting and becomes clear molten sugar. By the time the temperature reaches 340 – 350°F, the color will also begin to change to a pale caramel brown or light straw color.

How to soften hard caramel candy? ›

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.

How do you caramelize in the microwave? ›

Put the onions in the bowl with the fat or butter. Cover the bowl and microwave for 10 minutes on high. Take off the cover, and stir the onions--there should be good bit of liquid in the bowl. Microwave (uncovered) for approximately 10 more minutes, but keep an eye on it.

Why won't my caramel melt? ›

Using a thin pot

You make caramel by melting sugar, and thin pots heat unevenly. This can cause portions of the sugar to burn before the rest of it has melted. Instead, choose a sturdy, heavy-bottomed metal pot (like stainless steel) with tall sides.

What if my condensed milk didn't turn to caramel? ›

If the milk hasn't achieved the desired thickness or caramel color, cover it with the foil again and return the pie plate and water-filled baking dish to the oven. Top up the water if necessary.

Is caramel just heated condensed milk? ›

In this recipe, sweetened condensed milk is cooked until it creates a deliciously rich caramel sauce! The best part is this recipe has ONE ingredient! Just one!

Does boiling a can of condensed milk turn into caramel? ›

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Place can of condensed milk, unopened, in the boiling water. Cover and let simmer for 3 hours, refilling water as needed and turning the can every half hour to prevent scorching. Carefully open can and serve.

How do I know when my caramel is done? ›

You can test to see whether your caramel is done by having a bowl of cold water (we recommend adding ice cubes if you have them to hand) and then using a spoon, remove some of the mixture from the pan, immerse the spoon into the cold water, moving the spoon and then remove from the water and test the caramel with your ...

Why add butter to caramel? ›

Some form of dairy — typically butter and/or heavy cream — is usually added to the mixture at either the beginning or the end of cooking. This addition makes the caramel richer, thicker, and lighter in color, lending more viscosity and rounder flavor.

How to melt caramel in the microwave? ›

To melt caramels using a microwave, open up a bag of soft caramels, unwrap the individual candies, and place them in a microwave-safe dish. Next, add milk to the bowl, or if you'd like a richer treat, add heavy cream instead. Then, place the bowl in the microwave and heat the caramels on HIGH for 1 minute.

Why did my caramel seize when I added cream? ›

Why Did My Caramel Seize? If too many bits of sugar get stuck to the side of the pan, they will harden and can cause the caramel to seize or become gritty or grainy when you add in the butter and/or the cream.

Why does my 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.

How long does it take sugar to melt when making caramel? ›

That being said, it can be a little tricky when working with sugar, so don't get frustrated. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium to low heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sugar caramelizes and turns golden brown.

How long does it take for melted caramel to harden? ›

Give your caramel at least two hours to set, or overnight if possible. You can also pop caramel into the fridge to help it set up faster. The caramel will sweat a little when brought out of the fridge, but will still taste fine. If you don't eat it right away, here's how to store caramel.

How do you melt hardened caramel sauce? ›

Reheat low and slow: If your caramel sauce has seized up with the butter/cream additions or still has crystalized sugar at the end of making it, place it on the saucepan on low heat for a good 15-20 minutes. This usually clears up most of my issues and results in a melted, smooth sauce.

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