Caramel Heavenlies
Caramel Heavenlies are an easy treat of caramel, marshmallows, almonds, and coconut. They are crispy-crunchy and ooey-gooey, truly heavenly!

My mom was a great role model for gifting from the kitchen. As soon as Thanksgiving was behind us, she would start the annual holiday baking.
And she didn’t make just a couple batches of goodies. Depending on the year, I’m guessing Mom made six to ten different kinds of fun sweets for our Christmas season festivities.
Some were family recipes, such as Grandma Klein’s Chocolate Caramels or Great Grandma Braun’s Sugar Cookies. Others were new finds that caught Mom’s eye, from magazines or cookbooks. She was always up for a fresh recipe. And this is something I appreciate now more than ever. I was taught to preserve the traditions of our past, but to also keep looking ahead.
I hope you like these Caramel Heavenlies as much as I do. This is one of my mom’s favorite recipes!
Planning a day of cookie making with three young (and very helpful, I might add) girls was no small task for Mom. The evening before, she would mix up the dough so it could chill, set out all the other baking necessities, and possibly say a prayer or two, asking for patience the following day.
Then, the next morning, the fun began.
Rolling out dough, spreading frosting, and sprinkling colorful sugars, we were a chatty, happy lot. Oftentimes, a cousin or neighbor kid would join in, and it was all the merrier.
And when the fun was done, Mom would pack it all up. The shoe boxes she had been saving would get wrapped up in pretty Christmas paper, lined with colorful tissue. Then the boxes were filled to the tippy-top with a variety of the indulgences we had just produced.
Some of these boxes were given to our teachers on the last day of school before Christmas break. The yum was joyfully received, as teachers often expressed not having the time for their own holiday baking.
Other boxes were mailed off to Dave and John, my college cousins. I’m certain it was a bright moment in their halls of knowledge, to be given these boxes of cheer. I’m also pretty sure those boxes were heavy with homemade mini peanut butter cups, a favorite of theirs.
And the rest was placed in plastic containers and packed away in the seemingly bottomless chest freezer, ready for all sorts of holiday goodie platters for sharing.
My mom’s kitchen gifting has made a very positive impact on me. It has let me see the joy in both the giving and receiving of homemade gifts, and has me sharing sweet treats with friends, co-workers, our daughters’ teachers, and elderly neighbors.
Caramel Heavenlies are great for gifting
Baking up cheer and sharing it with special people in our lives is a wonderful way to savor the holidays. To know that you’ve brightened someone’s day with a simple gift from your own hands is priceless.
And I have a recipe to help you do just that.
This recipe for Caramel Heavenlies is one Mom made for the first time this year, and one that is sure to stay in my recipe box for years to come. It’s quite simple, with only eight ingredients.
Whole graham crackers and marshmallows make up the base, with a cinnamon-loaded caramel spooned over it. After a sprinkling of almonds and coconut, it’s baked until golden. The result is both crispy-crunchy and ooey-gooey.
And truly heavenly, just as its title proclaims.
If you like graham crackers and marshmallows together, be sure to check out my S’mores Pie recipe. And if you like almonds and coconut together, you just gotta try this homemade granola!
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Caramel Heavenlies
With just a few ingredients, this sweet treat is crispy-crunchy and ooey-gooey. Truly heavenly!
Ingredients
- 12 graham cracker rectangles
- 3 c. mini marshmallows
- 3/4 c. unsalted butter, chopped
- 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 c. sliced almonds
- 1 c. flaked coconut
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Line a 15″ x 10″ pan with parchment paper or foil. Grease foil, if using. Arrange graham crackers in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle with marshmallows.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter and brown sugar. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla. Spoon over the graham crackers, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with almonds and coconut, and then a bit of flaky sea salt. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.
- Use foil or parchment to lift uncut bars from pan. Cut into 3″ squares and then cut each square in half diagonally, making triangular pieces. A pizza cutter wheel works great for this. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week, or freeze for a few months.
Notes
Adapted slightly (Mom increased the marshmallows) from Midwest Living.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 134Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 61mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
This post was originally published December 2010. Some of the photos and some of the text were updated December 2016. This post first appeared as a guest post at LoveFeast Table for their Holiday Cookie Exchange.
Nut allergy in home. What can I replace the almonds with?
DEELISHOUS!!!! Oh my, if you have not tried these, don’t hesitate!!! Super easy, super yummy, and…great for a crowd when your pressed for time. My hubby LOVED these!! Thank you for sharing☺️
Aren’t they wonderful?! I love how this recipe makes the house smell, too. :) So glad you liked this!
Do you think these would be good with chocolate Graham crackers??
I think that’s a GREAT idea!! :)
This was a big hit in my house! Taste really good!
These are surely heavenly! So GOOD!
These are everything I ever wanted from a dessert! So yummy!
Love these AND the family picture!
One of my favorite pictures ever!! :)
My 2 younger brothers told me today that I could throw out all those “other recipes”, “OMG”, and to just keep making these. Great recipe and everybody else, besides the brothers, loved them, too. Thanks!
That picture of you with your siblings is adorable!!! Also, that table! What a mess! Your poor mom had to clean all of that up (first thing I noticed :-P) But it looks like you all had fun. And this is what the holiday season is all about. Quality time with family, doing special things like decorating cookies.
These “heavenlies” look exactly that… you really had me at that coconut though. I adore the stuff. :-)
These really ARE heaven! Love all the texture going on here…and I am a sucker for anything caramel!
Crispy, crunchy and ooey-gooey? No need to say more, I’ve gotta make these for the boys!
Oh my gosh that baby photo….the best!!!!!!
hey girl -these look so yummy! My Mom was always in the kitchen when we were growing up (I have an older sister and younger brother) And now I love to cook and bake all kinds of treats!
I was reading through the recipe to make my shopping list and had an ah-ha moment! Looking at the picture, I was wondering what you used to get such perfect lines, mine never look that good – ah-ha – a pizza cutter! One of those “why didn’t I think of that” moments too……………………
Thank you!
Enjoy!! :)
hey girl these look oh so good!
Thanks, Shawnna!
Its like you read my mind! You seem too know so
much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something.
I think that you culd do with a few pics to drive the message home a litttle bit, buut
instead off that, this is fantastic blog. An excellent read.
I’ll certainly be back.
Thoroughly enjoyed your post at the LoveFeast Table!
Thanks Paula!