My grandma’s Chocolate Caramels recipe is a longtime family tradition. These homemade caramels are rich and buttery, perfectly soft and chewy, and infused with chocolate – my favorite caramels in all the world!
This rich and buttery Chocolate Caramels recipe is a Christmastime tradition from my grandma’s recipe box. The homemade caramels are decadent, creamy-chewy, and infused with chocolate – one of my favorite holiday treats. They’re beautiful for gifting and always quick to disappear on treat platters, just like my Graham Cracker Toffee and Chocolate Turtles!
Why I ❤️ These Chocolate Caramels
This recipe is filled with nostalgia for me. I remember Grandma Klein in her tiny kitchen on Christmas day, apron tied around her waist. Bustling to prepare Christmas dinner with my mom and aunts, it was a festive, chatty, boisterous-with-laughter (noisy!) affair that was SO GOOD. And chocolate caramels were Grandma’s specialty, the #1 thing I looked forward to eating that day! Here’s why I just have to continue her tradition:
- Simple. It always amazes me how a simple pot of butter, cream, sugar, and chocolate can create such an incredible treat.
- Better than store-bought. This recipe ruined me for the rest of my life. For me, no other caramels compare to my grandma’s caramels. These are just the BEST.
- Great for gifting. Wrap them up pretty in bags or boxes for the sweetest holiday gifts.
“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
What You’ll Need
This recipe’s ingredients list is a short one! Scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter.
- Cream – Heavy cream gives the caramels luscious flavor and creamy texture.
- Corn syrup – This adds sweetness and chewy texture.
- Granulated sugar – Light brown or dark brown sugar works too.
- Unsweetened chocolate baking bar – You can also use chocolate chips.
- Vanilla – For the best flavor, use pure vanilla extract.
How to Make This Chocolate Caramels Recipe
Grab a kitchen thermometer, to ensure your caramels come out perfectly. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.
- Prep. Generously grease a 9″x13″ pan with butter and set it aside. Line it with parchment paper if you want to be able to pull out the slab of caramel for slicing.
- Cook the chocolate caramel mixture. Mix the butter, heavy cream, corn syrup, sugar, and chocolate in a pot over medium-high heat, and stir continuously. Clip a candy thermometer to the pot – when it reaches 240°F, immediately remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Let set. Pour the chocolate caramel mixture into the prepared pan. Set it aside to cool completely before slicing.
Tips & VariationS
- Stir nearly constantly. Do not walk away from the pot on the stovetop. You’ll want to stir the chocolate caramel mixture gently, and quite constantly, the whole while.
- Use a candy/kitchen thermometer. Definitely use a thermometer to gauge the temperature. If the mixture is not heated enough, it will have a soft set and not keep its shape. If heated too much, it will be too hard.
- Want super clean cuts? If you want really clean cuts, line your pan with parchment paper first. Then just pull the whole slab of caramel out of the pan, set it on a cutting board, and cut with a long, sharp, non-serrated knife. Wipe the knife clean between cuts for the cleanest cuts. If the caramel has been in the refrigerator and is hard to cut, let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes first.
- Make different sized pieces. I like to cut these into 0.75″ x 1.75″ pieces (as shown in my photos) or 1″ x 1″ squares.
- Add nuts. For Christmas each year, my grandma always made one pan with nuts, one pan without. If you’d like to add nuts, stir in 1½ cups chopped roasted & salted nuts after you stir in the vanilla.
- Add salt flakes. Let the chocolate caramel cool slightly in the pan. While it’s still a bit soft, sprinkle some sea salt flakes, such as Maldon brand, over the top. Then let cool completely.
Packaging Them For Gift Giving
These chocolate caramels make the best homemade gifts. Just cut them into your desired size and wrap the pieces in wax paper, twisting the ends to make it look like a candy wrapper. Add them to small gift bags or boxes, and tie on a bow. Such a special, delicious gift!
How to Store Homemade Candy
The caramels are fine to sit out on treat trays during gatherings, but for longer term storage, keep the caramels in the fridge or freezer.
- Fridge: Store them in an airtight container for up to 1 month – either individually wrapped or still in the pan with a tight fitting lid.
- Freezer: Wrap each caramel in wax paper and then transfer to a freezer bag, or wrap the entire pan in 2 layers of heavy duty foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Set on the counter for 20-30 minutes to thaw.
More Holiday Sweets
Chocolate Caramels
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the pan
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1½ cups corn syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate baking bar, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups chopped roasted & salted nuts, optional
Instructions
- Generously butter a 9" x 13" pan and set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed, medium-sized saucepan over medium to medium-high heat, stir together butter, cream, corn syrup, sugar, and chocolate. Once everything is melted together, add a candy/kitchen thermometer to the saucepan to gauge the temperature – this is very important. Stir gently, and quite constantly, with a spatula or wooden spoon until mixture just reaches 240°F, and then quickly pull saucepan from heat.
- With saucepan off the heat, stir in the vanilla. If adding nuts, stir them in now. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Let cool to room temperature.
- Use a long, sharp, non-serrated knife to cut the caramel into pieces, wiping the knife clean in between cuts for the cleanest cuts. I like to cut into 0.75" x 1.75" pieces (as shown in my photos) or 1" x 1" squares, but you can make them any size you like.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2017, then updated in 2024.
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 would offer 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 to the one with nuts!
I smile to think about past 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, plus Grandma, Mom, and many aunts bustling away in the kitchen, preparing the feast. Their happy chatter and laughter could rival my boombox any day!
- 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.
- Making Christmas goodies with Mom and my sisters, including Homemade Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter Truffles, and Marshmallow Caramel Rice Krispie Puffs!
- 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…
I made the chocolate caramels today and they are delicious! Followed the recipe exactly and they tuned out perfectly! Definitely will become a favorite for the holidays along with my apple cider caramels. Thanks for a great ver
I love chocolate caramels and can’t wait to try! My question is can I use half and half in place of heavy cream? Thank you!
I have not tried to alter any of this recipe’s ingredients or instructions, so cannot say for sure. If you do try this, please come back to let me know how it went!
I’d been looking for a chocolate caramel recipe off and on for years. Starting after Halloween and continuing through New Year’s Day, I make regular caramels in double batches continually, which are dutifully wrapped and whole big batches given to my friends snd family. I have that recipe down. Your chocolate caramels and butter rum caramels (also a recipe new to me), and my old standbys are the quintessential trifecta of confections. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
Can you make these with something other than
unsweetened chocolate? I made this recipe and didn’t like the bitterness of the chocolate. Love the texture of the caramels though can’t wait to make regular caramels. Thanks
After a mishap with a broken candy thermometer I was finally able to make these. So delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
I was wondering if by white sugar you mean granulated? Or does this recipe call for powdered/confectioners/icing sugar? I am assuming granulated but would hate to try this recipe with the wrong ingredients.
Yes, you are correct. Use granulated sugar. ENJOY!!! :)
What size do you cut your caramels?
Hi Stacy – It really depends on the situation, as I cut them in different sizes for different kinds of holiday platters or gifting. But I’m guessing that the ones shown in my photos are about .75″ wide by 1.75″ long.
Will these keep okay at room temperature if they’re in an airtight container? Or do they need to be refrigerated?
I keep them refrigerated.
Hi Brenda! The cook at the Ranch is requesting a bunch of your recipes and we are getting Christmas ideas from your blog. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
❤️ Samina
How have I never had chocolate caramels? This combo is PERFECTION.
What Kimberlee said! Where do I get that laser of yours? ;) Such a lovely post and a must-try recipe!
Hello Marissa – please see my reply to Kimberlee – I will also update the directions just a bit to add a little more detail. Enjoy!
Any tips for cutting the caramels do perfectly? They look divine!
Hello Kimberlee, thank you so much! I wrote in the directions, “When the caramel is chilled, I like to cut around the outer edge of the pan to loosen the caramel from the sides, and then invert caramel onto a wood cutting board, flipping the caramel slab right-side up again before cutting.” – – Depending on the consistency of the caramel, I let it warm up a bit on the counter (anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes). Then I use a long non-serrated knife (a “sandwich knife”) to make the cuts.
I love making caramel so I will definitely be trying this recipe out!
You’re gonna love it – thanks, Naomi!
Hi Brenda! Featured them on my blog this week! Thanks for sharing! Have a great weekend!
Thanks so much, Holly – so nice to hear from you again!
I stumbled over here from foodgawker and loved the recipe. Caramels are a part of our family Christmas traditions and so is fudge. But I think chocolate caramels might be the new winner of the season! Thanks for sharing the recipe and the memories.
Hello Deborah – I would love to know what you think of these. Thanks for stopping by!
These look incredible! Love your Christmas memories, too! :) Happy New Year!
Thank you so much, Bridget. Happy New Year to you, too!!
Those chocolate caramels look amazing! A bit tricky for someone like me to make, I’m a bit of a kultz when it comes to cooking fiddly things like that! But thanks for sharing, it was really interesting to read your memories of your childhood as well.
What a lovely upbringing you must have had surrounded by family and close relatives. Your memories are lovely and the caramels are worth getting into trouble for. LOL
Yes, definitely worth getting in trouble! ;)
Wow! – such a beautiful candy!!! :-)
Thanks Avril!
What a great post. Memories are so important {old ones and creating new ones}. Love this post! Thanks for sharing this recipe… Recipes that have been handed down through the generations are the best kind! Have a great weekend!!
Yes, those recipes are the best kind. So many memories to associate them with. Gotta keep passing them down! Great to hear from you, Kim – thanks!