Soft, buttery, chewy caramels made in the microwave in just six minutes with a handful of ingredients? YES, you guys! Yes!

I have made these a number of times and they make the best homemade gifts! They look pretty all wrapped up and the recipe makes LOADS! I like cutting them into long fingers but you could quite easily cut them into squares too!

Tips for making Microwave Caramels/

This is a quick recipe, so the best thing you can do is have everything ready before you begin. Measure out your ingredients, prepare your dish and have your oven mitts and thermometer nearby. Once the caramel is ready, you want to be able to pour it straight into the dish.

Use a large, heatproof bowl

Choose a large, microwave-safe bowl with plenty of room for the mixture to bubble up as it cooks. Check that the bowl is suitable for the high temperatures involved in making sugar syrup. I used a thick glass bowl which worked perfectly.

Use oven mitts

Be Careful: Both the bowl and the caramel will be extremely hot. Use oven mitts to remove the bowl from the microwave, and resist the temptation to lick the spoon!

Have a candy thermometer on hand

I highly recommend using a candy or sugar thermometer for this recipe. It takes the guesswork out of knowing when your caramel is ready, which is important if you want that lovely soft, chewy texture.

You’re looking for a temperature of approximately 114–117°C (238–242°F).

Use a thermometer that’s suitable for hot sugar mixtures. A probe thermometer can be used to check the caramel after you pause the microwave; don’t leave a conventional thermometer in the microwave unless it is specifically designed for microwave use. A point-and-measure infrared thermometer measures the surface, so a probe is a more reliable way to check the mixture HOWEVER having said that I totally used a point and measure thermometer! Hah!

Don’t have a thermometer? You can use the cold-water test instead. Drop a small spoonful of the caramel into a bowl of ice-cold water and allow it to cool. It should form a soft, pliable ball.

Microwave wattage matters

I cooked my caramels for six minutes on HIGH in a 1,000-watt microwave. If your microwave has a lower wattage, the mixture may need a little longer—possibly closer to seven minutes.

Start checking at six minutes, then, if needed, continue cooking in 20-second intervals, checking again after each interval. The temperature or cold-water test is more useful than the clock alone!

Cutting and wrapping your caramels

Use a sharp knife to cut the cooled caramel into small rectangles. If it has become a little too firm, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes. You can also carefully warm and dry your knife before cutting.

I found that wax paper works particularly well for wrapping the caramels individually. I cut my wax paper into rectangles approximately 14 cm × 5 cm, then wrapped each caramel and twisted the ends.

You can find these printable and editable Canva labels as a bonus in my Festive baking e-book.

Take them to the next level: dip them in chocolate!

If you want to make these even more decadent, melt some chocolate and dip the cooled caramels into it. Place them on a lined tray and allow the chocolate to set. Yes! This is what we call a caramel upgrade! The combination of chocolate and chewy caramel reminds me of my favourite Quality Street – yip, the ones in the yellow wrapper!!

How to make microwave caramels

1. First, melt the butter in your large microwave-safe bowl. Add the corn syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, condensed milk and salt, and whisk everything together really well. You want the sugars and other ingredients to be evenly combined before cooking.
2. Microwave on HIGH for approximately six minutes, then check whether the caramel has reached the right temperature. Once it’s ready, carefully remove the hot bowl and stir in the vanilla.
3. Pour the caramel into your prepared dish, sprinkle with sea salt if you like, and leave it to cool until firm enough to slice. You can let it cool at room temperature for an hour or so, or pop it into the fridge for 20–30 minutes to speed things up.

Are you Making These for Christmas?

If you’re making these for Christmas, you’ll find editable, printable gift labels and tags in my Festive Baking e-book. 🎄

Print