Learn how to make buttery soft, chewy homemade caramel candies infused with a hint of cardamom! An unusual flavor combination, they’re utterly delicious and always a hit with friends and family.
Why you’ll love these caramel candies
This caramel candy recipe was a bit of a labor of love, requiring several rounds of testing in order to get the taste and texture just right. However, the end result was completely worth it, because the candies are totally addicting!
All my friends and family rave about how good they are and frequently request that I make more. Of course, I happily oblige. Not only are these little caramel bites tasty, but they’re also:
- Super beginner-friendly, coming together with just six ingredients and simple steps.
- Great to make in bulk, with up to 128 servings per batch.
- Perfect to prep ahead of time and keep on hand for parties, gifting, and everyday treats.
One taste of this sweet, spiced homemade caramel candy recipe, and you’ll never go back to store-bought options again!
And if you love cardamom like me, you’ll want to be sure to make my orange cardamom truffles, too. Pair the two desserts together, and you’ll be everyone’s favorite person at all your holiday parties!
Key Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter creates a rich flavor base and contributes to the soft, chewy consistency. If salted butter is all you have on hand, you can use it instead. Just be sure to omit the added salt.
- Sugar – Once cooked, the sugar breaks down and caramelizes, creating the brown color and rich caramel flavor you know and love.
- Heavy whipping cream – The high fat content enhances the rich flavor of the caramel and creates a smoother, creamier consistency.
- Light corn syrup prevents the sugar from crystalizing and becoming grainy in the candies.
- Freshly ground cardamom – Because ground cardamom loses its flavor pretty fast, I recommend buying whole pods. I like to lightly toast the whole pods in a skillet, remove the seeds from the pods, and grind them in a small mortar and pestle. You can use a coffee or spice grinder too. However, I like to grind only a small amount at a time. So, an electric grinder is too big for this job.
- Kosher salt helps balance the sweetness and enhance the rest of the ingredients.
How to make cardamom caramel bites
Before you begin line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, and generously butter the bottom and sides.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large heavy saucepan, and bring them to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Continue to boil the mixture uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 250°F on a candy thermometer.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading it out evenly.
- Cool completely at room temperature. This typically takes about 2 hours.
- Cut the cooled caramel into small pieces, and wrap the candies tightly with wax paper. Enjoy!
Save time
My least favorite thing about making this homemade caramel candy is cutting wax paper into tiny pieces. So, I was elated when I found pre-cut caramel wrappers! They save SO much time.
Tips for Success
- Always use a candy thermometer when cooking the caramel. Sure, you can test the temperature of the caramel by dropping a small amount of cold water in. However, this method isn’t super reliable and can cause your candy mixture to go from perfect to ruined in a matter of seconds.
- Don’t forget to butter the foil (or parchment or wax paper) before you pour the caramel. I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t butter a wax paper once and had to throw out one of the test batches.
- Keep a close eye on the candy mixture as it cooks, maintaining a constant boil, and stirring frequently. If you walk away even for a minute the caramel can overcook and clump!
- Switch up the flavor, omitting the cardamom for plain caramel bites, or using gingerbread spice or chocolate instead.
Storing Tips
- Store leftover candies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or transfer them to the fridge for several weeks.
- Freeze the wrapped candies for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature or in the fridge when you’re ready to eat.
FAQs:
Caramel, or caramel sauce, is a liquid consistency used for topping or adding to recipes. On the other hand, caramel candy is solid and made for snacking. They both contain similar ingredients, but caramel candy includes light corn syrup, which contributes to a more solid texture.
I don’t recommend using regular caramel sauce to make candy, because it will not hold its shape.
Granulated sugar is the best type of sugar to use when making caramel candies because it melts easily. Plus, its white color makes it easy to see when it has caramelized, preventing burning.
More Homemade Candy Recipes
Cardamom Caramel Candy
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter plus more for the pan
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cup (360 ml) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (120 ml) light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom Note 1
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Line 8-inch (20cm) square baking pan with an aluminum foil and generously butter the bottom and sides.
- In a large heavy saucepan, combine all the ingredients and cook over medium heat until boiling, stirring occasionally. Continue to boil the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 250°F (120°C) on candy thermometer, for 15-20 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Cut the cooled caramel into small pieces and wrap in wax paper. Store the candies in airtight container.
⭐️ Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a review and let us know how you liked it!
Tips & Notes
– Store leftover candies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or transfer them to the fridge for several weeks.
– Freeze the wrapped candies for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature or in the fridge when you’re ready to eat.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on November 30th, 2015, and last updated on December 8th, 2019.
Hi! You put an * next to the cardamom in the recipe. Was that supposed to reference a note? I LOVE cardamom and the idea of putting it in caramels sounds amazing. Just wanted to make sure I was getting all the info. Thx!
Hi, Andrea. Thanks for pointing it out. Yes, I was planning to add a note on how to prepare the cardamom, but it got disappeared. I just updated the recipe with a note now. Hope that helps.
Sain uu, cardamomiig yugaar orluulbal zugeer ve
Sain, sain bn uu? Cardamom amtlagchiig orluulah zuil bhgui, hervee cardamomnii amt chuhal bish zugeer engiin iris hiie gevel teriig hasaad hiij bolno.
This caramel looks amazing! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Thanks, Karly!
Hello cute lady! I’m stopping by to let you know that your amazing caramel bites will be featured at our party that starts on Monday @7. Woo Hoo! Pinned and tweeted. We love partying with you and hope to see you on Monday! Happy Holidays! Lou Lou Girls
Yay, that sounds awesome! Thanks so much for the feature!
Yummy! This looks easy and so, so good!
Yes, they’re so goooood, Shantel! Hope you try them.
Another amazing cardamom recipe that I must try 🙂 Thanks!
Thanks, Kati!
Cardamom caramel sounds amazing! This looks fabulous 🙂
Thank you, Medha!!
Yup, you’ve convinced me, I am going to make these. I love the cardamom in these little cuties, what a great idea!
Thanks, Nicole. I thought you’d love this one. I know you like cardamom. 😉 Let me know how they turn out for you, if you make them.