Delicious Dark Brown Sugar Caramels Recipe

This mouthwatering dark brown sugar caramels recipe is perfect for holiday baking or anytime you want to make homemade candy!

Do you love baking for the holidays? There was a time when I really didn’t like it. I was younger and I didn’t have an arsenal of baking products at my disposal. I’d come up with recipes for what I wanted to bake, buy all the ingredients, then find out that I didn’t have the right equipment.

The same thing happened a few years ago. I was pregnant with Haiden and determined to make homemade caramels for my coworkers.

I’d actually bought special ingredients and dumped them all into a big pot to start cooking on the stove when I realized I didn’t have a jelly roll pan.

I quickly substituted with two smaller cookie sheets, but the dimensions weren’t right for wrapped square candies. The caramels ended up thinner than I would have liked; not the thick, chewy mouthful-sized squares that I had envisioned.

Fast-forward through another pregnancy, then a holiday season with “two under two” and I haven’t been in any shape to undertake candy making for the past two years!

I had forgotten all about my need for a jelly roll pan until I started working with Wilton on a review. When they let me pick an item to try out, I jumped on the Wilton Jelly Roll Pan.

I received this pan in the hottest part of August, and I told Wilton that, even for this Minnesota mom blogger, it was way to hot outside to do any sort of intensive baking or cooking with it inside! I

promised that I’d do some baking with it when it cooled off. Before I knew it, holiday baking season was here and I was ready to break out my pan. I pulled out my amazing dark brown sugar caramel recipe and got to work.

Unfortuntately, the recipe required me to line the pan with heavy-duty foil, so some photos don’t display the full beauty of the pan, but I love that it was protected for future use!

The pan has all sorts of great features that make using it easy. It’s lightweight so it can be lifted with one hand, but it’s sturdy enough to withstand a heavy filler, like caramels. It also has great oversized handles along the edges for easy grabbing, tilting and resetting. That’s important for candy-making!

Here’s how to make some fabulous dark brown sugar caramels:

Line a jelly roll pan (I used my Wilton jelly roll pan) with heavy-duty foil (heavy-duty foil is essential!), extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Butter the foil and set the pan aside.

In a heavy 6-quart pot, melt butter over medium-low heat then add the brown sugar and stir well.

When the brown sugar has melted, add the condensed milk and corn syrup. Stir it in so it’s mixed up really well.

Cook and stir over medium heat until the brown sugar mixture is gently boiling.

Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan.  Don’t touch the thermometer to the bottom of the pot.  Cook and stir over medium heat to 248°, firm-ball stage.

Remove the pot from heat, remove the thermometer, and stir in the vanilla. Immediately pour the mixture into your prepared pan.

Leave the pan to set overnight. I usually put mine in a cool oven.

The next day, when caramel is set, use foil to lift out of pan. Cut the caramel into 1-inch squares with a sharp, buttered knife. Wrap each piece in a 3×3″ square of waxed paper.

Makes about 2 lbs of candy (over 100 wrapped caramels). Share and enjoy!

Here’s your printable recipe:

Thanks to Wilton who provided the Ultragold Jelly Roll pan to review at no cost to me.