Published · By Anna Chesley · 22 Comments
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These fool-proof homemade Salted Maple Honey Caramels are made of just 4 all-natural ingredients. They're my favorite caramels ever, and it's so easy to make them, you don't need a candy thermometer or an entire morning dedicated to standing at the stove!
PinFor almost 40 years, I've hated caramel of any kind. And not a mild aversion - I mean, I have devoutly eschewed the stuff.
And then last week happened.
PinIt all began with me starting a huge batch of granola, and then getting hopelessly distracted.
On my way to grab the honey, I heard the incubator cheeping at me a day early, and when hatch day comes around, this girl does not focus well on much of anything else! I mean...this kind of cuteness is seriously distracting!
PinMeanwhile my two little monkeys were busy being puffins, begging for sardines. And when I hear my kids asking for that kind of Omega 3 goodness..."Fishy fishy coming right up!"
You get the idea. Mom life hit.
I completely botched the usual mildly-sweet syrup that I toss my granola mixture with before baking. Knowing that whatever I'd concocted clearly wasn't going to make a decent granola, I poured it out into in a baking dish and started over.
PinBy the time I came back to my botched mess, it had set up into the most perfectly divine caramel I've ever forced myself to taste.
Not only did I not hate it, I was so helplessly smitten that I spent the next two days on a mission to recreate my heavenly mess with a fool-proof recipe. I need to know I can get my caramel fix any time I need it!
PinSince coming to terms with my new caramel addiction, I've realized that all this time it wasn't exactly caramel I hated - it was all the icky ingredients and additives that are in every kind I'd ever tried.
These caramels are made of just 4 all-natural ingredients. And they're so easy, you don't need a candy thermometer or an entire morning dedicated to standing at the stove.
But if you can, I might suggest making them for the first time when you don't have an incubator full of chicks hatching. ?
Bon Appétit!
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📖 Recipe
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Salted Maple Honey Caramels {NO corn syrup}
These Salted Maple Honey Caramels made without corn syup are simple, delicious, and so much healthier than store-bought caramels!
4.15 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: paleo recipes
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes minutes
Servings: 60 caramels
Calories: 26kcal
Author: Anna Chesley
Equipment
medium saucepan
whisk or spoon
8x8 baking dish
parchment paper
Ingredients
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture darkens in color, and begins to "pull away" from the sides of the pan. (You will likely see an increase in the volume of bubbling right before this point.)
To confirm "done-ness", use the cold water test. Using a spoon, pour a drop of the mixture into a glass of cold water. Mixture should form a ball that stays together, but is still pliable - "soft ball" stage is what we're going for. If mixture strings out in the water rather than forming a ball, cook for a minute or two longer and try again.
Pour caramel into a parchment-lined 8x8 inch pan. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt if desired. Allow to cool completely before cutting. (It's ok to place in the fridge to speed up the cooling).
To store, wrap cut squares in parchment paper, and store tightly-covered, in a cool location.
Nutrition Facts
Salted Maple Honey Caramels {NO corn syrup}
Amount Per Serving
Calories 26Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Sodium 1mg0%
Potassium 8mg0%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 3mg0%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition
Calories: 26kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
Pin
Anna Chesley
Website | + posts
Anna Chesley is a freelance writer living a homestead lifestyle, with a special love for family travel, old books, vintage skills, and seaside living. In addition to founding Salt In My Coffee, she runs the website, New England Family Life, as well as The 1800's Housewife, a website devoted to re-creating authentic 1800's recipes.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Amanda M says
How long do these stay good for? Thanks
Reply
Anna Chesley says
Hi Amanda! Wrapped individually, air-tight, these easily last a month or longer. You can store them at room temp or in the fridge. Hope this helps!
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Tara says
I couldn't get them to set up after 15 minutes I added 2 tbsp butter and they set up technically not Paleo but I bet ghee would do the same thingReply
Amy says
I had the same issue with the coconut oil that some others discussed. I just couldn't get it to blend in. The water is an ingredient, correct? I started to wonder if that was just to be used for the cold water test and maybe that was where I went wrong?
Reply
Bethany says
Oh, these sound so good. I love caramels. I'm going to give them a try later this week 🙂
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Jessica says
What type of coconut oil did you use?
Reply
Karie says
Can this recipe be doubled?
Also I’m wondering if I can bring it to the temp on a candy thermometer same as my other caramel recipe, instead of testing in water?
Thanks!Reply
Katie says
Do I have to use coconut oil?
Reply
Anna says
Hi Katie! I've not tested this recipe with any substitution for the coconut oil, so I can't vouch for how it would turn out. Caramel can be tricky. If you do try a substitute, please do let us know how it turns out!
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Renae says
I see potential in this recipe but in it's current form I would not recommend to a beginner candy maker. I think having previous candy making skills would help. Also, having more pictures of the process and explanation of what to look for would help a lot (for ex: times...simmer for 10-15 mins or w/e). I simmered mine for almost half an hour waiting and waiting for it to come off from the sides but it never did. There was one point when I dropped some in the water when it balled but in a few smaller balls and not one pliable ball. So maybe that was the point? A pic of that would be great. But alas, I ended up with a burnt smelling brick... definitely over done. I also had the same issue as another reader... the coconut oil did not want to mix no matter how much I whisked and kept temp low. All this being said I really do appreciate the time put into developing the recipe and sharing it. I'll probably try again sometime because it seems like it could be great but some more explanation and pics would help muchly. 🙂Reply
Anna says
Renae, thank you so very much for your helpful words, I really appreciate you taking the time to write this out! Because burners vary so very much, I've found it almost impossible to list exact times, so you're right - lots of photos of the process and a video would certainly make this easier to follow. I need to make that happen, for sure! Thank you again - some of the most helpful comments I get are ones that help me improve the content here, and I really value them! ❤
Reply
Jen says
Totally agree. I haven’t made candy before but have made plenty of caramel and I struggled getting this one right.
I think the method could be expanded to include more notes.
The flavour is really good though and I will try again perhaps with a thermometer.Reply
Leslie says
My coconut oil separated from the caramel. How do I keep that from happening?
Reply
Anna says
Aw, Leslie, I'm so bummed they didn't come out well for you. My best guess is that you may want to try lowering the heat, and being sure to stir frequently. I've tested the recipe more than 10 times in different pans and on different burners, without it separating. That said...I found that even on the lowest setting of my hottest "power plus" burner it bubbled higher than I was comfortable with, and I actually turned off the heat for a moment to allow it to more slowly come to the soft ball stage. I wish I had a more conclusive answer for you, but that would be my best suggestion if you want to try again - slow and low, and don't be afraid to turn off the burner for a minute if it seems to be bubbling up really high. Hope this helps a bit!
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Leslie says
Thank you! It still tasted really good, just not how it was supposed to ? I'm looking forward to trying this again tomorrow!
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Anna says
My fingers are crossed for you that they come out perfectly this time! ❤️
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Caroline says
So so so good!!!!Reply
Anna says
YAY!! So glad you love them!
Reply
Karen Merhalski says
I LOVE caramels! They have always been one of my favorite candies, so I am really excited to try your recipe Anna. A much, much healthier version. They sound delish!Reply
Anna says
Thanks so much for the kind words, Karen! We should make these together with Izzy next time you're here!!Reply
Katherine says
These turned out amazing! Made about 30 smallish caramels, the way I cut them. We'll see how long they last! ; )Reply
Anna says
Oh YAY! So glad you enjoy them as much as I do! And haha - I know what you mean about how long they last. I have resorted to hiding them from myself in the back of the fridge!
Reply
