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Vegan Salted Caramels (Corn Syrup-Free)

September 4, 2013 by Cara

 Today’s new candy for VeganMoFo is Vegan Salted Caramels. Corn Syrup-Free, might I add…

themeI’m not one for being the most healthy. I mean, I try my best to maintain a reasonably sensible diet but there are days where all I want to eat are potato chips and beer. And I do. Yet I’m stopped at the thought of making vegan caramels when I hear that corn syrup is the main ingredient. I’ve read enough to know that it’s not the best for your body however who am I to label it bad when I can down fistfuls of salty fried potatoes?

Vegan Salted Caramels - Fork & Beans

Regardless, I wanted to create a recipe that was sans corn syrup, partly because I wanted to prove that I could do it but also because I know that it’s a concern for a lot of others to stay away from the sticky, yet sweet stuff derived from corn. Just don’t be surprised if you see a candy recipe that has corn syrup over here–it’s bound to happen. So here you go: a vegan caramel recipe that doesn’t suck!

Vegan Salted Caramels - Fork & Beans

 

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Vegan Caramels (Corn Syrup-Free)

★★★★ 3.7 from 10 reviews
  • Author: Fork & Beans
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Total Time: 3600
  • Yield: 30 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 c. coconut milk (full or low fat)
  • 1/2 c. brown sugar
  • 1/3 c. Earth Balance vegan butter
  • 1/4 c. pure maple syrup (or corn syrup if you like)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • juice of 1 lemon wedge
  • 2 pinches of ground Himalayan salt (omit if you don’t like the sweet/salty taste)

Instructions

  1. 1. Throw all the ingredients into a small saucepan (except for the vanilla, lemon juice and salt) and melt on medium heat. Stir continuously. Once mixture begins to boil, add candy thermometer. Leave alone without stirring until it reaches between the soft and hard ball stages (250-275* F). Please note that it will take awhile for your caramels to get up to 250*. You can always remove them from the heat anywhere after 240* if you don’t want to wait–they will be softer and melt a little quicker once it hits room temp but still taste just as good. Know that if you want to wait for 250+* it will spike quickly once it does go past 250* so don’t go anywhere! You don’t want it to burn.
  2. 2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, lemon, and salt.
  3. 3. Pour onto parchment paper-lined 8×8 pan (or your choice, depending how thick you want your caramels to be).
  4. 4. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Chill in fridge 30-60 minutes or until set.
  5. 5. Cut into squares or rectangles with kitchen scissors or a knife. Wrap in precut wax paper and store in fridge.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @forkandbeans on Instagram and hashtag it #forkandbeans


 

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YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:

  • Homemade Lemon Drop CandiesHomemade Lemon Drop Candies
  • Homemade Vegan Heath BarsHomemade Vegan Heath Bars
  • Vegan Caramel SauceVegan Caramel Sauce
  • Homemade Vegan “Honeycomb”Homemade Vegan “Honeycomb”

Filed Under: Kid-Friendly Tagged With: candy, caramel, fall, gluten free, vegan, VeganMoFo

About Cara

Based in Chicago with her husband and son, Cara is the creator behind the site Fork and Beans: A place where kids can have fun with their food.

Previous Post: « Vegan MoFo Theme
Next Post: Homemade Vegan “Honeycomb” »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kiki

    May 4, 2019 at 7:29 am

    Hmmm I’m thinking my thermometer must be off. When the caramel got to 140, I pulled up a chair next to the stove and watched the temperature rise. When it hit the bottom of the red 150 mark (AcuRite candy thermometer made in Wisconsin) I pulled it off the heat. The bottom was black and burned. I used a Cuisinart heavy-bottomed stainless steel saucepan. I’m fishing the burned parts out of the mix and hoping to save a portion of it. The unburned parts taste good. Next time I’ll go for 140-145.

    ★★★

  2. Jaime

    January 1, 2019 at 8:38 am

    Where has this been all my life?!? First of all I LOVE that it’s GF and also vegan. But it’s the first EVER GF/vegan caramel recipe I have found in YEARS that doesn’t contain corn syrup. I’m super allergic to corn, which is sometimes difficult to eat around, especially with my GF and vegan requirements. Accidentally eating more than a few plain kernels that I’ve missed while scooping their offending selves out of salsas or chilis just gives me a rash and makes my throat swell, but the more refined products like corn syrup cause a full-blown reaction. (One time I even had to make a trip to the student health centre after hours when someone in my dorm thought it would be funny to switch my Diet Coke with the real Coke, which contains high fructose corn syrup, the most refined version.) Every autumn I miss eating caramels, and I had just resigned myself to thinking I’d NEVER eat one again. It has been AGES since I’ve indulged! I can’t wait to get started on your recipe. Actually I’m not even going to bother wrapping them up, because I’m fairly certain I’ll be eating them ALL AT ONCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting these! I’ve added your blog to my Favourites and I’ll definitely be back to explore!

  3. Barbara W.

    October 22, 2017 at 8:21 am

    Just made the Vegan Salted Caramel recipe. Am somewhat new to candy. Tripled the recipe thinking the cooking ingredients should have more mass in the heaviest smallest pan (Cuisinart coated cast iron-found at goodwill for 5 bucks.) Kept the heat on a low medium to keep from burning. It took some time to come up to the 250 stage (an hour give or take.) Left the heat on the lowest portion of medium and checked it every 15 mins. When it came to about 245 I checked it every ten mins and then when close to 250 i stayed by the stove. The ingredients seemed to cook down so there must be some bit of evaporation from the liquids in the coconut and the moisture in the brown sugar perhaps. It separated at the very end of cooking, but I stirred it (metal wire wisk) as several people in this blog recommended. It came together nicely as adding the lemon juice seemed to help with cooling down and being stirred helped. Added vanilla as wanted a more vanilla flavor. Also added small amount of very fine pink Himalyan salt into the recipe and sprinkled a tiny bit of salt onto the top after the 10 min cool down. Poured into a pan with parchment paper lining and cooled 10 mins on counter then into the fridge overnight. It tastes absolutely lovely. It is softer than I hoped, probably due to candy thermometer resting too close to bottom of pan so reading may have been from pan and not from the caramel itself. It is firm enough to be cut and put into wax paper and hold the shape. I used very fine pink Himalayan salt in the recipe (very lightly) and then very very lightly sprinkled some on top after the 10 minute cool. Cara has a picture of a caramel apple as stacked/cut with caramel between the layers. I’m going to roll some of the caramel out a bit thinner (between parchment paper sheets) and then cut the caramel into some round shapes with a biscuit cutter and wrap in wax paper in the event a recipient wants to layer the caramel on top of an apple slice 🙂 . Am very happy with this recipe. The flavor and color are sublime! I will let you know what the dairy free/gluten free/organic/vegan/nut free teenage grandchild thinks of this for her Halloween treat from Grandma. THANK YOU CARA!

    ★★★★★

  4. Krystal

    July 17, 2017 at 9:44 am

    I made these with almond milk, natural cane sugar, and no candy thermometer.

    It turned out great ^-^ I kept stirring at 2 min intervals after it boiled until it got to a caramel sauce consistency, then mixed in the rest of the ingredients. I used a 4.5 by 8.5 in. bread pan lined with parchment paper to set it since I don’t have a 8×8 and everyone said that was too big anyways.

    Thanks for the great recipe ^-^

    ★★★★★

    • Jamie

      July 22, 2017 at 4:58 pm

      I have tried this recipe twice and each time the caramel separates the butter from the sugar mixture. Do you use the stick Vegan butter or the tub?
      I would love to get this right. Thank you.

      • Cara

        July 28, 2017 at 8:45 am

        Do you live in a high altitude area?

      • Katie

        January 4, 2019 at 2:06 pm

        I am not new to caramel making (with cream or vegan), but these came out wrong – they separated some like an above reviewer said – and the finished product (even before it separated) was a strange consistency. Almost gummy. I wanted to like this, but will look for another recipe!

        ★

  5. Honey Bee

    May 7, 2017 at 7:03 pm

    I cooked for about 45 minutes to get it up to temp. I was definitely sweaty by the end. When I poured it into the 8×8″ pan, it barely covered the bottom. These will make the tiniest caramels ever. Did you mean 1 can and not 1 cup of coconut milk? I’ll wait to see how they set-up. I am at high-altitude.

    • Honey Bee

      May 7, 2017 at 8:04 pm

      After finishing, I will cook them longer (260-280F for high-altitude) as they are too gooey at 250F. There is an “off” taste, not burnt. I think it’s the coconut milk aftertaste, but maybe it’s the vegan butter. I will try making them with coconut oil rather than with the vegan butter, to see if that gets rid of that. I don’t think anyone in the family will eat these the way they are. I’ll keep trying.

      ★★★

  6. melissa cacha

    May 5, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    Delicious recipe!!! I swapped out coconut oil for the vegan butter and sprinkled unsweetened toasted coconut into the prepared parchment paper pan. I used an infrared thermometer to check temperature and pulled it off of the heat at 260 degrees. The caramel looked a separated when I poured it into the pan but seized up nicely after refrigerating.

    ★★★★★

  7. Kalei

    April 12, 2016 at 12:04 am

    I just made these, substituting the vegan butter with coconut oil. The turned out AWESOME. Added some coarse ground pink salt on the top. Mahalo nui for the great recipe!

    • brittanYDell

      May 2, 2016 at 1:35 pm

      You just saved me from the no vegan butter dilemma! Thanks ☺️

  8. Emilyf

    December 17, 2015 at 8:07 pm

    I just made these and they are incredible! I didn’t have a candy thermometer or even coconut milk, but I decided to give it a go anyway and boy am I glad I did! I used coconut cream in a one for one substitution, which I think made the coconut flavor pop a bit more than if I had just used milk. I stirred continuously and removed the caramel from the heat when it looked like the bottom was in danger of burning, about ten minutes in. I’ve just taken the caramels out of the fridge, and they’ve set beautifully! Thank you for such a delicious and flexible recipe!

    ★★★★★

    • Cara

      December 21, 2015 at 5:41 pm

      Thank you for the feedback Emily! So happy to hear 😉

      • Brian

        September 24, 2016 at 10:48 pm

        you say there is cholestol in them. That would make these 100% NOT vegan. Will you please clarify? Non of the ingredients should have cholesterol.

        • Cara

          September 26, 2016 at 5:40 am

          Just so you know, when transitioning over to a different recipe plugin, it does screwy things to the nutritional info. It’s just a simple error…

  9. Patsy

    October 27, 2015 at 5:50 pm

    I followed this recipe exactly but my caramel separated miserably, was burn on the bottom yet my candy thermometer never reached 240 degrees. I kept cooking past 30 minutes waiting for the right temp. Not sure why this happened. I could not get it to mix together. Threw it away

    ★

    • Stefanie

      December 18, 2015 at 12:39 pm

      I had the exact same experience! It was so disappointing because the mix tasted so delicious I wanted to eat (drink) it all before it even cooked! What a waste.

    • Olive O'Sudden

      December 29, 2015 at 3:35 pm

      I just made my first test batch using Lye’s Golden Syrup as my invert sugar. My mixture separated and started to burn on the bottom as well, but I was able to rescue it by stirring it back up until it reached the temp I wanted. I’m pretty sure the burning was attributable to using a too-big pot (the one I usually use for candy making) and having the heat on a smidge too high (I turned it down back to absolute medium and things improved). The flavour is too burnt for eating, but I like that the coconut flavour is very subtle.

      Now I’m just waiting to see what their texture turns out to be and then I’ll make my second batch, I think without the vanilla this time, as I like the pure caramel flavour of ‘butter’+sugar+’cream’. I will post an update on the second batch. (And I think this recipe will make a nice pouring caramel when cooked to a lower temperature.) For Christmas this year all my gifts for my sister were vegan treats, and she loves salted caramel, so I think this is going to be a winner.

      ★★★★

  10. imei

    September 23, 2015 at 10:45 am

    What would you substitute for the Earth Butter? I cannot do dairy nor soy nor corn because of severe allergies, and I keep seeing Earth Butter; however this is on my no-no list.

    • Cara

      September 28, 2015 at 8:21 am

      I have a nondairy butter recipe on my site. Search in the upper righthand bar and though it does call for soy lecithin, there is a note for substitutions. You will LOVE it.

    • Betty McQueary

      September 21, 2016 at 8:48 pm

      Try Myoko’s Kitchen vegan butter, it’s made using cashews.

    • Mark g

      June 13, 2017 at 4:46 pm

      I think you have confused Earth Balance Vegan Butter with some other product that is non vegan. However, just do a quick search on making vegan butter and you’ll find a bunch of recipes to suit your own taste.

      ★★★★★

  11. Lauren

    September 6, 2015 at 2:29 pm

    I’m not sure if you’ll see this since it’s so late, but do you think this caramel would work in brownies? (not simply poured on top after being baked but layered in the middle)

  12. Becky

    March 12, 2015 at 7:28 am

    I made this recipe for the first time last night. The first batch never reached 220 degrees, even though it burnt and turned very dark. I think the reason for this was that the mixture completely separated and the coconut milk solids burn much faster than the oil. When I remade the recipe, I read a comment about stirring the mixture constantly while it’s boiling. That goes against all caramel-making principles, but I tried it and it saved the second batch from ruin. Lemon juice also helped the mixture to come back together. The finished product has a rich, slightly nutty flavor. I poured some over fresh popped popcorn and it tastes just like the heavenly copper kettle-cooked caramel corn I used to get at the Jersey shore.

    • Kayla

      June 15, 2017 at 4:20 pm

      I just made my first batch and I’m very disappointed cause I did as the recipe said. I’ll have to try again and stir the whole time!

  13. SiloDog

    December 24, 2014 at 1:06 pm

    Cara, Can I make these in oven? I do not have thermometer, but do have dairy-allergic , and very BORED ‘tween who is pining away for caramels on Christmas eve!. Amazingly I do happen to have all the other ingredients on hand so we started down the road, but discovered I only had meat thermometers!
    Took it to boil and small sauce pot is now in gas oven set to 265…?
    – Soy-Boy’s Momma

    • Silodog

      December 25, 2014 at 6:48 pm

      Yeah… That didnt work 🙂 but I DID get a candy thermometer for Christmas, so tried again. Gas stove, All-Clad sauce pot… Set to 4 to 3-ish (on scale of lo-2 to hi-6). Began separating and getting some burt bits at 235 degrees. Held on to 250, then followed rest if directions but it did not fill 8″x8″ pan…?!?. Cooked at to high flame/temp???
      Out if maple syrup but do have Karo… Should I try?

  14. Riley B

    December 23, 2014 at 9:41 am

    Made all my presents this year and had no idea what GOOD treat I could make my celiac, vegan, allergic to several types of nuts cousin, then I remembered I had seen this recipe on here before. She (and I) LOVED them. They’re so, so delicious.

  15. Jennifer

    December 14, 2014 at 10:02 am

    many caramel recipes I’ve used have you add the milk after you’ve got the sugar in the 225-250 temperature range. Then there is another reheat to a lower temperature. Anyone try that with this recipe? Especially those who’ve had problems getting the recipe to 250?

  16. Amy

    November 26, 2014 at 2:13 pm

    Do you use canned coconut milk or the kind in a carton?
    Thank you!

  17. Andrea

    November 23, 2014 at 7:30 pm

    I have made candy several times, but never had such a problem getting it to temp. I have attempted this recipe twice now. I cannot get the temp. above 212. The first batch burned to the bottom of the pan, so I bought a different thermometer and tried again. Still would not budge over 212 despite boiling on the stove for over 20 minutes. I am clueless as to what my issue is. I was really looking forward to giving these as gifts.

    • Gingerbread

      December 17, 2014 at 8:00 am

      Andrea no one is posting times, but I’ve made traditional caramels numerous times. You want soft ball stage typically. The mix requires constant stirring – to the point of two of us sharing stirring duties- until 245 (or about 45 minutes) whichever comes FIRST. I found it would hover in the 225 range a long while and then shoot up suddenly.
      I haven’t tried these vegan ones yet but will stick to my past practices. I once went by time- it shot up to hardball and I had an expensive pan of VERY hard ‘toffee’. Sugar, butter and evap milk are so expensive I couldn’t bear to trash it. We used a hammer to break it up but the shards, while tasty, were sharp and kind of dangerous!
      Try again and be patient. Good luck!
      (I’ll repost when I’m done trying this recipe.)

  18. Pamela G.

    November 3, 2014 at 7:52 pm

    I’d like to try this but does it REALLY take 60 hours total time to make or is that some sort of mistake or typo?

  19. Natalie

    October 6, 2014 at 9:39 pm

    I am excited to try this recipe! It looks delicious. I have tried making caramels with honey and no refined sugar and can’t get them quite right. Does the lemon juice just add flavor or does it have another function? (I don’t always like lemon juice in things.) Thanks for sharing this!

    • Cara

      October 9, 2014 at 7:06 am

      The lemon just adds an element of keeping the caramel from separating but some have said that they had no issue with not using it. Good luck, Natalie! Candy-making can be a little tricky but I am confident you will do great!

  20. Rebecca

    September 20, 2014 at 2:25 am

    Did you use grade A or B maple syrup? It makes a difference in taste and sweetness! 🙂 Thanks!

  21. Cait

    May 25, 2014 at 9:41 am

    WOW!!! A few weeks ago I had some vegan caramels from Whole Paycheck that had an amazing flavor and texture. I decided to look for a recipe to try to make my own. I was nervous since I’ve never made candy with a thermometer before, but this was actually really easy! You can just imagine me, stooped in front of the stove, cackling maniacally as I watched temperature creep up from 245… 250… 265!

    For those whose caramel is separating into clumps and liquid, mine did the same thing. I let it get to about 270, and I think that might have had something to do with the mixture separating. What I did, after removing from the heat and adding the lemon juice, vanilla, and salt, was I just whisked it with a fork until the texture seemed right. I think after the mixture cools down a little it’s more “agreeable” and will come back together in a classic caramel texture and color. My first batch is cooling beautifully on the counter right now. I rapidly cooled and scarfed the scrapings from the saucepan and O-M-G! This stuff tastes amazing!!!

    If there were a Nobel prize for vegan sweets, this recipe would definitely win 🙂 I’d like to try this again with coconut oil instead of Earth Balance. If I do, I’ll be sure to post the results.

    Thanks again for the terrific recipe!

    • Cara

      May 27, 2014 at 6:48 am

      Um I LOVE this comment! Thank you for your feedback and suggestions–so super helpful Cait. I am so glad that you liked the caramels. Can’t wait to hear the results of the test drive with coconut oil…xo

      • Cait

        November 2, 2014 at 7:49 am

        It only took me six months to get around to it, BUT… I *finally* made this again with coconut oil instead of margarine. Know why I had to wait so long? Because this s%^t is BANANAS and I ate the entire batch in one day! Soooo good!

        The coconut oil worked pretty well, I think. The end result wound up a little bit grainy in texture, but I doubt that had to do with the oil. I figure the graininess could have resulted from a few things: 1) I heated the caramel to 275 before I took it off cause I wanted a firmer product than last time. I may have gone a little too far… I know temp is really important in candy making. OR 2)I decided I wanted to make caramel apples. When I dipped the apples in the caramel, they were kinda cold, which may have solidified some of the fat before the rest of the caramel cooled, resulting in graininess.

        I also didn’t realize that I was short on maple syrup. I only used probably 1 or 2 TB of it, and made up the rest with brown sugar.

        All in all, this is still my favorite recipe on the internet! I’m presently having some caramels with my coffee as a little post-breakfast Sunday morning indulgence! Next week is my birthday, and I wanted to have these then, but I seriously doubt this batch will even last until Monday. I might make it to fill my gluten-free, vegan birthday cake though… om nom nom…..

        • Cara

          November 3, 2014 at 6:50 am

          YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I love this Cait, thank you so much. xo

  22. Maria T.

    February 26, 2014 at 1:52 am

    Do you think it might be helpful to sprinkle with powdered sugar so it doesn’t stick to the wax paper? Or is it fine once it’s frozen?

    • Maria T.

      February 26, 2014 at 1:55 am

      Btw, I LOVE your site and am so glad I found a vegan friendly cooking site with such wonderful recipes!

    • Cara

      February 27, 2014 at 7:39 pm

      It will be fine without the powdered sugar Maria. Oh and thank you so much for the website love–so appreciated! xo

  23. Laurelin

    February 24, 2014 at 11:30 pm

    Hi Cara, I am soooo glad that I have discovered your fabulous site!!! Would this caramel recipe work with almond milk? I don’t eat coconut or dairy but love love love caramels!

    Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.

    • Cara

      February 25, 2014 at 3:04 pm

      Do I have the recipe just for you! Thankfully there are blogging buddies out there who can help out: http://www.ohladycakes.com/2014/02/how-to-make-almondmilk-caramel-sauce.html
      Hope you like this!

  24. karolina

    February 20, 2014 at 2:39 pm

    just made it now – try using agave syrup instead of sugar & maple syrup – it will take to boil for ages, but it won’t burn. thanks for this recipe! x

    • Cara

      February 20, 2014 at 3:57 pm

      HOORAY!! I always love hearing feedback so thank you for that! xo

  25. Maria

    February 5, 2014 at 11:21 am

    I used this caramel (sans vegan butter) to make caramel popcorn. Delicious!

  26. Kat

    February 3, 2014 at 10:54 pm

    OMG, can’t wait to try these! Just what I was looking for. 🙂 Hoping my next attempt at vegan caramel goes well 😉

    • Kat

      February 3, 2014 at 10:56 pm

      PS. How rad would a turtles recipe for Valentine’s day be?! 😉

  27. Tamara

    January 19, 2014 at 2:40 pm

    I’m going to use this recipe to make my own samoa cookies, but I need it to stay a bit softer yet…how would I go about that?

    • Cara

      January 22, 2014 at 2:48 pm

      Cook the caramel to soft ball phase on your candy thermometer 🙂 Let me know if that helps!

  28. Tom b

    December 22, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    My batch is currently in the freezer, but I don’t think it worked. Oils separated from the sugar, looked a mess really. I’m gutted!

  29. Stephanie

    December 21, 2013 at 2:05 pm

    I just made a batch of these the other day and am going to make some more today. I thought they were wonderful. Like the others, I worried I did something wrong because the temperature took forever to get above 245°F (I live in Minnesota, btw). The heating up DOES take a while, like you say in the recipe – a good 15, 20 minutes for me. I used a medium size sauce pan and put the burner on the highest setting. My candy thermometer doesn’t clip on the side of the pan very well so I had to hold it for a long time. It reminded me of making risotto – I couldn’t walk away for too long and kept having to stir it, but it was totally worth the effort in the end. Thank you for a delicious recipe!

  30. Chanel

    December 16, 2013 at 8:40 pm

    Just made these and they were a fail! Taste was gross and texture I didn’t like the texture of these caramels. Threw the batch in the trash

  31. dawn

    December 16, 2013 at 1:08 pm

    Love this recipe. Thank you for sharing. Grandma and I used to spend days making treats for Christmas. Am searching like crazy this year to find a few goodies to make for my changing family. We are now 2 gluten free, one paleo and one dairy free. Gonna use the caramel with some toasted pecans and dairy free chips for Turtles Anyone can eat. Thanks again.

  32. Nicole

    December 16, 2013 at 11:00 am

    Just used this recipe last night to go in my vegan rolos and they’re sooo good. Best caramel ever. I love the hint of lemon. I was nervous because I wasn’t sure if the coconut flavor would be too strong, but it’s perfect.

    Thanks!

  33. Erin

    December 6, 2013 at 8:52 am

    Super disappointing. I got the mixture to about 240-245, then it started smoking, turned black, and separated into a mess. I can’t find a good coconut milk caramel recipe to save my life. I just used my candy thermometer to make regular caramels (I’m making vegan for vegan friends) and the regular ones turned out beautifully, so I don’t think it’s the problem. (Of course, that recipe said I should only bring it to 244.) What happened?

    • Megan

      December 9, 2013 at 10:04 am

      Could depend on your elevation. I have had a hell of a time learning to make candy, but I have to adjust almost 10-15 degrees down because I live at almost 7,000 ft. I read that you have to adjust 2 degrees for every 1,000 ft above sea level.Also look at this link for how to calibrate your candy thermometer: http://www.ehow.com/how_6210104_calibrate-candy-thermometer.html

      I have yet to successfully make caramels of any sort but I keep trying!!! 🙂 Okay, I’ve made them, but they were like hard candies, ha ha.

      • Draken

        January 8, 2014 at 2:15 pm

        Don’t stir once the mixture begins to boil, that will help with the hardness issue with the caramel, also with any graininess.

  34. Deese

    December 3, 2013 at 2:39 am

    I made these in less then 30 minutes at 4:11am before my sister (who lives with me) left to go back to university after Thanksgiving break. I used 1/4 cup earth balance and homemade cashew cream instead of coconut milk because I didn’t have any and because my sister doesn’t like coconut flavored things and I was worried the flavor would come through. I did alternate my heat between medium hi and hi and was able to reach 240-250 in about 15 minutes, I swirled the pan to keep from burning. The caramel was very good! However, next time I make it I will use my regular vegan sugar instead of brown sugar, I could still taste it in the finished product so it reminded me of the brown sugar candy my mom used to make. Great recipe! I can’t wait to try it with coconut milk since my sister is gone for two weeks until winter break! 🙂

    • Cara

      December 3, 2013 at 4:16 pm

      I loved reading this! I was beginning to wonder why others were having troubles getting the temp up–glad to hear that with a few adjustments, this recipe works for your preferences! xo

  35. SuziCat

    October 22, 2013 at 8:52 am

    Cara, would this recipe work for coating caramel apples or would it be too thick? I have a beautiful bag of organic gala’s that I’ve eyed for luscious caramel apples! Any tips? Thanks 🙂

    • Cara

      October 22, 2013 at 10:51 am

      You could definitely try it but I would suggest using this recipe: http://www.forkandbeans.com/2013/09/13/microwavable-vegan-caramel-sauce/ I happen to adore the flavor more 🙂

      • SuziCat

        October 22, 2013 at 11:01 am

        Ok thanks for the recommendation! I’m curious, is this microwaveable caramel sauce thinner than the vegan caramel recipe and is the corn syrup what makes the flavor difference?

        • Cara

          October 22, 2013 at 11:04 am

          It gets thicker the higher the temperature gets but the reason I like it better is because the peanut butter smoothes out the flavor and coconut milk isn’t the base (not my personal favorite).

  36. Wendy

    October 14, 2013 at 12:14 pm

    I got a burnt mess from this recipe.

    When you say small pan, how small are you talking? How do I put the thermometer in the pan properly? I tested my thermometer before hand and it was at 212F for boiling water.

  37. Virginia

    September 30, 2013 at 5:19 am

    I tried these, they took about an hour on the stove to get to over 250, a lot longer than I thought. I cooled them in the fridge for a few hours and they still were very gooey, not firm at all, what is the consistency you got with yours? I went up to around 255-260, they tasted slightly burnt, but still delicious, but it was more a carmel dip than a candy that I could individually wrap.

    • Cara

      October 6, 2013 at 9:12 am

      Hmmmmm….strange. I was able to get a some-what firm caramel (once they were placed at room temp, they sort of melt but they couldn’t last long enough because I ate all of them). Let me relook things over and see what is going on. Glad you at least liked the flavor 😛

  38. Lauren

    September 25, 2013 at 12:06 pm

    These look delicious! I was looking for a recipe that didn’t have corn syrup. Gonna try these out and hopefully they turn out with my stove (haven’t ever made caramels before!) – if they do, I might make some as Christmas gifts! 🙂

  39. kimbelina

    September 9, 2013 at 6:05 pm

    Well, now I know what I’m making for the kiddos’ Hallowe’en goodie bags. Yum!

  40. The Peace Patch

    September 8, 2013 at 7:01 am

    Superyumful…and your Vegan Rolos recipe too!
    I wonder if you could make a reverse rolo…? 🙂

  41. Kelly

    September 8, 2013 at 5:50 am

    I have got to have these! Coconut milk in caramels, yessssss please!

  42. Jill

    September 7, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    Am I doing something’s wrong? I can’t get the temp above 240. How long should it stay on stove for? Thanks!

  43. Anna {Herbivore Triathlete}

    September 6, 2013 at 2:19 pm

    Yummy! I love caramel and miss them so much since becoming vegan. You have solved my dilemma.

  44. Liane

    September 6, 2013 at 5:39 am

    I was gonna say that these look and sound great and I will bookmark and try them as soon as I have the chance. But I´m pretty sure that has already been said. So I´m just gonna say hi. “Hi!” 🙂

  45. Heather

    September 5, 2013 at 11:37 am

    You are on a roll – oh how I’ve missed seeing you in my in box! xo

    • Cara

      September 5, 2013 at 7:15 pm

      I have missed being on a roll so it’s good to be back!! I miss YOU too. xo

  46. Natalia

    September 4, 2013 at 9:21 pm

    Cara, i’ve made caramels with your recipe at least 8-9 times now (when ever vegan friends stop by they almost always get twix bars… and then we can’t keep them away)… but i’ve never been able to get it even to 250*F. I’ve even got a new stove recently (couldn’t do it on the old one as well)… What am i doing wrong?

    • Cara

      September 5, 2013 at 7:05 pm

      Hi Natalia,
      How frustrating! Hmmm, here are a few of my go-to solutions:
      1). Is your thermometer 100% accurate?
      2). How long are you keeping your caramel on the stove for?
      3). When you do make the Twix, what is the consistency of the caramel?
      Let’s start there and figure out what is going on… xo

  47. Nina V

    September 4, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    What a great looking recipe. I do remember rather enjoying caramels when I was little. It would be luverly to make some for my children.
    Thank you for creating such a straight forward recipe. 🙂

  48. Lindsay at Kitchen Operas

    September 4, 2013 at 1:48 pm

    I think these would be so delicious — coconut milk + maple syrup? I’m in.

  49. Abby @ The Frosted Vegan

    September 4, 2013 at 10:50 am

    I was just trying to think of a way to make caramels without corn syrup, you read my mind!

    • Cara

      September 5, 2013 at 7:05 pm

      I’m in the business of mind-reading 😉 xo

  50. richa

    September 4, 2013 at 10:32 am

    ahhh. i might have to make batches and batches of these. i had to stop picking up cocomels and now this. pha
    these look awesome!

    • Cara

      September 4, 2013 at 10:36 am

      This is the 2nd reference to cocomels–I have never heard of them! I just might have to try them out for the days that I am lazy and/or out of time for making caramel. Thanks for that, Richa! xo

  51. suzie blair

    September 4, 2013 at 10:13 am

    Cara, when you call for coconut milk, do you want the canned or the milk that is in a carton in the cooler section of the store.

    Thank-you for all your work. Love your recipes!

    • Cara

      September 4, 2013 at 10:35 am

      You know, you could use whichever Suzie, however the more fat the better! I would suggest the kind in the can–I used the low fat in the can and it tasted great. xo

      • suzie blair

        September 9, 2013 at 9:29 am

        Thank-you, thank-you. What would we vegans do without you!!!!!

  52. Jessie

    September 4, 2013 at 10:01 am

    Oh they sound GOOD!!!

  53. Brooke (Crackers on the Couch)

    September 4, 2013 at 9:48 am

    Oh holy cow, this looks good!

  54. Hannah

    September 4, 2013 at 9:47 am

    Mmhhhhh I can’t wait to make these. Brilliant!

  55. Susan

    September 4, 2013 at 9:21 am

    Mmmmm!!
    But I’m not a maple syrup fan for several reasons-
    Do you have a substitute?

  56. Erin

    September 4, 2013 at 8:12 am

    These look really yummy and I’m anxious to try them! Shh, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Regular corn syrup (like Karo) is actually 100% glucose syrup and doesn’t contain any of the dreaded fructose. 🙂 Although, maple syrup is way more healthy anyhow.

    • Cara

      September 4, 2013 at 8:23 am

      That is great to know Erin! It makes me feel no guilt for the hard candies I’m going to create that will be full of corn syrup 🙂 hehehe

  57. Amanda

    September 4, 2013 at 7:52 am

    These look super tasty. Do you think I could sub coconut oil for the vegan butter?

  58. Laurel

    September 4, 2013 at 7:49 am

    When you get a box of assorted chocolates what do you eat first? The caramels of course. Looks like I should make myself a box – brought to you (me) by the genius that is Princess Fork. 🙂

  59. Caitlin

    September 4, 2013 at 7:31 am

    they look wonderful, lady!

  60. Amanda

    September 4, 2013 at 7:20 am

    I know what you mean! I won’t eat HFCS, but I would eat potato chips! However, I try to limit the “bad” foods in my diet. I am sure you do as well. And let me note that your candies do NOT count as junk food. he he he! 🙂

    • Cara

      September 5, 2013 at 7:14 pm

      Define limit 🙂 hehe. Honestly, there are some days when I am naughty and I cannot stop myself…and I’m okay with it. xo

  61. Pamela

    September 4, 2013 at 7:15 am

    I love your honesty about potato chips! Reading your blog always gets me back on track though. Thank you so much for your efforts.

  62. Kelly

    September 4, 2013 at 6:48 am

    These sound amazing! I bet they taste just like Cocomels, which I LOVE. 🙂

    • Cara

      September 5, 2013 at 7:15 pm

      What are these Cocomels you speak of Kelly???

      • Lisa

        October 12, 2013 at 2:32 pm

        Coconut milk caramels you can buy at Wholefoods.

  63. Jan

    September 4, 2013 at 6:18 am

    corn syrup, hissssss! great work.

    • Cara

      September 5, 2013 at 7:15 pm

      I LOVE it when you hissssss 🙂

  64. ansel

    May 9, 2014 at 2:54 pm

    Most brown sugar is not vegan friendly since processed with animal bone char.

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