Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (2024)

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Soft Rum Caramels are perfect treats for the holiday season! These soft and chewy caramel candies are made even more delicious with a subtle hint of rum. It’s almost like enjoying a buttered rum cocktail… But in a bite of homemade candy!

Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (1)

Table of Contents

  • Soft Rum Caramels
  • What Do These Taste Like?
  • WHAT’S IN THIS RECIPE?
  • HOW TO MAKE SOFT RUM CARAMELS
  • TIPS AND VARIATIONS
  • DO I HAVE TO USE A CANDY THERMOMETER?
  • WHAT OTHER CHRISTMAS CANDY Recipes CAN I MAKE?
  • STORING SOFT RUM CARAMELS
  • Get the Recipe

*This recipe is sponsored byDixie Crystals. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this site possible!*

    Soft Rum Caramels

    This holiday season, don’t bring cookies to the cookie exchange… Surprise everyone with these Soft Rum Caramels! They’re easy to make homemade candies that are deceptively impressive. While they are individually wrapped and pretty to present, they come together with simple ingredients and easy to follow steps.

    They’re so soft and chewy! You know how so many store-bought caramel candies are hard and end up hurting your teeth? You don’t need to worry about that here. This recipe yields caramels that are sturdy enough to hold their shape, but soft enough to very easily chew… And keep chewing, because you won’t be able to have just one.

    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (2)

    What Do These Taste Like?

    Besides the obvious sweet caramel flavor, there’s also some buttery rum notes happening with this candy! If you have ever had a buttered rum cocktail, imagine that in a bite size chewy candy!

    The butter and heavy cream work in tandem to create the signature consistency, but the butter also really impacts the flavor as well. What also really stands out is the rum. It’s just a light note of it, but it’s enough to make these caramels a step above the others.

    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (3)

    WHAT’S IN THIS RECIPE?

    You only need a handful of ingredients that you likely already have to make this homemade Christmas candy recipe!

    • Dixie Crystals Granulated Sugar: I always use my favorite Dixie Crystals sugar!
    • Light Corn Syrup
    • Kosher Salt: Avoid iodized salt, as it will lend too much of a salty flavor to this sweet candy. Coarse (kosher) salt helps develop the other flavors instead of overpowering them.
    • Butter: It needs to be unsalted and cubed.
    • Heavy Cream: Do NOT substitute this with any other dairy or non-dairy product!
    • Rum Extract: This is what adds the rum flavor, but you can also use a different extract like vanilla, maple, almond, etc.

    Equipment Needed:

    • Large Sauce Pan
    • Rubber Spatula
    • Candy Thermometer
    • Parchment Paper or Wax Paper
    • 9×9 Square Baking Pan
    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (4)
    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (5)

    HOW TO MAKE SOFT RUM CARAMELS

    Sometimes, making homemade candy can be a little nerve wracking. Don’t be afraid! This recipe is pretty foolproof. Just make sure you have a candy thermometer!

    • Prepare. Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper.
    • Stir and heat. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a pot over medium-high heat. Stir continuously to make sure the sugar melts and to avoid burning.
    • Make it creamy. Once the mixture starts gently bubbling, slowly stir in the heavy cream. You don’t want the mixture to stop bubbling, so do this part very slowly.
    • Add butter. Once the heavy cream is fully incorporated, stir in the butter.
    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (6)
    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (7)
    • Remove from heat. Keep stirring and watch the thermometer. Once it reads 245°F, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the rum extract. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan.
    • Cool. Let the pan sit undisturbed and uncovered for a few hours at room temperature so it can harden.
    • Cut and wrap. Once the caramel is hardened, cooled, and set up, it’s time to have fun! Remove the caramel from the pan, cut it into squares, wrap it in wax paper, and enjoy.
    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (8)

    TIPS AND VARIATIONS

    • Omit the rum extract: Here’s the deal. I LOVE the subtle rum flavor in these caramels. However, if it’s not your favorite flavor, you can swap that splash of extract with vanilla instead.
    • Swap the extract for another flavor: Maple Caramels?
    • Add salt: Some flaky sea salt sprinkled on top is always delicious and decadent! Salty and sweet is one of my favorite combinations!
    • Dip them in chocolate: You can also dip each caramel in melted chocolate and let it harden.
    • Give it time to cool: If you try to slice into the caramel while it’s still warm, you’ll end up with a literal hot mess on your hands! I know it may take some patience, but giving the caramel a few hours to fully cool and set up is the best way to ensure you’ll have clean squares.
    • Butter your knife: Speaking of clean cut squares, your knife matters! Use a nice sharp knife to cut through these candies and butter it. By rubbing a little butter on each side of the blade, it helps to prevent the caramels from sticking to it as they’re sliced.
    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (9)
    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (10)

    DO I HAVE TO USE A CANDY THERMOMETER?

    YES. Do not try to make these homemade caramels (and so many other candies) without a trusty candy thermometer. Once the caramel reaches 245°F, it must be removed from the heat or it will over cook and not be any good. You also can’t under cook it. When making caramels, you must be exact, and that can only happen if you have your thermometer.

    WHAT OTHER CHRISTMAS CANDY Recipes CAN I MAKE?

    The sky’s the limit! As far as I’m concerned, the holidays are candy season. This year, I’ll be handing out these Soft Rum Caramels in little gift bags along with Sponge Candy and Christmas Crack. Here are a few more of my favorite holiday candy recipes:

    • Peppermint Oreo Truffle Balls
    • Peanut Butter Pretzel Crockpot Candy
    • Pecan Pie Truffles
    • Chocolate Orange Caramels
    • Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark
    • Cinnamon Sugar Toffee
    • Pecan Christmas Crack
    • Caramellows
    • Almond Joy Truffles
    • Pecan Caramel Bars
    • Reindeer Poop
    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (11)

    STORING SOFT RUM CARAMELS

    When wrapped in their wax papers, these Christmas candies will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks! No need to refrigerate them. In fact, they’ll harden up in the fridge. Feel free to keep them stored at room temperature in a cool, dark place.

    These candies are so perfect for handing out around Christmas time because you can make them so far in advance, and they keep so well. They’re the best little gifts!

    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (12)
    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (13)

    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (14)

    4.6 from 7 votes

    Print Pin Recipe

    Yield: 42 Caramel Squares

    Soft Rum Caramels

    Soft Rum Caramels are perfect treats for the holiday season! These soft and chewy caramel candies are made even more delicious with a subtle hint of rum. It’s almost like enjoying a buttered rum cocktail… But in a bite of homemade candy!

    Prep Time10 minutes minutes

    Cook Time30 minutes minutes

    Total Time40 minutes minutes

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    • Add parchment paper to a 9×9 pan and set it aside.

    • In a high-sided pot over medium-high heat, add granulated sugar, light corn syrup, and kosher salt.

    • Stir the mixture to help dissolve the sugar into the corn syrup. Make sure to keep slowly stirring as you do not want any hot spots in the pan to burn the sugars.

    • Once the mixture starts to gently bubble, and the granulated sugar has dissolved, VERY SLOWLY drizzle in the heavy creamy while continually stirring. You do not want the mixture to stop bubbling, so you must drizzle this cold heavy creamy in very slowly.

    • When all the heavy cream has been added, add in the butter while continually stirring.

    • Continue gently stirring, until the mixture has reached 245°F, on a candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer, about 15-20 minutes.

    • Once the mixture has reached 245°F, remove from the heat and quickly stir in the rum extract. Immediately pour the hot caramel into the prepared pan.

    • Let it sit on the counter for a few hours to set up and slightly harden.

    • Once cooled and caramel is set up, remove the parchment from the pan, cut the caramel into squares, wrap it in wax paper, and enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    Storage: When wrapped in their wax papers, these Christmas candies will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks! No need to refrigerate them. In fact, they’ll harden up in the fridge. Feel free to keep them stored at room temperature in a cool, dark place.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1, Calories: 52kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 14mg, Sugar: 6g

    © Jessica

    Cuisine: American

    Category: Candy

    Categories:

    • Candy
    • Christmas
    • Desserts
    • Gluten Free
    • Holidays
    • No Bake
    • Recipes
    • Videos

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    Soft Rum Caramels | An Easy Homemade Christmas Candy Recipe! (2024)

    FAQs

    How to soften hard caramel candy? ›

    If caramels are too hard, you can try placing them back in a saucepan, adding a couple tablespoons of water and stirring until the thermometer reads 242°F.

    How to get caramel to harden? ›

    Refrigerate until cooled and hardened. (Best if you refrigerate them overnight, or for several hours. They will be easier to cut and wrap). The caramel will seem hard in the fridge after they're set, but they should be soft at room temperature.

    What is the difference between hard caramel and soft caramel? ›

    If the caramel forms a pliable soft ball, for instance, it's around 240°F. If it forms a hard ball, it's between 250°F to 260°F, etc. Sometimes recipes will even use the descriptors below to specify the stage your caramel should be cooked to.

    Why is my caramel not setting? ›

    Too short of a cooling time: Caramel sauce thickens significantly as it cools, so let the caramel cool for the appropriate time to achieve the right thickness. If the sauce is still too thin after cooling completely, place it back on the stovetop and reheat it on low heat for a few additional minutes.

    Why did my homemade caramel get hard? ›

    If the temperature gets too hot and the caramel becomes too hard as it cools, you can put it back in the pan with a couple of tablespoons of cold water to try and save it.

    How to stop caramel from hardening? ›

    I would add some more cream until you reach your desired consistency and then put a bit of lemon juice or cream of tartar. The acidity in either one should help keep the sugar in the caramel from hardening (crystallizing), once you remove it from the heat source.

    Should you stir sugar when making caramel? ›

    Do not stir, but instead swirl and shake the pan to distribute the caramelized sugar in and around the unmelted sugar and to promote even browning. Watch it carefully to make sure it doesn't burn. The caramel is done when it's a deep amber color and all sugar lumps have dissolved.

    Why add corn syrup to caramel? ›

    Light Corn Syrup: This is an imperative ingredient that gives the caramel a softer, chewier consistency. Also, and more importantly, corn syrup helps prevent the cooking caramel from crystallizing into a gritty, grainy texture.

    What not to do when making caramel? ›

    12 Mistakes To Avoid When Making Caramel
    1. Not assembling your ingredients. Juanmonino/Getty Images. ...
    2. Choosing the wrong pan. Milanchikov Sergey/Shutterstock. ...
    3. Using the wrong sugar. ...
    4. Getting the temperature wrong. ...
    5. Stirring the sugar too much. ...
    6. Forgetting about safety. ...
    7. Not heating your liquid. ...
    8. Stopping before the sugar browns.
    Jan 29, 2024

    What happens if you stir caramel too much? ›

    Ideally, the sugar crystals will dissolve into the water, creating a smooth caramel. This can take time, however, and if you stir the mixture too excessively early on, you may end up splashing the liquid up onto the sides of the cooking pot.

    How to soften kraft caramels in the microwave? ›

    To melt caramels using a microwave, open up a bag of soft caramels, unwrap the individual candies, and place them in a microwave-safe dish. Next, add milk to the bowl, or if you'd like a richer treat, add heavy cream instead. Then, place the bowl in the microwave and heat the caramels on HIGH for 1 minute.

    How do you make caramel stiffer? ›

    Alternatively, you can mix in water with cornstarch or flour to thicken the sauce. If you're using cornstarch, add 1 tablespoon each of water and cornstarch for every cup of caramel sauce. For flour, mix ¼ cup of water and 2 tablespoons of flour per cup of sauce.

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