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    Home » Cannabis Dessert Recipes

    Chewy Homemade Cannabis Caramels

    Published: Apr 20, 2021 · Modified: Sep 4, 2022 · Written by Emily Kyle · This post may contain affiliate links, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    4.8 from 86 votes
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    A picture of homemade cannabis caramels topped with sea salt.

    Learn how to make your very own delicious, chewy cannabis caramels at home with either cannabutter, cannabis sugar, or both for a sweet treat that makes it easy to enjoy your cannabis at home or on the go.

    Delicious, Chewy Homemade Cannabis Caramels
    Table of Contents Expand
    1. Features
    2. Why You Will Love This Recipe
    3. Stock Your Canna Kitchen
    4. Ingredient Notes
    5. Step-by-Step Instructions
    6. Storage Instructions
    7. Alternate Infusion Options
    8. Notes and Expert Tips
    9. Frequently Asked Questions

    Features

    • A simple recipe with step-by-step instructions
    • Multiple cannabis infusion options to choose from
    • Tips and tricks for making this recipe perfectly

    Why You Will Love This Recipe

    This recipe comes from popular requests by my Well With Cannabis Community members.

    These delicious melt-in-your-mouth cannabis caramels rank right up there with my brownies and chocolate chip cookies.

    Perfect for a simple sweet treat that can be enjoyed at home or on the go, you can easily individually wrap these caramels for perfect portioning and easy portability.

    Below I will go over all of the important things you need to do before preparing this recipe, including making your cannabutter or cannabis sugar at home.

    I will also share some important tips and tricks to help you make the best, most delicious cannabis caramels possible.


    Stock Your Canna Kitchen

    A picture of Emily Kyle's Bliss Cannabutter.

    Skip the hard work and have perfectly dosed, delicious, pure Bliss Cannabutter delivered directly to your door! Shop Now →


    Ingredient Notes

    Cannabis Caramel
    • Cannabutter: cannabutter or cannabis coconut oil work best
    • Sugar: you can use white granulated sugar or cannabis sugar
    • Light corn syrup: this ingredient is needed for this recipe; I do not have a good substitute recommendation at this time
    • Salt: regular table salt goes into the recipe, and you can add sea salt as a topping if desired
    • Evaporated milk: this ingredient is needed for this recipe; I do not have a good substitute recommendation at this time
    • Vanilla extract: for flavor

    Note: a complete list of ingredients with amounts and printable instructions is in the recipe card below.

    Helpful Kitchen Items

    Choosing the right kitchen items will help make this recipe process go much more smoothly. The most important thing is to use a large enough saucepan.

    As the caramel boils, it will boil up the sides of the pan. If you use a too-small pan, you will have a sticky mess all over your stove.

    You can avoid this by starting with a large enough saucepan in the first place. For this recipe, I recommend a 6-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan.

    It is also vital to use a thermometer to help track the temperature of this recipe. I recommend a candy thermometer that can attach to the side of your saucepan for a hands-free way to monitor the candy's temperature easily.

    • 9x9 inch Baking Pan
    • Parchment Paper
    • 6-quart Heavy Bottomed Saucepan
    • Candy Thermometer
    • Wax Paper

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    A picture of homemade cannabis caramels topped with sea salt.
    • Step 1 - Prepare a 9x9-sized baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • Step 2 - Add the cannabutter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a 6-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and stir well. Heat until the mixture begins to boil, about 7-8 minutes.
    • Step 3 - Slowly and gradually add the evaporated milk, ensuring the mixture stays at a constant boil. This can take upwards of 10-15 minutes per can of milk.
    • Step 4 - Add a candy thermometer to the pan and secure it to the side. Constantly stir until the mixture reaches 245° F. This is very important; if you do not reach this temperature, the candies will not set.
    A picture of homemade cannabis caramels topped with sea salt.
    • Step 5 - Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
    • Step 6 - Pour the caramel into your prepped pan and top with sea salt if using.
    • Step 7 - Refrigerate the caramels for a few hours; overnight is ideal. 
    • Step 8 - Once the caramels are cool and set, cut the caramel into bite-sized pieces and wrap it individually in wax paper if desired.

    Note: complete step-by-step printable instructions are located in the recipe card below.

    Storage Instructions

    You can store these caramels at room temperature for a few days, but it is best to store them in the refrigerator for longer-term storage, 2-3 weeks.

    You can also store these in the freezer for several months. Learn more about how to store cannabis edibles here.

    A picture of homemade cannabis caramels topped with sea salt.

    Alternate Infusion Options

    As with all things edibles, there is more than one way to infuse something.

    Below we will explore all the different ways you could infuse this recipe.

    Cannabutter

    Cannabutter is one of the most common cannabis-infused staple recipes.

    If you don't have your cannabutter prepared, you're going to want to make sure you prepare it before diving into this recipe.

    You can make many kinds of cannabutter, including in a crockpot or Instant Pot, CBD cannabutter, or kief cannabutter.

    Cannabis Sugar

    Cannabis sugar is a delicious, versatile recipe made using white sugar and a cannabis tincture.

    It can be made with either a traditional Green Dragon or a Golden Dragon QWET tincture.

    You will need to have your cannabis sugar prepared ahead of time for this recipe.

    If you've never made it before, follow my complete guide to making cannabis sugar here.

    Cannabis Concentrates

    If you are an experienced cannabis consumer or have a high tolerance, you may want to make your caramels with concentrates or FECO for a more potent end product.

    When using concentrates to make your caramels, add them in step 5 when you add the vanilla extract.

    Be sure to stir well to ensure even distribution throughout the candies.

    You can find THC concentrates at dispensaries or CBD concentrates in my shop.

    Notes and Expert Tips

    Making caramel is not precisely a beginner-friendly recipe.

    Not to say you can't do it, but just to let you know that it takes time and patience to get this recipe to turn out right.

    Below I will share some of my most helpful tips and tricks to help ensure your process goes smoothly and successfully.

    Run a Non-Infused Test Batch First

    Depending on your skill level in the kitchen, I highly recommend running a *non* cannabis-infused batch of caramel first so you can get used to the process.

    This ensures you can get comfortable with the process and work out any potential kinks before making an infused batch.

    If anything goes wrong the first time, you will be safe knowing you didn't 'ruin' anything.

    Maintain Proper Temperature Control

    When making this recipe, taking your time and patience is extremely important.

    It takes quite a bit to bring the mixture to temperature, upwards of thirty minutes.

    While it may be tempting to blast the heat and get the temperature up fast, it is not the best approach.

    A low and slow heating approach will ensure you have the best possible final product.

    Too fast heating or a lack of patience may result in a burned or scorched batch of caramel.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Does the heat destroy the cannabinoids?

    Many people get nervous about bringing the infused cannabutter or cannabis sugar to a high temperature like the 245°F required in this recipe. Rest assured, this temperature is not too hot and will not destroy all of the cannabinoids in this recipe.

    Do you have an alternative for corn syrup?

    No, unfortunately, at this time, I do not have a substitute for the corn syrup.

    Cannabis Caramels

    How to Determine The Dosing

    Want to get a more accurate guesstimate of the potency of your cannabis infusions and extractions? Try our popular edibles calculator!

    Not sure what your perfect dose is? Learn more here.

    Want To Make This Easier? Use A Machine!

    If the process of decarbing and infusing feels like too much work, an all-in-one countertop device may be a perfect all-in-one solution.

    My personal favorites? The LEVO and Ardent FX, but you can review the most popular infusion machines here.

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    • Use the code EMILYKYLE for 10% off your LEVO order!

    More Cannabis Recipes You Will Love

    Don't forget to top your caramel with a bit of cannabis-infused sea salt!

    • Quick & Easy Cannabis Chocolates
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    Edibles made easy course mockup

    My Edibles Made Easy Online Cooking Course will teach you how to easily make cannabis edibles and topical recipes at home. This step-by-step video course will teach you how to infuse, extract, and create edibles with many different product types - all from the comfort of your own home.

    Learn more and enroll today →

    A picture of homemade cannabis caramels topped with sea salt.

    Chewy Homemade Cannabis Caramels

    Author: Emily Kyle, MS, RDN, HCP
    4.82 from 86 votes
    Learn how to make your very own delicious, chewy cannabis caramels at home with either cannabutter, cannabis sugar, or both for a sweet treat that makes it easy to enjoy your cannabis at home or on the go.
    Print Now Pin for Later
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    CourseDessert
    CuisineCannabis Recipe
    Servings 80 pieces
    Calories 95 kcal

    Equipment

    • Heavy-Bottomed Saucepan
    • Candy Thermometer
    • 9x9 inch Baking Pan

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 cup cannabutter
    • 4 cups white, granulated sugar or cannabis sugar
    • 2 cups light corn syrup
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt optional
    • 24 ounces evaporated milk
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt optional for topping

    Instructions

    • Prepare a 9x9-sized baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • Add the cannabutter, sugar, corn syrup, and kosher salt to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and stir well. Heat until the mixture begins to boil, about 7-8 minutes.
    • Slowly and gradually add the evaporated milk, ensuring the mixture stays at a constant boil. This can take upwards of 10-15 minutes per can of milk.
    • Add a candy thermometer to the pan and secure it to the side. Constantly stir until the mixture reaches 245° F.
    • Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
    • Pour the caramel into your prepped pan and top with sea salt if using.
    • Refrigerate the caramels for a few hours, overnight is ideal.
    • Once the caramels are cool and set, cut the caramel into bite-sized pieces and wrap it individually in wax paper if desired.

    Notes

    Temperature Note: It is crucial to reach the temperature of 245°F; if you do not reach this temperature, the candies will not set.
    Metric Conversion Note: The metric conversion tool is provided as a convenience and should not be relied upon as an exact measurement in recipes. The results of conversions produced by the online metric converter are based on mathematical models and cannot guarantee that the recipe will turn out perfectly with metric measurements. We strongly recommend testing the recipes using traditional measurements to ensure accuracy. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1piece | Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 27mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 91IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe or have a question?Join hundreds of members inside private Well With Cannabis Community for help, support, and to share your edible creations!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Emily Weisenburger

      April 30, 2022 at 10:05 pm

      5 stars
      I made the test run today. I am making these for a loved one with cancer and I want to get it right for them. The one thing I changed is the pan size. 9x9 pan is for brownies, not 80 pieces of caramel.

    2. Emily Kyle

      May 02, 2022 at 4:50 pm

      Emily - That is so sweet of you to make these for a loved one with cancer ❤️ I had no problems making (80) 1" pieces with the 9x9 pan, but feel free to use any size that works best for you!

    3. Mary

      May 03, 2022 at 6:00 pm

      I used cannabis butter for this caramel candy recipe. Why would the oil from the butter sit on top of the caramel when I poured it into the pan and not infuse with the caramel?

    4. Emily Kyle

      May 04, 2022 at 9:03 am

      Hello Mary, I am sorry to hear that happened; I haven't had this experience. Did you use a calibrated thermometer to achieve the right temperature? This recipe can be very temperamental if the temperature is not correct during the cooking process.

    5. Joan

      May 10, 2022 at 9:04 pm

      Hi love your site
      What is the dose per piece

    6. Emily Kyle

      May 11, 2022 at 9:00 am

      Hi Joan, thanks! That will depend on the strength of the cannabutter (or other infusions) you start with. You can use the edibles dosage calculator to help you guestimate.

    7. Tawana

      May 11, 2022 at 6:56 pm

      Can you use store brought caramels and just melt in some cannabis butter?

    8. Emily Kyle

      May 13, 2022 at 8:59 am

      Tawana, it may work if you use just a tiny bit of butter, but if you use a lot, you will probably have some separation. Let us know if you try it 🙂

    9. Nia

      May 14, 2022 at 6:20 pm

      I'm trying the recipe tomorrow. Can you tell me what's the mg for each piece in the finished product? Also, for those having trouble with separation, adding lecithin will stop that.

    10. Emily Kyle

      May 16, 2022 at 10:45 am

      Helli Nia. The final mg will depend on how many mg you started with in your cannabutter (or other infusion). If you know that number, simply divide it by the total number of pieces you make, and that should give you your final mg number.

    11. august

      May 30, 2022 at 1:04 am

      Hiya Emily
      I'm looking forward to trying this recipe, we dont have corn syrup over here, what would you suggest as a good substitute? agave, golden syrup, brown rice syrup are some things i was thinking could work.
      thanks

    12. Emily Kyle

      May 30, 2022 at 1:06 am

      Hey August! I have not experimented with anything else, so unfortunately, I don't have a good substitute suggestion. You could however take a caramel recipe that you're already familiar with and just add in your butter or oil as you wish 🙂

    13. august

      May 30, 2022 at 1:18 am

      also, can this be used with coconut oil or does it need to be butter?

    14. Emily Kyle

      May 31, 2022 at 2:13 pm

      August, I think coconut oil should work just fine!

    15. Crystal

      June 19, 2022 at 5:03 pm

      5 stars
      Loveeee this recipe!! Butter!! For the win!

    16. Emily Kyle

      June 20, 2022 at 1:27 pm

      I am SO glad you liked it Crystal, thank you so much!

    17. Joan

      June 25, 2022 at 11:05 pm

      5 stars
      Hi again I’m curious if I use canna sugar then what would be the amount of canna sugar do I use. And what would the amount of normal sugar be. I have dissolved one cup of green dragon in 2 cups of sugar. If I use infused sugar and butter this would be very strong caramels. I am just curious how to use the canna sugar. I have it sitting here and don’t know what to do with it. Any help you can give me I would appreciate.

    18. Emily Kyle

      June 26, 2022 at 9:17 am

      Hey Joan! The answer to this will depend on two things - how strong you want your caramels to be, and how strong your current batch of sugar is. If you're not sure how strong the current batch of sugar is, you can caulate that with the calculator here. From there, divide that total by 80 (the number of caramels this recipe makes). This will give you an idea of how strong each piece will be. If you find that the final mg is too strong for you, use less cannabis sugar and more white sugar. Or if you want the opposite, for the caramels to be stronger, consider then using both cannabis sugar and cannabutter. I hope this helps!

    19. Kirsten

      June 27, 2022 at 4:23 pm

      Can i used condensed milk instead of evaporated?

    20. Emily Kyle

      June 27, 2022 at 7:14 pm

      Kirsten, I haven't personally tried it myself, but they are two different products, so I'm not sure your final product would be the same.

    21. Taj scott

      August 08, 2022 at 7:52 pm

      Hey I just made some last night and I did it all right the only thing I wouldn’t do was get it up to 245 before I poured it out it got up to 220 but it hasn’t set fully it’s still abit to soft when you press it is there anything go can do to fix this

    22. Emily Kyle

      August 09, 2022 at 9:51 am

      Hi Taj - yes, you can put it back into the pan and cook until you reach 245°F. It will not harden if you do not reach that temperature.

    23. Michelle Anthony

      September 16, 2022 at 12:36 pm

      I'm using store-bought caramels and a '98.1% distillate do I need to use butter or can I just add the distillate to the store-bought caramels as I'm melting them? and do I need to add lethacin?

    24. Emily Kyle

      September 16, 2022 at 12:48 pm

      Hey Michelle, I wouldn't add any more butter; I would just add the distillate once the caramels are melted. You shouldn't need to add any lecithin 🙂

    25. Jodie Grayson

      September 25, 2022 at 6:48 am

      Just made them there in the fridge now

    26. Emily Kyle

      September 25, 2022 at 7:42 am

      Let us know how they turned out for you, Jodie 😀

    27. Emily Kyle

      October 02, 2022 at 7:27 pm

      Hey Laura! So crazy to think corn syrup is illegal in the EU 😬 I haven't tried with Agave, but if you want to experiment with a virgin batch and see how it turns out, please let us know the results!

    28. Laura

      October 12, 2022 at 6:35 am

      Has anyone tried making these with Agave syrup? It is illegal to sell corn syrup in the EU, so might have to experiment with substitutes. 🙂

    29. Catherine Provencher

      November 17, 2022 at 8:32 pm

      5 stars
      Watch the sudden rise of the Carmel as the boiling progresses to 245 degrees

    30. Emily Kyle

      November 18, 2022 at 7:38 am

      Great tip; thanks, Catherine!

    31. Alleyne

      December 10, 2022 at 6:45 pm

      Hi Emily
      I love your recipes! I’m in Australia and we use metric measurements down here. Is it possible for you to provide metric quantities as well? It would be a great help for us and Europeans, too. I hope you will consider this. Many thanks 🙏

    32. Emily Kyle

      December 11, 2022 at 7:32 am

      Hello Alleyne; thank you so much for the request. I just went ahead and added metric units to this recipe. Now, under ingredients, you should see two buttons, one that says US Customary and one that says Metric. Push the metric button, and the ingredient units will change. Just know that I haven't yet tested this recipe with these metric measurements, so I went ahead and put a disclaimer in there noting that. If you make this recipe with these metric measurements, please do let me know how it turns out for you 😀

    33. Madelin

      December 19, 2022 at 11:49 pm

      Can you freeze the caramels?

    34. Renée from Team EKN

      December 20, 2022 at 1:34 pm

      Hi Madelin! Yes, you can store these caramels in the freezer for several months. 😊

    35. Keepsie

      December 22, 2022 at 1:13 am

      Does this recipe have to have canna butter or can I use infused coconut oil?

    36. Emily Kyle

      December 22, 2022 at 7:37 am

      Hello Keepsie! I haven't tested this recipe with coconut oil, so if you want to attempt it, I would try a virgin batch first, just in case. Let us know how it turns out for you!

    37. Bernice Chouinard

      January 03, 2023 at 5:37 pm

      How strong can a person make caramels. For pain.

    38. Renée from Team EKN

      January 08, 2023 at 2:28 pm

      Hi Bernice! There really isn't a limit on the strength of these caramels. You can use cannabutter, cannasugar and add in additional concentrates, if desired. The strength of the caramels really depends on the strength of the infused ingredients you are using.
      Here is a ratio guide that may help give you an idea of how to infuse your oil or butter. I hope this helps!
      https://emilykylenutrition.com/cannabis-flower-to-oil-ratio-guide/

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