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.
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.
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Ingredient Notes
- 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.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
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 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
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.
No, unfortunately, at this time, I do not have a substitute for the corn syrup.
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.
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More Cannabis Recipes You Will Love
Don't forget to top your caramel with a bit of cannabis-infused sea salt!
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📖 Recipe
Chewy Homemade Cannabis Caramels
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.
Emily Weisenburger
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.
Emily Kyle
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!
Mary
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?
Emily Kyle
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.
Joan
Hi love your site
What is the dose per piece
Emily Kyle
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.
Tawana
Can you use store brought caramels and just melt in some cannabis butter?
Emily Kyle
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 🙂
Nia
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.
Emily Kyle
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.
august
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
Emily Kyle
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 🙂
august
also, can this be used with coconut oil or does it need to be butter?
Emily Kyle
August, I think coconut oil should work just fine!
Crystal
Loveeee this recipe!! Butter!! For the win!
Emily Kyle
I am SO glad you liked it Crystal, thank you so much!
Joan
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.
Emily Kyle
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!
Kirsten
Can i used condensed milk instead of evaporated?
Emily Kyle
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.
Taj scott
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
Emily Kyle
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.
Michelle Anthony
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?
Emily Kyle
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 🙂
Jodie Grayson
Just made them there in the fridge now
Emily Kyle
Let us know how they turned out for you, Jodie 😀
Emily Kyle
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!
Laura
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. 🙂
Catherine Provencher
Watch the sudden rise of the Carmel as the boiling progresses to 245 degrees
Emily Kyle
Great tip; thanks, Catherine!
Alleyne
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 🙏
Emily Kyle
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 😀
Madelin
Can you freeze the caramels?
Renée from Team EKN
Hi Madelin! Yes, you can store these caramels in the freezer for several months. 😊
Keepsie
Does this recipe have to have canna butter or can I use infused coconut oil?
Emily Kyle
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!
Bernice Chouinard
How strong can a person make caramels. For pain.
Renée from Team EKN
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/
Stacey B
My first time ever making caramels. They were perfect!!! I’m a newbie and you have been my go-to for all things THC related. My FECO was a success too…until I spilled it 😫😫😫 Thank you for educating me!!
Renée from Team EKN
HI Stacey! 🥰 Thank you so much for your kind words. You put a big smile on Emily's face as well as mine! Emily works hard to continuously improve the cannabis education she offers and it’s always rewarding to receive such wonderful feedback. We love that you love us. 💕🌿
Blacksunshine
I’d never made Carmel a day in my life. I changed the setting to 30, and I did my best with the measurements. I gotta admit, I’d never guess I could kill it like that!!! Well done with the instructions. Even when I don’t who how to measure many of the alternate measurements, I could get close enough. I used cannisugar and butter. I stirred my ass off, and I had PERFECT caramel Can’t wait to make more! Thanks
Renée from Team EKN
Hi Blacksunshine! This is wonderful to hear! Thank you for your feedback and your support!
Rhi
I have made this multiple times and followed the recipe exactly how it states. This caramel is AMAZING. It does take about 45 minutes or so of stirring to reach the 245 degrees. I recommend putting a show on, pulling up a chair and just stirring lol don't rush it! It's definitely worth the time it takes.
Renée from Team EKN
Hi Rhi. Thank you so much for your feedback! This recipe is definitely a fan favorite, and we are so happy you have had success with it!
Celesti
I made the candy caramels yesterday and followed the recipe as written. Once the candy temp hit 245 degrees, I added the vanilla and poured into a prepared pan. Today, I removed the candy from the fridge and the caramels did not harden and the cannabutter settled to the bottom of the pan. I used clarified infused butter for the recipe. Should we be adding a full fat infused butter? Would you have any suggestions on how I can salvage my caramels ? Thank you.
Renée from Team EKN
Hi Celesti. Did you use a calibrated thermometer to achieve the right temperature? This recipe can be very temperamental if the temperature doesn't get hot enough, or even too hot. 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. Clarified butter is fine. ☺️