The Story & Intro
Bonjour my friends! 👋 I’m Lacamorea, a 31-year-old French girl who traded the cobblestone streets of Paris for the cozy kitchens of America 🇫🇷➡️🇺🇸. Ever since I could reach the countertop, I’ve been whisking, stirring, and sneaking tastes of cake batter when no one was looking 🍰😋. Cooking isn’t just my passion it’s my love language, my therapy, and my favorite way to make people smile.
And today… oh, today we’re diving into one of my absolute favorite holiday treats: salted Christmas caramels. Just saying the words makes my heart melt a little. When I was a little girl in Paris, my grandmother kept a tin of soft, buttery caramels tucked away on a shelf “for special occasions.” Spoiler alert I absolutely stole from that tin. Often. Every Christmas she’d make a fresh batch, and the whole house smelled like warm sugar and butter hugging in a pot.
When I moved to the US, I brought that tradition with me only now I’ve added a modern twist: a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and a cozy Christmas vibe. These salted Christmas caramels have become my signature December treat, the one I wrap in little red-and-white papers and gift to neighbors, friends, the mailman… honestly, anyone who stands still long enough.
They’re silky, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth soft, with that perfect balance of sweet and salt. And don’t worry they’re way easier than people think. You just need a good pot, a candy thermometer, and a little holiday spirit.
If you’re ready to fill your home with the warm, nostalgic aroma of bubbling caramel and create a treat everyone will beg you to make again next year, let’s get cooking!
⏱️ Time
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 25–30 minutes
- Cooling time: 2 hours
- Total time: About 2 hours 40 minutes
🛒 Ingredients
Here’s everything you need to make the most velvety, festive salted Christmas caramels:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (for the mixture)
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on top
- Optional: ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon for a Christmas-spiced version
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare your pan
Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides so you can lift the caramel out later. Lightly butter the parchment.
2. Melt the butter
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. I always use a tall pot because caramel bubbles up like a mischievous holiday elf.
3. Add sugar, corn syrup & cream
Pour in the sugar, corn syrup, and heavy cream. Stir constantly until everything comes together into a glossy mixture.
4. Heat until it turns to magic
Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel reaches 245°F (118°C) the soft-ball stage.
This is where the magic happens: the color deepens, the bubbles grow, and your kitchen starts smelling like Christmas happiness.
5. Add vanilla & salt
Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and fine sea salt (plus cinnamon if you’re going festive-spiced 🎄).
6. Pour & smooth
Quickly pour the hot caramel into your prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula if needed.
7. Sprinkle with flaky salt
While the caramel is still warm, sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt. Don’t overdo it — just a light snowy dusting.
8. Cool completely
Let cool at room temperature for about 2 hours. Don’t rush this — caramels need time to set their personality.
9. Cut into squares
Lift the caramel slab out of the pan and cut into small squares using a buttered knife. Wrap individually in wax paper if gifting.
Serving Suggestions
- Perfect edible gifts: Wrap each caramel in festive wrappers and fill a tin or mason jar. Add ribbon, maybe a candy cane, and it becomes a thoughtful homemade gift.
- Christmas dessert board: Arrange your salted Christmas caramels with cookies, nuts, chocolates, and dried fruit.
- Hot chocolate upgrade: Drop a caramel into hot cocoa for the creamiest, dreamiest December sip.
- Bake with them: Chop and fold into brownies or cookies for gooey caramel pockets.
📝 Notes
- Temperature matters: Candy thermometers aren’t optional here. If the caramel doesn’t reach 245°F, it’ll be too soft. Too high, and you get chew-for-days caramels.
- Storage: Wrapped caramels last 3 weeks at room temp or 2 months in the fridge.
- No corn syrup alternative: You can use golden syrup, but flavor will be slightly deeper.
- Pan size: For thick caramels, use 8×8; for thinner, use 9×13.
🍽️ Nutrition (Approx. Per Piece)
- Calories: 95
- Fat: 4.8g
- Carbs: 13g
- Sugar: 12g
- Protein: 0.2g
📜 Recipe Card
✨ Salted Christmas Caramels ✨
⏱️ Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
🍬 Yield: About 40–50 caramels
🛒 Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- Flaky sea salt, for topping
👩🍳 Instructions
- Line an 8×8 pan with parchment and butter lightly.
- Melt butter in a heavy pot.
- Add sugar, corn syrup & cream. Stir until combined.
- Cook to 245°F.
- Remove from heat; add vanilla & salt.
- Pour into pan and smooth.
- Sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Cool 2 hours.
- Cut into squares and wrap.
📝 Notes
Use a candy thermometer for accuracy. Store wrapped caramels in an airtight container.
Conclusion
There’s something magical about making salted Christmas caramels, isn’t there? It’s warm, cozy, a little old-fashioned… yet these soft, buttery squares feel luxurious enough to impress anyone lucky enough to receive them. Every December when I stir that bubbling golden pot, I’m transported back to my grandmother’s Paris kitchen and I hope as you make them, they become part of your own holiday story too.
Whether you’re gifting them, nibbling them, or sneaking them one by one like I used to, I hope they bring joy to your festive season. Joyeux Noël, my friends! 🎄❤️