Easy Homemade Caramel Candies for Christmas

12.02.2019 by Marie // Leave a Comment

Indulgent desserts are a quintessential part of holiday entertaining. Do you need a delicious treat to serve for this year’s Christmas celebration? If so, you definitely need to check out these easy homemade caramel candies! They are totally yummy and way less expensive than store bought caramels.

This post is sponsored by Dixie Crystals Sugar. All ideas and opinions are my own. In addition, affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

Don’t forget to check out the kickoff post, 50+ Ideas to Jump Start Your Holidays, to see the schedule for all of the 12 Days of Holiday Ideas Blog Hop. Plus get inspired for your holiday season with DIY projects, recipes, and games while you’re there!

It's time to get your Christmas cooking on! Your friends and family are seriously going to love these easy homemade caramel candies for Christmas! Click To Tweet

I seriously can’t get enough caramel deliciousness during the holidays. My mom occasionally surprises us with awesome homemade chocolate caramel candy bars and they’re amazing. Luckily, even when she isn’t in the mood to slave away in the kitchen (and I totally don’t blame her) I can still get my caramel fix with these delicacies.

In addition to being the perfect treat to serve at any holiday party, they’re also a great way to save on stocking stuffers for your family. One batch makes a ton of caramels and they’re the perfect individually wrapped treat to top off those accessories hanging by the fireplace.

Lastly, of course, they also are an easy and budget-friendly gift idea for hostesses and teachers during the holiday season. Now it’s time to find out just how easy they are to make with the step-by-step recipe below.

Homemade Caramel Candies Ingredients

1 Cup Unsalted Butter
4 Cups Light Brown Sugar
2 Cups White Granulated Sugar
2 Cups Light Corn Syrup
1.5 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
3 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Step 1

First, prepare a 9×13 inch glass baking dish by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper. Then set your dish aside.

Step 2

Next, cube your sticks of butter and toss them in a large sauce pot.

Step 3

Add your heavy whipping cream, light corn syrup, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to your sauce pan and put it on the stove over medium-high heat.

Step 4

Stir all of the ingredients in your pot together over the heat.

Step 5

Continue stirring your mixture constantly while heating until the mixture reaches 240° Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, stir continually for 35 to 40 minutes until large bubbles regularly appear in the mixture.

Step 6

Then remove your mixture from the heat and immediately stir in your vanilla extract.

Step 7

Immediately transfer your mixture to your parchment lined baking dish and then set aside to cool completely.

Step 8

Once your caramel is cooled, refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 9

Then pull out your caramel and cut into small pieces with a butter knife.

Step 10

Finally wrap your caramels in pieces of parchment paper and twist the ends to seal.

Yield: 150-300 Caramels

Easy Homemade Caramel Candies

Name: Easy Homemade Caramel Candies
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h 35 min
Yield: 150
Ingredients: 1 Cup Unsalted Butter; 4 Cups Light Brown Sugar; 2 Cups White Granulated Sugar; 2 Cups Light Corn Syrup; 1.5 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream; 3 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Cook Time 35 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 Cup Unsalted Butter
4 Cups Light Brown Sugar
2 Cups White Granulated Sugar
2 Cups Light Corn Syrup
1.5 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
3 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Instructions

First, prepare a 9x13 inch glass baking dish by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper. Then set your dish aside.
Next, cube your sticks of butter and toss them in a large sauce pot.
Add your heavy whipping cream, light corn syrup, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to your sauce pan and put it on the stove over medium-high heat.
Stir all of the ingredients in your pot together over the heat.
Continue stirring your mixture constantly while heating until the mixture reaches 240° Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, stir continually for 35 to 40 minutes until large bubbles regularly appear in the mixture.
Then remove your mixture from the heat and immediately stir in your vanilla extract.
Immediately transfer your mixture to your parchment lined baking dish and then set aside to cool completely.
Once your caramel is cooled, refrigerate for 1 hour.
Then pull out your caramel and cut into small pieces with a butter knife.
Finally wrap your caramels in pieces of parchment paper and twist the ends to seal.

Your friends and family are seriously going to love these easy homemade caramel candies for Christmas! Whip up a batch this week and be ready for every celebration this season… actually, you may want to make 2 batches so you have one to enjoy at home and one to give away. Now it’s time to check out the other amazing desserts from my awesome blogging friends at the link up below. Don’t forget that there’s still time to enter our holiday giveaway too. Find all the details you need under the link up!

Check out Dixie Crystals Sugar on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

See where I’m linking up!

Don’t Forget to Pin It!

We have a BIG GIVEAWAY from our Sponsors this year!

Giveaway begins Nov. 8, 2019 and ends Dec. 6, 2019. Winners will be notified by December 13, 2019. Sponsors will ship each prize to the winner. There will be a total of seven winners, one for each prize. Drawing is by random selection using the Rafflecopter widget.

Must be 18 to win. Open to U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fun 4th of July Desserts to Serve this Year

06.23.2019 by Marie // Leave a Comment

It’s time to get ready for the delicious part of Independence Day: the treats! I’ve rounded up 10 fun 4th of July desserts to serve this year at your celebration. If you need a treat to bring to the BBQ or simply want a sweet surprise for the kiddos, these desserts have you covered!

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

Whether it's a pitch-in or a simple celebration at home, get it started with a bang when you whip out one of these fun 4th of July desserts to serve! Click To Tweet

This year I’m stressing about the 4th of July way more than normal because 2 days after is when we hit the road for Disney! It’s not easy taking care of things for a celebration and making sure 5+ people are ready for a week-long vacation.

I needed some easy and delicious ideas to take the pressure off and that’s exactly what I’ve found. We might even bring some of the leftover desserts with us, because, yum!

Even if you don’t have an epic trip coming right after the 4th, there’s still no reason not to make is easier, right? Pick one or all of these treats to sweeten up your holiday celebration quickly and easily.

Learn to Make a Patriotic Watermelon Layer Cake (Made in a Day)

If you want a truly epic dessert that comes without the guilt, then this amazing watermelon layer cake is for you! Not only is it delicious, it’s so beautiful that it totally counts as party decor in my book.

Fireworks Blondies Recipe (Ann’s Entitled Life)

Of course, you can’t go wrong with some blondies either. This red, white, and blue version is still super easy to make but has that extra festive pop that you’re looking for.

Patriotic Brownie Sandwiches (Mama of Many Blessing)

Put me down for any dessert that involves brownies. It doesn’t get must simpler to get your brownie and patriotic fix than these babies.

Chocolate Covered S’mores Cookies (Momma Lew)

What about a quintessential s’mores treat? These cookies make it easy and mess-free to enjoy your favorite flavors this 4th of July.

Homemade Red, White, and Blue Chocolate Stars (Bride on a Budget)

These chocolate stars can also do double-duty at your celebration. Instead of only being a dessert, bag them up and give them out as favors to your friends and family.

Patriotic Cereal Treats (Walking on Sunshine Recipes)

Cereal treats are another easy treat the dress up for the holidays. This idea takes it to the next level and give you (and your guests) a convenient stick for enjoying your dessert.

American Flag Cake (Cincy Shopper)

Do you want a more traditional dessert to serve? If so you can’t go wrong with this fun American flag cake. It’s pretty, festive, but still super easy to make and serve.

Red White and Blue Swirl Cake Mix Cookies (DIY Adulation)

You can also take box cake mix and elevate it into something awesome like these swirl cookies. If you want to add a little something extra, turn them into ice cream sandwiches that you can cool down with on the 4th.

Patriotic Trail Mix Recipe (Kleinworth & Co)

Not all treats need to be coma-inducing sugary confections. This super fun and simple trail mix recipe is great for the 4th and also a fantastic snack to give the kiddos. It’s also crazy easy to customize and she has some tips for you to do that on the recipe too!

Redhot Patriotic Poke Cupcakes (Intelligent Domestications)

These delicious cupcakes spice up your 4th of July celebration figuratively and literally. With hot cinnamon candies mixed with sweet cake and frosting, your guest will be you to make these babies every year.

Get your celebration started with a bang when you whip out one of these fun 4th of July desserts to serve this year! Whether your family is headed to a pitch-in or have a simple celebration at home, you can’t go wrong with enjoying one of these sweet treats.

Don’t Forget to Pin It!

How to Make a Half Sphere Beach Ball Cake

06.19.2019 by Marie // Leave a Comment

How many times have you bought the stuff to make a cake and then procrastinated about making it only to end up buying one from the store? Creating a beautiful cake seems intimidating and we put it off because of that. Guess what! It isn’t as hard as you think. Find out how to make a half sphere beach ball cake easily for your upcoming summer party with this simple tutorial.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

Creating a beautiful cake is easier than you think. Find out how to make a half sphere beach ball cake easily with this simple tutorial! Click To Tweet

Store bought cakes are delicious, don’t get me wrong. When you’re trying to save money, though, the savings of making a cake yourself is so worth it. A box cake mix and a couple of container of icing are roughly $6.00. Compare that with the $20-$30 of a store bought cake with a few plastic baubles on it. No thank you.

Last weekend was my mom’s birthday and I wanted to give her a super special cake. She loves the beach and since her birthday falls in the summer, I thought this beach ball cake would be the perfect idea. Even better, it’s super easy to make so I was able to get it made and decorated even with tiny tyrants running around my house.

Note:

You may need to invest in a ball cake pan but the possibilities of fun cakes you can make with it are so endless that it’s totally worth it. Don’t be fooled into thinking it always has to be a sports ball. I’ve used it to make a ball of yarn for a Lalaloopsy party and animal heads for kids parties. Seriously, it’s one of the best cake pan investments.