I had never made caramel from scratch before trying this out, so I wasn’t exactly sure that this post was going to come to fruition. But here it is! And these caramels turned out so good, I was licking the bowl afterwards so I didn’t waste any! The part I like most about this recipe is that it’s made in the microwave. Yes, you can absolutely make it on the stove top in a saucepan, but I felt like that was more effort than I really wanted to put into it, you know?

So I made these for my daughter’s first birthday (more on that to come), but as I was making them, I thought what a great gift they’d make! I’ve always wanted to make a goodie bag of sorts to gift to friends around Christmas time, so maybe this is the year! We’ll see… But you could also wrap these up individually and keep them in your purse for a midday pick me up. Whatever you do with them, they certainly won’t last long!

Here’s the recipe.

Ooey Gooey Microwave Caramels

Making caramels may seem intimidating, but they're not. In fact, I even made these in the microwave!

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Cook Time 5

Cooling Time 2

Total Time 2 5

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Servings 64 pieces

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup corn syrup Karo Syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

Thoroughly coat an 8x8 pan with butter. Mix all ingredients in a large microwave safe bowl (it will bubble up so make sure there is lots of room in the bowl). Don't worry if the butter isn't soft or melted yet, mine went straight from the fridge to the bowl and it melted just fine.
Microwave on high for 6-7 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds. When it is done, you will know because it won't look crystallized anymore - the sugars will have completely melted.
Pour into 8x8 square pan and allow to cool completely. Cut into small squares (I made mine about an inch). If desired, drizzle with chocolate, a sprinkle of sea salt, or any other topping you like.