Coffee Caramels

By
Elizabeth LaBau
Sweet Book of Candy Making Elizabeth LaBau
Elizabeth LaBau
A professional pastry chef, cookbook author, and writer, Elizabeth LaBau has published more than 600 articles on baking and candy making.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/12/22
Coffee caramels
Masahiro Makino / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 64 servings
Yield: 64 candies
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
39 Calories
1g Fat
7g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 64
Amount per serving
Calories 39
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 4mg 1%
Sodium 10mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 11mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Coffee caramels have a smooth, smoky coffee taste and a rich, chewy, buttery texture. The recipe as written produces a caramel with a noticeable but not overwhelming coffee taste—you can adjust the amount of instant coffee to suit your personal preferences, using anywhere from 1 to 3 tablespoons instant coffee.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half, not fat free

  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee

  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Prepare an 8 x 8-inch pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil heavily with nonstick cooking spray.

  2. Place the sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, half-and-half, instant coffee, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the butter is melted and the sugars dissolve. Insert a candy thermometer.

  3. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the candy thermometer reaches 250 F.

  4. Once at 250 F, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Allow it to set at room temperature for 3 hours, or until cool and firm.

  5. Remove the caramel from the pan by using the foil as handles. Flip it upside down and peel the foil off the back. Spray a large sharp knife with nonstick spray, and cut the caramel into small squares or bars.

  6. Wrap the caramels in squares of waxed paper to prevent them from sticking together. (Alternatively, they can be dipped in chocolate.) Store wrapped coffee caramels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.