Homemade Pumpkin Caramels Recipe

Since it's Pumpkin everything season it seems only right that I would share one of my favorite pumpkin recipes with you! Pumpkin caramels! 

I've been making these pumpkin caramels for what seems like forever! I wish I could say where the recipe originated from, but I have it hand written on an index card like we used to back in the day. So there's no telling where it came from. Dang, I feel old now!😂

Anyway, this is a fun and easy recipe to make. They're a bit different from the typical pumpkin cakes and drinks and they make a yummy hostess gift for fall parties. A quick word of candy making advice: watch your temperature very closely and make sure you stir, stir, stir to prevent scorching.

Pumpkin Caramels recipe

Grab your ingredients, a square pan, some wax paper, a saucepan, candy thermometer and a plastic stirring utensil and lets get started!

Ingredients:

½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
1½ cups sugar
1¼ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 cup light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk...14oz.
½ cup Pumpkin Puree.

Directions:

Prepare a 9-inch square pan by lightly buttering it. Or, you can cut a piece of wax paper to place in the bottom to make removal easier if you'd like, but make sure you still butter the sides.

In heavy 2 to 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

Add sugar and spices: thoroughly blend.

Add corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk and pumpkin stirring well after each addition.

Continue to cook over medium heat stirring frequently to prevent scorching until the temperature of the mixture reaches 248°F (firm ball stage). You'll definitely need a candy thermometer for this. 

Remove from heat and pour mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

When cool, turn candy out of pan and use a sharp butcher knife or buttered kitchen shears to cut candy into 3/4" squares. 

I prefer a butcher knife but any sharp, heavy non serrated knife will work fine. Butter it every few cuts to keep it from sticking to the candy.

Wrap pieces in 3" squares of wax paper or layer in candy boxes using wax paper between layers.

Store in an airtight container for long term, but a candy box is fine for a week or two. Keeps for a few weeks...but I doubt they will last that long. They are sooo good!

That's it! Pretty simple huh? I love making things from scratch and using simple ingredients. I also like knowing that there isn't a gazillion additives in the treats I make...and I'm a candy junkie!

~L 
 
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