Smoked Maple Caramels
Recipe by Adapted from Inspired Taste by Amanda Upton
Welcome to caramel heaven. These soft, chewy caramels are irresistible with the perfect balance of smoke, sweet maple, and mineral black lava sea salt.
Serves
12 servings
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cooking Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1/2 cup heavy cream
Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste
1 Tbsp. Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste, OR
1 vanilla bean of choice*:
Madagascar Vanilla Bean
Mexican Vanilla Bean
Ugandan Vanilla Bean
Natural Maple Extract
1/2 tsp. Natural Maple Extract
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3 Tbsp. water
1 cup Bourbon Barrel Smoked Sugar
Hawaiian Black Lava Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Hawaiian Black Lava Sea Salt
Madagascar Vanilla Beans
Madagascar Vanilla Beans
Mexican Vanilla Beans
Mexican Vanilla Beans
Ugandan Vanilla Beans
Ugandan Vanilla Beans
Whiskey Barrel Smoked Sugar
Whiskey Barrel Smoked Sugar
Directions
Prepare a 9x5 inch loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper and greasing it thoroughly with nonstick spray. Combine butter and cream in a microwave-safe measuring cup and microwave for 1 to 2 min., or until butter has melted. Stir in vanilla of choice and Natural Maple Extract and set aside.
Combine corn syrup and water in a small pot. Add Bourbon Barrel Smoked Sugar and stir to incorporate. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush away all of the sugar granules that have stuck to the side of the pot (this will help prevent the caramel from crystallizing later). Heat over medium heat until sugar mixture comes to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon if needed to distribute sugar. Do not stir after the sugar has come to a boil--instead, move the pot in a circular motion to gently swirl the mixture.
Place a candy thermometer in the pot. Cook sugar for 5 to 10 min., or until sugar reaches a temperature of 320 degrees on the candy thermometer. As the sugar cooks, continue to brush sugar granules off the side of the pot with the wet pastry brush. Once caramel has reached 320 degrees, stream in butter mixture while carefully stirring. The sugar mixture is extremely hot and will bubble and rise with the addition of the butter mixture, so do it very slowly. Cook for an additional 5 to 10 min., or until caramel comes back up to a temperature of 250 degrees. Pour caramel immediately into prepared loaf pan. Cool for 10 to 20 min., then sprinkle the top with salt. Let cool completely, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Combine corn syrup and water in a small pot. Add Bourbon Barrel Smoked Sugar and stir to incorporate. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush away all of the sugar granules that have stuck to the side of the pot (this will help prevent the caramel from crystallizing later). Heat over medium heat until sugar mixture comes to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon if needed to distribute sugar. Do not stir after the sugar has come to a boil--instead, move the pot in a circular motion to gently swirl the mixture.
Place a candy thermometer in the pot. Cook sugar for 5 to 10 min., or until sugar reaches a temperature of 320 degrees on the candy thermometer. As the sugar cooks, continue to brush sugar granules off the side of the pot with the wet pastry brush. Once caramel has reached 320 degrees, stream in butter mixture while carefully stirring. The sugar mixture is extremely hot and will bubble and rise with the addition of the butter mixture, so do it very slowly. Cook for an additional 5 to 10 min., or until caramel comes back up to a temperature of 250 degrees. Pour caramel immediately into prepared loaf pan. Cool for 10 to 20 min., then sprinkle the top with salt. Let cool completely, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Recipe Notes
*To use vanilla beans: split beans in half lengthwise and scrape seeds out from pod with the back of a knife. Use empty pods to make homemade vanilla extract or flavor homemade vanilla sugar.
This recipe was adapted from the Best Salted Caramels recipe on Inspired Taste.
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