Soft, chewy, buttery, and perfectly spiced, these Pumpkin Spice Caramels are impossible to resist. A fabulous addition to your holiday festivities!
PIN IT NOW!
And here I am with another “pumpkin” recipe that doesn’t actually contain any pumpkin…#donthateme. Trust me, these caramels will have you thinking “pumpkin pie” anyways. It’s kind of funny how recipes that have pumpkin pie spice in them totally make you think of pumpkin – without any pumpkin being used. It’s tricky like that.
So you guys may have noticed that the photos look a little different, totally not my style, I get that. I thought I would try something a little different, outside my comfort zone. If you hate them – no problem. Just lie to me in the comments telling me you like it. That works for me. I don’t deal with criticism very well.
So one of the questions that I think most people have about caramels is – are they hard or soft? And the answer to that question is – it’s up to you! It depends on the temperature that you cook them to. I make my caramels soft. I think they taste better, are easier to eat, and definitely easier to wrap up. I like being able to smush them in my fingers and so do the boys.
So that may be my favorite shot above. I love how you an see all the spice in the caramels and see how wonderfully soft and gooey the caramels are. Love. These babies just melt in your mouth
One thing to note about these caramels is that it’s super important to test your candy thermometer before you get started. You’re looking for that magic 248 °F. Make sure you let the caramel rest for at least 12 hours, 24 is even better, before cutting into pieces.
You can cut into squares or logs or whatever shape you desire. Wrap them up in waxed paper and hand out to your friends and family. The good news is that this recipe makes LOTS of caramels so you can make a lot of people very happy.
How To Make Pumpkin Spice Caramels
Pumpkin Spice Caramels
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Lightly spray 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Leave an overhang so you can pull the caramel out easily. Set aside.
- Combine first four ingredients in a large heavy bottomed pot. Go bigger than you think you need.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. It's super important to scrape off all the sugar from the sides of the pot - all of it.
- Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking WITHOUT stirring until it reaches 248 °F. This can take anywhere for 20 minutes to an hour, just be patient. (Make sure you check the accuracy of your candy thermometer beforehand.)
- Remove from heat and stir in salt and pumpkin pie spice.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Let it rest for 12-24 hours before cutting into pieces.
- Wrap caramels in waxed paper to store. Can be stored in the fridge or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
More pumpkin treats:
Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Maple Glaze
For all pumpkin recipes, go HERE.
For all dessert recipes, go HERE.
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Josie Grisham says
Wow these turned out great! Im 13 but i managed to make these without a problem! However i did not use a candy thermometer, i did the cold water trick, and they still turned out lovely!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
That is amazing Josie! I’m super impressed!!
Mary McCarthy says
How long will they keep in the fridge? Wondering how far in advance can be made for Christmas giving.
Cindy says
Should the caramels be jiggly after about 4 hours? Also can I cook them in the fridge? I hope I cooked them long enough. My thermometer got to the desired level but the wiggly caramel is a concern.
Monica Romero says
Hi! Is there anyway to use corn syrup in these?
Monica Romero says
Sorry, LESS corn syrup! Lol
Nicolle says
I just made these yesterday! Let them set overnight, but they are HARD! What’s the trick to get them soft and chewy? Don’t get me wrong these are tasty even hard, but I was hoping for soft chewy caramels!!
Deedee says
I cook my caramels to 241-242 degrees. They are soft and chewy. 248 seemed too high too and would make it more like a hard candy.
Amy says
OMG!!! Just finished making these and sampled what was left on the spatula….AMAZING! Thank You for sharing such an easy and tasty recipe!!! I don’t think I will share any caramels though!!
Amy
Katie Z says
I dont have any light corn syrup right now… is it possible to use honey or simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) instead?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I haven’t tried that Katie. Honey *might* work but I would say a definite no to the simple syrup.
Shubila says
I have never been a huge caramel fan but looking at these I am rethinking everything Perfect for the fall in every way.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
These will definitely change your mind 🙂 So good! Thank you for stopping by!
Suzanne Holt says
These caramels look great. I like the fact that they are gluten free. Pinned.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks so much for the pin Suzanne!
Ann Croaston says
This may have appeared earlier in the comments, but I’m guessing that the recipe calls for one stick of unsalted butter (4 oz) instead of 2 sticks of butter, which would be the 8 oz listed–is that right?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Oh my Ann! Thank you for catching that! Yes, one stick of butter or 8 Tbls 🙂 Thank you!
Ann Croaston says
No worries–we’ve all been there…
Shannon Rae says
I just made these and they do taste amazing!!… I allowed them to rest for 24hours but my question is how do you get them out of the wax paper??? Mines stuck.. I let them cook to 248 F but that was in the center of the pot, I wonder if maybe the outer wasn’t hot enough?? And is there a difference between wax and parchment paper? Because I used wax paper to pour it into so Idk if that’s the problem… I thought they were the same but I don’t know, this is my first time making any candy so trial and error I guess. Great recipe though these taste amazing! And the pictures are what sold me, by the way, great job! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Tobi@SimplyJesus says
Oh my goodness! No need to lie, the pictures are beautiful and your favorite picture literally made my mouth water.. pinning this for later. Thanks for the recipe.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You are so sweet and thank you so much for the pin!
Amy@theidearoom.net says
I need to make some of these right now! Your pictures are beautiful! Pinned!
Nicole says
Soft, chewy caramels are my weakness. These look FanFlippinTastic!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Totally obsessed with how delicious these caramels are. What a great recipe.. I must try it!