Our Valentine white chocolate caramel is a rich, sweet, and EASY way to show your loved ones how much you care. Homemade heart-shaped caramel is coated in white chocolate and festive Valentine sprinkles.
We love serving and gift-giving sweet treats to friends and family during the Valentine’s Day season. Treats like Valentine brownies, Valentine’s Day cookies, and Valentine crack are all delicious ways to show everyone how much we care.
The newest addition to our Valentine lineup combines caramel and white chocolate to create a rich, sweet, decadent snack all the important people in your life will love.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Limited Ingredients: It only takes a handful of basic ingredients to make these caramel treats.
- Easy: This is a relatively simple recipe that anyone can make.
- Rich and Creamy: The homemade caramel is rich and creamy and covered in sweet white chocolate.
- A Great Gift: These are the perfect gifts for family, friends, or significant others.
- Customizable: You can change up the ingredients to create your own variations.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Light Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar is the base for caramel.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Sweet condensed milk adds sweetness and richness to the caramel.
- White Melting Chocolate: White melting chocolate is creamy, sweet, and easy to work with.
Variations
- Chocolate Caramel: Use regular melting chocolate to make a classic chocolate caramel version.
- Holidays and Special Occasions: Use white or regular melting chocolate and appropriate sprinkles to make seasonal, holiday, and special occasion variations.
How to Make Valentine White Chocolate Caramel
Step 1: Melt the butter over low heat. Then, mix in the brown sugar and salt, followed by the corn syrup and condensed milk.
Step 2: Bring to a boil over low heat, cooking until the mixture reaches 230°F and enters the “soft ball” stage. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Step 3: Pour the caramel into a 9×13 glass baking dish lined with parchment paper and cool completely, overnight is recommended. Next, cut into 1-inch pieces, then use a small heart cookie cutter and cut into heart shapes.
Step 4: Melt the white chocolate according to package directions.. Dip each piece of caramel into the chocolate or drizzle the melted chocolate over the caramels and top with Valentine sprinkles.
Expert Tips
- Bring your caramel to a boil slowly over low heat to prevent overcooking and scorching.
- Use a candy thermometer to ensure the caramel reaches 230°F, but don’t let it go above 240°F or the caramel will be too hard.
- To test your caramel, drop a little into cold water. If it feels soft but somewhat firm, it’s ready.
Valentine White Chocolate Caramel FAQs
Caramel will be too hard if its temperature rises above 240°F. To avoid this, use a candy thermometer to ensure the temperature stays between 230°F and 240°F, and cook over low heat.
Test your caramel for the “soft ball” stage. Drop a little caramel into cold water. If it’s soft but somewhat firm between your fingers, it’s ready.
This caramel will last for about a week at room temperature. You can refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks.
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Valentine White Chocolate Caramel
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 16 oz light brown sugar, or 2 ⅓ cups packed brown sugar
- Dash of salt
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 16 ounce H‑E‑B White Chocolate Candy Coating, or melting chocolate of your choice
- Festive Valentine sprinkles
Instructions
- In a heavy bottom pan, melt butter over low heat.
- Once butter is melted, add brown sugar and a dash of salt. Stir thoroughly.
- Next, add corn syrup and continue to stir.
- Slowly add condensed milk, stirring constantly.
- Cook over low heat and continue stirring constantly.
- Once the caramel starts to boil, continue cooking until the caramel reaches 230° and then start to test for "soft ball stage." This takes approximately 16-18 minutes to get to this point, all the while stirring constantly over low heat.
- If you are unsure what "soft ball stage" means, get a small bowl of cold water and once the temperature reaches 220° drop a little caramel into the cold water and see if it feels soft, but somewhat firm between your fingers. This might need to be done a few times to get to the right temperature for the caramel. If it is too soft and doesn't form somewhat of a ball, continue cooking a little bit longer, stirring constantly. Keep testing for the firmness with the "soft ball stage" method. Once the caramel reaches the desired texture and temperature, remove from heat. Make sure the caramel's temperature does not reach beyond 240° because then your caramel will be too hard. And most importantly, cook over low heat.
- Once removed from heat, add vanilla and stir.
- Pour caramel into a 9 x 13 glass baking dish lined with parchment paper or generously buttered.
- Once cooled, remove the caramel from the baking dish and place the caramel on the counter with the parchment paper underneath. Cut into 1-inch square pieces and then use a small heart cookie cutter and cut into heart shapes. *Make sure to butter the inside of the cookie cutter often so the caramel doesn’t stick.
- Place hearts on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Heat the white chocolate candy coating according to package directions.
- Dip the caramels into the melted white chocolate or drizzle the melted white chocolate over the caramels and top with Valentine sprinkles.
- This is a bit time consuming but the end results are totally worth every minute.
Notes
- Bring your caramel to a boil slowly over low heat to prevent overcooking and scorching.
- Use a candy thermometer to ensure the caramel reaches 230°F, but don’t let it go above 240°F or the caramel will be too hard.
- To test your caramel, drop a little into cold water. If it feels soft but somewhat firm, it’s ready.
- Make sure to butter the inside of the cookie cutter often so the caramel doesn’t stick.
- Sprinkle the candy sprinkles over the caramel while it is still wet before the caramel hardens.
These are so cute! Caramel is always a great choice. It’s easier than people think!
I love the look of these. I made them last night, and they were a hit. I have to say there were NOT as pretty, but that’s on me. LOL
Homemade caramels are unmatched. These are actually a lot easier to make than I expected and so worth the extra bit of effort to give as gifts for my loved ones!
Tried it today and it came out smooth and rich. Such a fun homemade candy!
This is my cue to get heart shaped cookie cutters soon. Homemade caramels are so delicious and I can’t wait to try these as soon as I am able to go out and buy and the ingredients.