These soft, chewy vanilla bean sea salt caramels are utterly irresistible — sweet, salty, and finished with a whisper of warm bourbon. They make a perfect homemade gift. Vegetarian and gluten-free.
Note: This recipe is NOT dairy free. It was published before Cook Nourish Bliss transitioned to dairy-free recipes and remains popular with long-time readers. You may try dairy-free substitutions, but I have not tested them and cannot guarantee results.
I didn’t plan to post these caramels online — I was simply looking for a small project to thank a neighbor. A new neighbor brought us a pie as a welcome gift, which was incredibly kind, so I wanted to return the favor with something homemade.
Caramels had been on my list for a long time, so I finally decided to give them a try.
The result? I’m completely obsessed.
I made two batches in a few days. We shared most of the first batch with our neighbor, then quickly realized we needed more for ourselves. They are dangerously addictive — I even hid the last pieces from my husband so I’d have some left. No shame.
Because I loved them so much, I decided to share the recipe here.
If you’re not a big bourbon fan, don’t worry: the bourbon is subtle and enhances the vanilla and sea salt rather than overpowering them. The combination is balanced and deeply satisfying.
These caramels are soft, chewy, sweet, and perfectly salted — my new personal kryptonite. You might want to hide them from yourself, too.
Additional Candy Recipes:
- Homemade Almond Butter Cups
- Dark Chocolate Pistachio Toffee
- Dark Chocolate Fruit & Nut Clusters
- Dairy-Free Caramel Sauce
If you make this recipe, please rate and review it below — I’d love to hear how it turned out for you.
Vanilla Bean Sea Salt Caramels with Bourbon
about 64 caramels
15 minutes
30 minutes
45 minutes
Soft, chewy vanilla bean sea salt caramels with a subtle touch of bourbon — sweet, salty, and perfect for gifting. Vegetarian and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
- 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, covering the bottom and sides. Lightly grease the parchment with butter and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the cream, butter, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When it reaches a boil, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and bourbon. Set aside.
- In a separate heavy saucepan (3–4 quart), combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat over medium-high, stirring only until the sugar dissolves.
- Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and continue to boil without stirring (you can gently swirl the pan) until the mixture reaches a light golden caramel color, about 310ºF–315ºF.
- Remove the vanilla bean pod from the cream mixture. Very slowly and carefully pour the hot cream into the caramel while stirring constantly — the mixture will bubble and rise.
- Return the pan to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until the temperature reaches 248ºF. Immediately remove from heat and pour into the prepared pan.
- Let the caramel cool for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle the top with additional sea salt and allow the caramel to cool completely.
- Lift the set caramel from the pan using the parchment. Use a lightly greased pizza cutter to slice into 1-inch pieces, then wrap each piece individually in wax paper.
Notes
Slightly adapted from Everyday Annie.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 32
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 86
Total Fat: 4g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 13mg
Sodium: 87mg
Carbohydrates: 12g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 12g
Protein: 0g
Nutrition data is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice.