Pumpkin Spice Caramels Recipe
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This easy-to-make pumpkin spice caramels recipe captures all of the best flavors of fall. Made with sugar and cream and infused with apple juice, real pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling), and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, they really do remind me of chewy little squares of pumpkin pie!
Key Ingredients
- Pumpkin Purée – Make sure you’re buying real pumpkin purée for this recipe, rather than pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains added spices, which aren’t necessary since you’ll be adding your own. If you’re in the UK, you can usually find canned pumpkin in the international aisle at Sainsbury’s or Tesco. And if you have some left over, you can save it to make pumpkin spice overnight oats, pumpkin hand pies, or a pumpkin pie smoothie.
- Spices – You’ll need pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger, plus fine sea salt. If you don’t have fine sea salt, kosher salt will work equally well. And if you cannot find pumpkin pie spice, you can substitute mixed spice or make your own pumpkin spice blend from scratch.
- Apple Juice – Choose a pure apple juice (not a blend) and one without too much added sugar. If you want to use non-alcoholic apple cider, I recommend making my apple cider caramels recipe instead.
- Corn Syrup – I tested these caramels with light corn syrup, but you can replace it with another invert sugar such as glucose syrup or light Karo syrup. All of these serve the same purpose—preventing the caramels from crystallizing.
Tips, Tricks, and Tools
- Use an 8×8-inch square tin. A square tin, lined in a criss-cross pattern, is best for making these caramels. I suggest cutting 8 rows each way for 64 small square caramels, but you can cut larger squares or rectangles if desired.
- Buy pre-cut parchment candy wrappers. These are readily available on Amazon, or from a local craft store or cake decorating supplier. Although you can cut your own squares from a roll of parchment, the pre-cut wrappers will save you so much time and effort!
- Do not attempt this recipe without a candy thermometer! When working with candies, you need to be precise with your temperatures. Undercooking will make caramel sauce, while overcooking produces crunchy toffee or brittle. Monitoring your temps with a digital thermometer guarantees a chewy caramel suitable for slicing and wrapping.
- Choose a good quality, heavy-bottomed saucepan. This will ensure that the caramel cooks evenly. Do not use a nonstick pan. (The high temperatures required for cooking caramel can damage the nonstick coating.) And use a pan slightly bigger than you think you’ll need—the caramel will burble and bubble when you pour in the cream!
- Brush down the sides. While making the caramel, keep a pastry brush and a small dish of water nearby to brush down the sides of the pan. Brushing with water helps to prevent the caramel from crystallizing.
- Experiment with temperature. 250° F (120° C) is a good starting point for caramels. I’ve cooked test batches everywhere from 253° F – 260° F, depending on the firmness or softness I’m hoping to achieve. Cook to a slightly lower temperature for a softer caramel, or higher for very firm caramels. It may take a bit of experimenting to decide on the exact temperature that works best for you.
Pumpkin Spice Caramels
- Total Time30 minutes, plus time for setting, cutting, and wrapping
- Yield64 1-inch square caramels 1x
Chewy pumpkin spice caramels made with granulated sugar, apple juice, warm autumn spices, and real pumpkin purée.
Ingredients
Nonstick spray, for greasing tin and knife
180 milliliters whipping cream (3/4 cup)
75 grams unsalted butter (5 tablespoons)
60 grams pumpkin purée (3 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
400 grams granulated sugar (2 cups)
120 milliliters apple juice (1/2 cup)
60 grams corn syrup or liquid glucose (3 tablespoons)
Instructions
Line an 8 x 8-inch square baking tin with parchment in a criss-cross fashion, allowing a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Spray with nonstick spray.
In a small saucepan, warm cream, butter, pumpkin purée, sea salt, and spices over medium heat. Do not boil.
Meanwhile, combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and apple juice in a separate medium saucepan. Cook, without stirring, until mixture resembles honey, and temperature reaches 290° F (143° C) on a candy thermometer. If necessary, swirl the pan occasionally to keep the caramel moving.
Remove from heat. Pour in warm cream, then wait a minute for the bubbles to subside.
Return to heat. Cook until temperature reaches 255-260° F (124-126° C) on a candy thermometer.
Immediately pour into prepared tin. Allow caramel to set, uncovered, for 6-8 hours, or overnight.
Lifting by the parchment edges, remove caramel slab and place on a large cutting board. Peel away the parchment. With a sharp, well-oiled chef’s knife, cut into squares or rectangles.
Wrap in squares of parchment. Store wrapped caramels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Setting time: 6-8 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Candy and Confectionery
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Sweets
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
When individually wrapped in squares of parchment and stored in an airtight container, pumpkin caramels will last for at least two weeks. Packaged in a cute cello bag or fall-inspired treat box, they also make a wonderful gift for friends and family. These keep well at room temperature, so they’re ideal for mailing to out-of-town relatives, too.
Other Pumpkin Recipes You Might Enjoy
Spiced Pumpkin Seed Brittle
Pumpkin Hand Pies
Homemade Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Dip
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
