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Chewy rosemary sea salt caramels made from granulated sugar, butter, and rosemary-infused whipping cream, finished with a generous sprinkling of sea salt.
Why Make These Rosemary Sea Salt Caramels?
Infusing teas, herbs, and spices into whipping cream offers a natural way to add flavor. It’s one of my favorite culinary techniques and one I use often, imparting Earl Grey tea into white chocolate ganache; ginger into whipped cream; basil into coconut truffles; gingerbread spices into hot chocolate; and lavender into dark chocolate cookies.
To flavor these rosemary sea salt caramels, I’ve used the same technique to infuse the piney notes of fresh rosemary into whipping cream. Then, I’ve combined the infused cream with granulated sugar, unsalted butter, corn syrup, and sea salt (plus a few drops of pure food grade rosemary oil) to create the best rosemary caramels that are equal parts herby, salty, and sweet.
Wrapped in squares of parchment, these rosemary sea salt caramels work nicely for autumn and winter gifting, and will keep at room temperature for several weeks.
Rosemary Caramel Recipe Ingredients
- Whipping Cream – Or heavy cream, in the US. Look for a milkfat percentage around 35-36%. Do not use milk, half-and-half, or plant-based milk.
- Unsalted Butter – Use unsalted butter rather than salted, or your caramels will be too salty. The sea salt adds plenty of salt.
- Fresh Rosemary – You’ll need 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, each about 6 inches long. Do not use dried rosemary; it won’t impart enough flavor and will be impossible to separate from the cream.
- Sea Salt – You’ll need fine sea salt for salting the caramel mixture, plus coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt for sprinkling.
- Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar creates the base for your homemade caramels. You can also use caster sugar, measured by weight rather than volume.
- Corn Syrup – I prefer to work with Golden Barrel corn syrup; light Karo syrup is also a good option. If you don’t have access to corn syrup, substitute liquid glucose instead.
- Rosemary Oil – You’ll need pure food grade rosemary oil, not rosemary-infused olive oil or rosemary essential oil. See my notes below.
Notes on Rosemary Oil
When selecting a rosemary oil, look for a product labeled pure and food grade. It will come in a small bottle, usually with a dropper. Do not use a rosemary-infused olive oil (the kind you’d use for making pizza or rosemary focaccia) and avoid anything not labeled “culinary,” “food safe” or “food grade.” Some essential oils are designed for their fragrance or intended for topical use only, and are not safe for human consumption.
Special Tools and Equipment for Making Homemade Caramels
A few special tools will make the caramel-making process easier. (For more recommendations, check out this collection of candy and confectionery tools I love!)
For this recipe, I recommend:
- 8×8 Inch Tin – This recipe is designed to fill an 8×8-inch square tin. If you don’t already own one, I consider it a must-buy. In addition to caramels, you’ll find a square tin useful for making brownies, cheesecake bars, and icebox cakes.
- Baking Parchment – For lining the tin, as well as wrapping the caramels. You can buy parchment squares specifically designed for wrapping homemade candies, or cut your own from a roll of parchment.
- Sharp Chef’s Knife – Unless you happen to own a guitar slicer, you’ll need a sharp, well-oiled chef’s knife for cutting the caramel slab into squares or rectangles.
- Candy Thermometer – Caramel-making requires precision—undercook, and you’ll make caramel sauce. Overcook, and you’ll make brittle. A good digital thermometer is a must for achieving the chewy caramel consistency. See my notes below.
- Pans – A small saucepan works best for infusing the whipping cream with rosemary, and you’ll also need a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot for cooking the caramel syrup. Do not use a nonstick pan, and choose one slightly bigger than you think you’ll need to prevent the the caramel from bubbling over when you add the whipping cream.
Cooking the Caramel
As mentioned above, I do not recommend making this recipe without a good digital thermometer. (I often use two, or sometimes even three thermometers for candymaking, so I can triple-check my temperatures.) 250° F / 120° C offers a good baseline temperature benchmark for caramels. I often cook mine to about 253° F, for a slightly firmer caramel. It may take a bit of experimenting to find the temperature that works best for you.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Wrap caramels in squares of parchment and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Other caramel recipes you might enjoy:
Pumpkin Spice Caramels
Apple Cider Caramels
Caramel Apple Lollipops
Salted Caramel Blondies
Homemade Caramel Sauce
(If you’re a rosemary lover, you’ll enjoy my rosemary focaccia; sugared rosemary; savory rosemary shortbread cookies; mini cranberry hand pies; and grapefruit-infused water, too.)
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!
PrintRosemary Sea Salt Caramels
Chewy rosemary sea salt caramels made from granulated sugar, butter, and rosemary-infused whipping cream, finished with a generous sprinkling of coarse sea salt.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes, divided
- Total Time: 1 hour, plus cooling time
- Yield: 40 caramels 1x
- Category: Candy and Confectionery
- Method: Stovetop
Ingredients
Nonstick spray, for greasing tin
240 milliliters whipping cream (1 cup)
70 grams unsalted butter (5 tablespoons)
2 6-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
6 grams fine sea salt (1 teaspoon)
400 grams granulated sugar (2 cups)
60 grams light corn syrup (3 tablespoons)
80 milliliters water (1/3 cup)
1-2 drops pure food grade rosemary oil (see notes)
Coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
Line an 8 x 8-inch square baking tin with parchment, allowing a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Spray with nonstick spray.
In a small saucepan, warm whipping cream and rosemary sprigs. Remove from heat and infuse for 20 minutes. Remove the rosemary.
Gently rewarm cream. Add butter and fine sea salt and stir until the butter melts.
In a separate medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook, without stirring, until mixture resembles honey, and temperature reaches 365° F / 185° C on a candy thermometer. Swirl the pan occasionally to keep the caramel moving.
Remove from heat. Pour the warm cream into the sugar syrup, then wait a minute for the bubbles to subside.
Return to heat. Cook until temperature reaches 250° F / 120° C on a candy thermometer, or slightly higher for firmer caramels.
Remove from heat. Stir in the pure food grade rosemary oil.
Immediately pour into prepared tin. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt.
Allow to sit, uncovered, until caramel sets, about 6-8 hours, or overnight.
Lifting by the parchment edges, remove the caramel slab and place on a large cutting board. Peel away the parchment. With a sharp, well-oiled chef’s knife, cut caramel into squares or rectangles.
Wrap caramels in squares of parchment. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
When selecting a rosemary oil, look for a product labeled pure and food grade. It will come in a small bottle, usually with a dropper. Do not use a rosemary-infused olive oil (the kind you’d use for making pizza or rosemary focaccia) and avoid anything not labeled “culinary,” “food safe” or “food grade.” Some essential oils are designed for their fragrance or intended for topical use only, and are not safe for human consumption.
