Sea Salt Apple Cider Caramel Recipe

Last Updated on February 27, 2025 by becky

An apple cider caramel recipe infused with apple cider and finished with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. The best salted apple cider caramels!

Why Make This Apple Cider Caramel Recipe?

Apple cider (the American kind!) is one of those flavors that just perfectly captures the essence of autumn. Mulled cider, cider donuts, cider bread, cider cocktails…the possibilities are endless.

This cider caramel recipe offers a twist on the classic caramel candy, replacing water with apple cider and introducing classic autumn spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The sea salt on top is optional, but I think caramel is always better when salted!

Which Apple Cider Should I Use for Apple Cider Caramels?

In the United States, apple cider refers to a cloudy, spiced, non-alcoholic, unfiltered apple juice.

In contrast, British apple cider (usually just called “cider”) is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented apple juice. (The Irish cider Magners is a popular choice down the pub.)  In the UK, cider can range from sweet to dry and varies in alcohol content, while in the U.S., hard cider is usually milder and sweeter.

This recipe uses non-alcoholic, American apple cider. (Alcoholic American cider is labeled as “hard cider” to distinguish it from the non-alcoholic version.) In the UK, you might find it in a specialty shop catering to Americans, like Panzer’s in North London.

Apple Cider Caramel Ingredients

To make this apple cider caramel recipe, you’ll need the following:

• Whipping Cream – Or heavy cream, in the US.
• Unsalted Butter – Don’t use salted butter for this recipe; the caramel and garnish are salty enough on their own.
• Spices – I’ve added ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. You can also experiment with other spices, like pumpkin spice, ground allspice, or ground ginger.
• Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar (or caster sugar measured by weight) forms the caramel base.
• Corn Syrup – Light corn syrup (you can use Karo or Golden Barrel) or liquid glucose helps to prevent crystallization.
• Apple Cider – This recipe requires American (non-alcoholic) apple cider. See my notes above.
• Sea Salt – Fine sea salt for the caramel, plus coarse sea salt (or flaked sea salt) for sprinkling.

Cider Caramel Tips & Tricks

For a stronger apple cider flavor, start with double the amount of apple cider and simmer in a small saucepan at medium heat until reduced to 100 milliliters (about 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon), then proceed with the recipe as written. Some stores also sell pre-reduced apple cider. (King Arthur Flour makes a boiled cider that might work nicely in this recipe, but I haven’t tested it.)

This recipe makes one 8×8-inch (20×20 centimeter) square tin of caramels. Cut into 8 rows each way for 64 small square caramels, or cut into larger squares or rectangles.

Pre-cut parchment candy wrappers are readily available on Amazon. Although you can cut your own squares from a roll of parchment, the pre-cut wrappers are fairly inexpensive and will save you a LOT of time and effort!

Do not attempt this recipe without a candy thermometer! 250° F / 120° C is a good temperature benchmark for caramels. I cooked this batch of caramels to 253° F, which produces a somewhat firm caramel that will hold its shape, yet is still soft enough to chew easily. You can cook to a slightly lower temperature for a softer caramel, or a slightly higher temp for very firm caramels. It may take a bit of experimenting to decide on the exact temperature that works best for you.

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

These sea salt apple cider caramels are perfect for autumn gifting, especially when individually wrapped in squares of parchment. When stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they will last for around two weeks.

More autumn-inspired candy recipes you might enjoy:

Pumpkin spice caramels
Spiced pumpkin seed brittle

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!

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