The Best Homemade Dipping Caramel

This is my mother’s delicious caramel recipe, which she makes every year during colder months. It tastes like pure comfort. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 16 oz dark corn syrup

• 1 cup salted butter

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 16 oz heavy cream

• Mini chocolate chips (optional)

• Pecans (optional)

• Honey crisp apples (one per person)

Directions:

1. Combine corn syrup, butter, sugar, and half the cream in a large pot.

2. Put it on the stovetop over medium heat and let it get to a rolling boil. Stir frequently.

3. Look for large craters that form from the bubbles when boiling. When you see these, add in the rest of the cream and combine.

4. After it boils for about ten minutes, you can test the caramel to see if it’s ready. To do this, get a glass of cold water. Dip a spoon in the caramel and let it drip into the glass. If it visibly hardens in the water (stays in a droplet shape) it is ready. If it mixes with the water, it needs more time. Don't overcook it, unless you want a more traditional candy caramel that hardens when it cools.

5. Remove caramel from the heat once it’s done and let cool for 20 minutes before dipping or eating. It will be pretty loose at this point but will get thicker as it cools. (If you want it for the next day, we suggest keeping it in the fridge overnight and then reheating it.)

6. To serve: You can use this caramel to cover entire apples or use it as more of a dessert dip. My family prefers to cut honey crisp apples into slices, then dip them into bowls of the decadent stuff. You can also add in chocolate chips or pecans for some extra flavor and texture.

Let us know in the comments if you tried this recipe! We would love to hear how it turned out. If you'd like to share your version of this dip with us, use the hashtag #PMJRecipes.

Happy cooking!