Caramel Sugar Recipe
Caramel sugar is a dry, powdered version of caramel made by blending hard homemade caramel into a powder. It's the perfect dry sweetener for homemade drink mixes (like hot cocoa) and makes it easy to add that caramel flavor to anything you'd like!
Equipment
- Medium saucepan or stockpot
- half sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Pint mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 cup cane sugar
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set to the side.
- Place a stockpot or saucepan over medium low heat and add part of the sugar. Shake the pan slightly to help it spread evenly.1 cup cane sugar
- Allow the sugar to melt, adding more sugar gradually over time. Tilt and swirl the pan as needed to help move the melted sugar around. Try not to stir, although some stirring is okay.The goal is to liquefy the sugar crystals, making the caramel transparent with a rich golden brown color. If you heat the mixture too high, it can burn and turn overly dark and bitter.
- Once the mixture is fully melted, pour it into your prepared pan to cool. Caution: Melted sugar is extremely hot!
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature and harden. Then, shatter the sugar by hitting it with a butter knife. If properly caramelized, the sugar will break like glass.
- Transfer the broken caramel pieces to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until it resembles sugar. Try not to overmix as the heat can cause the caramel to soften back up.
- Transfer to an airtight container (ESSENTIAL) and store at room temperature. Use however you'd like!
Notes
Feel free to adjust the quantity of sugar. I've made as little as 1/2 cup and up to 2 cups and had consistent results.
This mixture WILL absorb moisture from the air if you do not store it in an airtight container. Results may vary on a humid day.
Thick shards of caramel may be hard for some food processors to blend up. You may need to break the pieces into small chunks with a rolling pin to get a good consistency.
Plan on 1 parchment-lined sheet pan per cup of sugar. If you're working with more than 1 cup of sugar, set up multiple pans to ensure the sugar dries quickly in a thin layer.
Servings: 1 cup