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Dairy Free Coconut Caramels (Gluten Free, Vegan, & Top 8 Free, Too!)

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Caramel is one of my favorite sweets.  There’s nothing like the rich sweetness that a caramel imparts.  So, having to be dairy-free for my son I was missing caramels like an addict.  It was like an answer to prayers when I figured out you could make caramels, that have the same sticky sweetness and texture as regular caramels, with coconut milk.caramels.stacked.5x7.logo

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UPDATED TO ADD: This is an older post, and this recipe can be finicky. I have since found an easier recipe I enjoy more and that is more consistent. If you found this recipe on Pinterest, or elsewhere. Welcome! And, I’d recommend you jump over to my EASY, CHEWY DAIRY FREE CARAMELS (VEGAN AND NUT FREE TOO!)

They say Christmas is a time for miracles, and these dairy free caramels are definitely a miracle in my book.

I remember the first time I made them and I thought, well…I have nothing to lose.  I already can’t have caramels, so if these are awful, oh well.

I was seriously doing a happy dance in my kitchen when I saw that classic color, that stick-to-your-teeth chewiness and that deep caramel flavor come to life.

I know a lot of people are intimidated by candy making.  I have been one of those.  But, really…if you can boil something and then leave it alone, you can do this!

I once had a candy thermometer do me wrong, so I prefer to do it by hand, but I’ll include the degrees as well, in case that’s your preferred method.  Just remember, if it’s too soft, it can be used as a dip, or over popcorn–so it’s not a waste!  And, if it’s hard, which I’ve done too–it will usually soften as you suck on it. I’ve even had really hard dairy free caramels, but once you suck on them they totally become chewy.  Just think of it as a yummy sucker!

Also, if you’re worried about a coconut flavor coming through, I don’t notice one.  I’m not a coconut fan, so this was a plus for me, in case that’s something you’re worried about too.

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Do I have other dairy free Christmas recipes?

Yes I do! All 200+ recipes on my site are completely dairy free. Here’s a list of my favorite dairy free holiday recipes that I couldn’t live without:

Dairy Free Coconut Caramels (Gluten Free, Vegan, & Top 8 Free, Too!)

Dairy Free Coconut Caramels (Gluten Free, Vegan, & Top 8 Free, Too!)

Yield: 24
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

The same texture and rich flavor of regular caramels, without the dairy!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. *Before you get started, I have since found a recipe I like better, it's easier and it's more consistent. I'd recommend jumping over to my: EASY, CHEWY DAIRY FREE CARAMELS instead before proceeding with this one. If this one suits your fancy more, than by all means, continue.
  2. Line the bottom and sides of an 8″x8″ square baking dish with parchment and brush with coconut oil; set aside.
  3. Combine the coconut milk, corn syrup and sea salt in a 4-quart saucepan. Heat over medium low, stirring constantly for 2½-3 minutes until mixture is just warm and any coconut milk clumps are dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. In an 8-quart saucepan, combine the sugar and the water and stir until sugar is wet. Place over medium high heat and let cook, without stirring, till the sugar turns a light amber color. I made these by judgement as I did not have a candy thermometer. This should roughly take 10 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and pour in the coconut milk mixture a little at a time. Be careful, as the mixture will bubble and splash.
  5. Return saucepan to medium low heat, stirring continuously until all the caramel is dissolved. Raise the heat to medium high. If the mixture begins to boil over (which it shouldn't if you're using a deep pan which is best), reduce heat and continue to cook until caramel becomes quite thick. No need to stir (unless you're checking the thickness). This could take a good 15-20 minutes. Be patient! Just make sure the caramel is really thick. It looks like karo syrup to me as far as texture goes. You can test it with some cold water and see that it's at a firm ball stage. If using a thermometer, have it be between 245-250 degrees Fahrenheit.
  6. Immediately remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan. Let cool completely and cut into 1″ squares. If they're a bit sticky put them in the fridge to set a little--make sure your glass dish is cooled before you do so. To make it easier to cut them brush your knife with melted coconut oil between cutting to avoid sticking. Wrap individually in wax paper squares. Store at room temperature.
  7. Then, the true test of Christmas comes. Will you share with your neighbors or wolf them all down yourself? I won't tell if you eat them all yourself, after all --it's only an 8x8 🙂
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 129Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 106mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 0gSugar: 23gProtein: 0g
© Megan Lavin

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Adapted from: Apple Mint

About Megan Lavin

Hi! I'm Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I'm a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly--it's an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with you, to help you eat like you did before food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. DaVegan

    I made this recipe yesterday and followed it precisely. I even used a candy thermometer. The flavor of the caramel mixture is good but even after sitting in the refrigerator all night they are still not firm enough to cut and hold their shape. I just tossed the whole thing in the trash. Very disappointing. I’d give this recipe 1 star out of 5.

    Reply

    • Megan Lavin

      I’m sorry to hear that. Are you perhaps at a higher elevation? That can affect what temperature it needs to reach. I know it can work, and feel for you, as its disappointing when a recipe doesn’t work out. I do have a new caramel recipe that I will be posting in the next few weeks that I find easier to make.

      Reply

    • Marie

      Ok this comment is just my honest opinion because I wish someone had posted something like this before i tried it! I did make it today using the ingredients suggested plus i added coconut for extra flavour! Now, if anyone has ever had original homemade caramels with butter and cream, there is no comparison. The texture is there but it tastes very bland, it’s chewy but no flavour. So for me, i will not make it again. (I will throw away the rest, i just had a small piece).

      Reply

  3. Sarah

    To make sure they are Vegan, what sugar did you use? Would coconut sugar work? I’m having a hard time finding truely vegan options. making as a gift for some friends.

    Reply

  4. Cindy

    These are delicious!! We love them! Our only problem was our knife getting stuck when we were trying to cut them. Aside from that THEY ARE EXCELLENT!!

    Reply

  5. Dave

    Seems like this would be amazing! Can I ask though, looks like the Coconut milk cans are now 13.66 ounces, not 16 ounces that your recipe call for. What else would need to change to make this work? Appreciate your time sincerely Dave

    Reply

    • Dave

      Thanks Megan! One other question if you have time. My consistency turned out to be similar but not exactly like a gummy bear, sort of. The bite has sort a thickened gummy mouth-feel, is that what I should expect? I realize these are dairy free, and I do need to cook them a few degrees longer. However I wanted to see if there was a way to make them more of a bite by bite without the glob feel while chewing. Hard to describe, hopefully that makes sense. Thanks again! Love the taste and appreciate your time! Sincerely Dave

      Reply

      • Justin

        To get a good texture for cutting and eating, get a candy thermometer (if you don’t have one already, they’re pretty inexpensive and easy to find).

        Cook the sugar & water (I mix in a 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar here as well—like the corn syrup, it helps to stabilize the sugar as it cooks, doesn’t affect flavor/texture/dietary needs) to 320 degrees F.

        After adding the coconut milk mix, cook it to the 245-250F as per the recipe.

        This will get you closer to the texture you’re looking for. It’s still technically a soft candy, so if it’s still chewier than you’re looking for, try 260-265F for the second cook. Higher than that will get you into hard candy territory, like Werthers’ or Jolly Ranchers.

        Reply

    • Veronique

      I used a 13.5 oz can of coconut milk and it worked great. I did put 1/4 cup less sugar but only because i didn’t have enough… Great recipe.

      Reply

      • Caitlin Schow

        I did, it turned out amazing! I felt like I had to boil it for about 40 min to get it to a softball stage I was happy with. Then I actually added 1 C of marshmallows when I added the vanilla and it made it perfectly gooey! I actually used this recipe to make caramel popcorn for a dairy free, gluten free friend. We all loved it!

        Reply

    • allergyawesomeness@gmail.com

      Tricia–can you please tell me which ad and where? I try hard to not have too many invasive ads on my site. And, are you looking at it on mobile or a computer? I’d suggest a computer if your phone is having issues displaying. I’ve copied it here for you:
      One 16 oz. can full fat coconut milk (use all of the liquid, not just the fat on top)
      ¾ cup corn syrup
      1 tsp. coarse sea salt
      1¾ cup sugar
      ¾ cup water
      1 tsp. vanilla
      coconut oil for brushing and cutting
      Order Ingredients
      INSTRUCTIONS

      Line the bottom and sides of an 8″x8″ square baking dish with parchment and brush with coconut oil; set aside.
      Combine the coconut milk, corn syrup and sea salt in a 4-quart saucepan. Heat over medium low, stirring constantly for 2½-3 minutes until mixture is just warm and any coconut milk clumps are dissolved.Remove from heat and set aside.
      In an 8-quart saucepan, combine the sugar and the water and stir until sugar is wet. Place over medium high heat and let cook, without stirring, till the sugar turns a light amber colour. I made these by judgement as I did not have a candy thermometer. This should roughly take 10 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and pour in the coconut milk mixture a little at a time. Be careful, as the mixture will bubble and splash.
      Return saucepan to medium low heat, stirring continuously until all the caramel is dissolved. Raise the heat to medium high. If the mixture begins to boil over (which it shouldn’t if you’re using a deep pan which is best), reduce heat and continue to cook until caramel becomes quite thick. No need to stir (unless you’re checking the thickness). This could take a good 15-20 minutes. Be patient! Just make sure the caramel is really thick. It looks like karo syrup to me as far as texture goes. You can test it with some cold water and see that it’s at a firm ball stage. If using a thermometer, have it be between 245-250 degrees fahrenheit.
      Immediately remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan. Let cool completely and cut into 1″ squares. If they’re a bit sticky put them in the fridge to set a little–make sure your glass dish is cooled before you do so. To make it easier to cut them brush your knife with melted coconut oil between cutting to avoid sticking. Wrap individually in wax paper squares. Store at room temperature.
      Then, the true test of Christmas comes. Will you share with your neighbors or wolf them all down yourself? I won’t tell if you eat them all yourself, afterall –it’s only an 8×8

      Reply

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