How to Make Caramel (Troubleshooting Guide) 

No more will your caramel crystalize with my 5 STEPS TO CARAMEL SUCCESS!!!! Head over to my site for even more details bit.ly/HowToMakeCaramel

i watched this after my caramel crystalized 🙃

To everyone who has faced the crystallization problem, even though the video says nothing can be done about it. That's true but It doesn't have to go down the drain. Here is a little tip to save on the sugar, let the whole thing crystalize and then take it out of the saucepan. Let it cool down a little bit and then blend those crystals to get powdered sugar. You can use that in about anything. It tastes the same or a little more like brown sugar but either way it doesn't have to go to waste and that way you don't have to dread every time you think of making caramel again

Never have I heard of the dissolving the sugar part, that makes so much sense! Most recipes I have seen always say to crank the heat up to high and don't stir lol! Thank you!

Another good tip that I have used for over a decade with 100% success... After sugar has dissolved, BEFORE you turn up the heat, put a lid on the pan. The moisture from the condensation will wash down the sides of the pan. Remove the lid when you see the sides are clean, and turn up the heat proceed as video describes.

I used to add a drop of liquid honey to the mixture before heating it. As a type of inverted syrup, honey prevents crystallization. Honey has its distinct flavour, but the drop is so small that one can barely notice.

Jesus she's looking right at my soul

3:30 I thought it would be like "pour some water, make syrup and enjoy!" or something LOL Thanks for the tips! My woodspoon was the one responsible.

Her: no spoon Me: (Slowly puts down the spoon)

I really needed this video. You posted it at just the right time. It's like you were reading my mind. Thank you so much Gemma 😊😊

Seriously I m 14 .....and love ur recipes can you upload a recipe for kids (that they can make themselves) ... And you should apply to MasterChef you're amazing

Thank you Gemma I have wasted tons of sugar making this but didn’t had luck, hopefully this time I’ll not screw 😭❤️😂

Odd. I've made caramel a grand total of one time. I used a non-stick frying pan and it was fine. Secondly, my sugar did begin to crystalise, but I found that stirring with a wooden spatula caused the crystals to redissolve and the finished caramel was good.

I almost never make any of these but for some reason I still watch every video.

We love Caramel! We're definitely going to make this!! 😍

Thank you so so much for this video ! I’ve been trying to make caramel sauce for years now and it turns hard everytime until i got frustrated with it, Today is the first time i make it and it didnt harden, many thanks gemma! 🙏🏻❤️

If you are making caramel: first, mix the sugar with water so that there are no dry sugar lumps. Second, put a lid on the pot and do not touch the sugars with the spoon. Thirdly, calculating the caramel time: it usually boils in 8-9 minutes (No. 6 heat on the stove (if the stove's max is 9)), add 19-20 minutes, then the caramel will be the right color. If you add whipped cream, first heat it to 40 degrees and add 1/3 at a time and away from the stove. Butter extras like whipped cream inside and on the stove. Next, boil on the stove for 6 minutes and then add salt and, if you want, vanilla extract. Then put it in a glass jar and you're done.

This helped a lot! Thanks I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it for my exam but now I feel more confident:)

i tried your red velvet oreo recipe and made the cream​ cheese myself as you taught us to make the filling of oreo and it turned out AWESOME!! My Boyfriend loved it sooo much thank you Gemma you are the queen of baking god bless you edit: i guess i will try your twix recipe now thank you so much. by the way i made your chocolate cake and it was AWESOME TOO!

Whenever I try making caramel I get it wrong, but after watching this video I won't! Thanks for posting this video!

Like always thanks for amazing tips. I really liked your condensed milk recipe and many more. Love from Pakistan

Thanks...It'll help me to make perfect caramel everytime...😊

Thnx so much for this Gemma I stirred my caramel and it cracks up and I was so confused as to why

Thank you for all of your videos, it's a huge inspiration, I've watched all of your videos at least twice and I study them because I want to be a Chef or Baker in a small town cafe someday. Anyway, thank you for all the recipes, tips and guides they're really helpful and I haven't tried one that I don't like. Keep it up!

Whenever I make your signature salted caramel Gemma, everybody loves it over crepes (also your recipe) and ice cream. Now that i also have your butterscotch recipe. It's like caramel X 1000 awesomeness. 😊 Thanks Gemma for the great recipes and also the priceless tips.

Thank you for explaining the crystallization. I've made several batches of caramel the last couple weeks and I had massive crystallization on the edges of the pan and on my whisk. Now I see what I was doing wrong. I will say though, I didn't need to throw any of my caramel out. It still turned out great. The crystals sunk to the bottom of the of the pan so, when I was pouring it into the jar, I just stopped before the crystals could fall in. I also noticed that, if any crystals did make it into my finished product, they sunk to the bottom so I just had to avoid using the last little bit. Of course, I'd still like to avoid them all together. :)

Actually, I was able to recover my crystalized mixture. Just yesterday, in fact- I put a little water in and let the crystals slowly re-dissolve over low heat then put a capful of corn syrup into the mix. it was very very slow going but I was at the tail end of my sugar and couldn't really start over at the moment. However, Better to avoid crystallization altogether than work twice as hard to recover.

Bold baking basics are back!

Thank You Too Much, Gemma! This Caramel Tutorial Video Helped me and will help many other people who work with sugar too much!!!

Thank you so much for your video! Now I know why mine siezed. I pushed crystallized sugar off sides of pan with a wooden spoon. Ok, hopefully, the 4th time is the charm!

@A Foodie's Paradise I'll try this again the right way. Thanks Gemma 👍😊

Hi Gemma. This video is really useful. Is it okay that I replace white sugar with brown sugar? Have a good day,Gemma.

When mine crystalized I added my home made heavy cream and salt! It makes the most absolutely delicious salted caramel flavoring for breakfast cereals like rice, cream of wheat, ice cream, or anything you want to use it for! I even pour it over my chocolate bread because it's awesome! It still tastes like caramel even when the color is a bit lite! Of course you can use store bought cream if you want but I can't afford the good stuff!

this is seriously helpful THANK YOU!! you saved my disastrous caramel attempts!

Thank you so much for this video! I tried making caramel a while back but just couldn't get it to not crystallize and I finally got so fed up that I made the same recipe just without water. It turned out great, but I'd really like to try this again now that I have these tips.

Thank you so much for the instruction on making caramel. I trust your baking videos. 😊

Great caramel troubleshooting tips Gemma, the not stirring part is crucial . Thank you for this

thank you for the tips. I make caramel and had hard times at the beginning because it always crystallized. but i found out that when it crystallizes I throw in a glass of water and start mixing very well to dissolve all the crystals, when they are all dissolved, I don't throw it away, I start from there and it still turns in to caramel, no problem.

That caramel looks sooooo good and yummy,definitely will try and tell you ,many thanks Gemma once again

I was just about to ask you for this!! I always have issues with caramel, sometimes it comes out ok & sometimes just disaster. Thanks a lot, you are a LOVE ❤

Mine crystallized and was completely hard. It looked like bits of rock candy but I did not throw it out because I don't like to waste. I kept in on a medium low heat and stirred it. I stayed with it the entire time and eventually it all melted and started to get golden brown. At first I had the heat really low and it was taking forever to start melting. So I turned it up to medium low and it started to melt quicker. Once you turn up the heat, you have to stay with it so it doesn't burn. This is the second time I'm making this. The first time, I did not add any water. This time I added water but the sugar eventually got to how it was the first time when I didn't use water. It looks like adding water only made the process longer. Not sure but that's how it looks to me. Or maybe I didn't add enough water. I would have to test it out to know. Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know you shouldn't be discouraged if it crystallizes and turns rock hard. It can be saved.

Was waiting for this video since soo long love you Gemma I hope I can get caramel right now ❤️

If it crystallizes instead of throwing it away I just add more water, stirred it up, and cook again at medium heat until the sugar crystals dissolved into liquid again and then turn it down to medium low heat. No stirring after this and you’ll get caramel sauce. This works for me!

Great tips. Will follow next time I'm making caramel😋👍

Thank You.

Thank you for this clear step guide. Now I know where I went wrong and how I can conquer caramel. Much appreciated!

This video really will help me! Caramel is my favorite topping! I love you Gemma!

Just made the sauce after listening to your video and it was a success! Thanks Gemma!

Great tips for having the perfect caramel for my flan

Thank you so much for the help I'm on failed batch #4 lol. I can't wait to try your tips! ❤❤❤

good job! This was very helpful!

Hi Gemma I love your videos, you're an inspiration to me, and thank you for all the great tips, I've been watching your videos for a very long time and I've learned a lot from you, and now I've become a great young baker, thank you!!

Thanks for a great vid! Found your tips useful and interesting; not entirely sure they have solved my problem. Assuming from your vid that it is the result of crystallization. Just not sure why it does it. Have been making an almond butter toffee recipe I learned from my local PBS station back in the late1980s or early 1990s. They were running SFCA (San Francisco Culinary Academy) or CIA (Culinary Institute of America) classes on our station, not sure which anymore, but I think it was the latter. One was this toffee recipe. Class was done in a gallery-style classroom full of aspiring chefs with a professional instructor demonstrating in real time from start to finish. I make about 5-7 batches a year around Xmas. Is pretty dang exactly what you find inside the Almond Rocha brand candy. Recipe has worked like a charm for many years, but I get about one batch a year that despite getting to 320 degrees F as called for, the batch simply turns into a whitish mass of grainy sugary very crumbly stuff that sure as heck ain't toffee! I suspect it is turning to crystals in the initial melting process. It doesn't darken, and despite absorbing all the butter and hitting the right temp, still never turns to toffee... Makes me really mad to waste all that good sugar, butter, and nuts! Have always thought one day I might try re-melting it, but I never have, and looks like it probably won't work anyway.

THANK YOU!! I've been trying to make caramel for a while now and I keep failing, I really needed this 😂

I just heat some water, and submerge a can of condensed milk for two plus hrs. I know this isn't considered caramel but really dulce de leche, which I like better. I also will use Karo syrup. Great informative video, as usual. have a blessed day "keep the faith people, and keep on keeping on"

Not only a great cook but a lovely Irish woman 😍

Thanks for sharing this recipe. I followed all your recipes and they are all true. Results are always amazing. ❤

Hey Gemma, I've Seriously subscribed to your channel since the days of no machine ice-cream(lol😅) and I love all ur Vids coz you have the most wanted recipes ever and they are the best. Love you❤ #BoldBakers#GemmaStafford#BiggerBolderBaking

Hi, thank you for posting this recipe... It is so funny that I was looking for the recipe two days ago, when I was making caramel for the first time... Next time I will definitely use it....

I really appreciate the example of the crystalized sugar and how to clean it up.

I saw on an episode of Cooking Conundrums that if you place a lid on your saucepan: preferably a see through glass lid; on your saucepan while your caramel is simmering the steam created stops sugar crystals from forming on the sides of the pan which eliminates the need for the pastry brush.

Definitely trying it thanks for uploading love your vdos my mom tried ur marshmallow recipe it was awesome ...😋😋🤤🤤🤤

You can sslvage crystalized sugar. Add water to re melt. Swosh pan to re absorb sugar on edges. Place a lid so the steam and sweat finish cleaning the edges of the pan. Then follow the same boiling process to caramelize. I know because my daughter was making a bread pudding with caramel base and her sugar crystalized. I showed her this trick and we didn't have to throw away 2 cups of sugar.

you could try drying out the crystalized caramel and then dry in an oven at 150f for 30 minutes to get slightly caramelized sugar.

The video I waited forrrrr

Last month I burnt my favorite pan trying go make this lol. Thanks for the help!

I’ve only been told to make a fry caramel by my chef (only sugar no water, and Although it is harder, it takes a fraction of the time.

Hi Gemma, so can I stir at the beginning of the process or should I leave it alone? Also, could I dissolve the sugar before applying heat? Thank you so much for your videos they are inspiring.

If you add a bit more water if it crystalizes and remelt it you don't have to throw it out. If you can't get the hang of the pastry brush. Just USE A LID and check often so it doesn't burn

Awesome tips, as always! Thank you!😊

Good job. Thanks for the information

Thanks for this. Its very useful for me... thanks alot

Buonasera Gemma☺ Mmmh..love Caramel.. Your 5 steps are very precious for me. You've explain these so clear and so nothing can go wrong when I'll make it. Bravissima 😚😚😚

excuuuse me, madam, but your video was amazing and more informative than so-called "professional" videos up that don't even explain why the sugar crystalizes, or that say you can "save" the already colored caramel, which ends up tasting bitter because sugar can't go back after reaching certain temperatures for certain amounts of time. you are amazing, and i appologize for calling you madam. 😂❤

Hi gemma could you do a recipe on caramel squares please!

Thank you very much!very helpful tips

Love how it says Troubleshooting guide because I get it wrong. Hehe :D

Thank you

Can't wait to try it. I just bought a bunch of apples. Thank you for sharing 💖

you really a genious gemma

Love u Gemma for your awesome recipes

Will definitely try this. Looks so delicious! 😊

Had no idea about the pan! Thank you!

Another thing could be also to add glucose to the mix. That's a bit more trouble but once you've made it already beforehand then you're kinda sorted.

Thank you so much, Gemma! I actually needed this because every time i try making caramel, something keeps going wrong. These instructions are going to help me a lot! 😊

Hello Gemma. Doing some praline tomorrow, so this video will help. Got it memorized forever now! BEING PATIENT is the secret!😁 Thanks.

Thks gemma i needed this for the choc ball

thank u for explaining everything , I really wanted to understand this.

Hey gemma you're truly gr8

omg Gemma ur thee best person literally... whenever i hv thought that i will make something you surely post it like its such a good coincidence .. and i love youu and your recipes and advance congratulations for 2 million subs😊❤

Thamkyou For Sharing❤️❤️.Thankyou For sharing.Stay Connected.

Hey Gemma!! How are you?? I tried to make buttercream with the help of your recipe twice.. But it turned out to be really grainy.. I sifted my sugar twice but I couldn't find my mistake..

Thanks for this! I have always been intimidated making caramel at home. Also, will you do more recipes using almond flour?

I would love to see you make something with chestnuts this autumn.

Tysm for these amazing tips 😊😊

Masterfully concise.

Love you and your channel Gemma..this is the best RU-vid channel I have ever seen..u make such awesome videos.. definitely gonna try out this one..love from India😘🤗

All time favorite channel of mine ❤❤

New subscriber! You explain so clearly! Love it 😊😊😊😊

I am so happy I found you channel! I just made caramel for the first time, and got to vlog it :) I am going to try your recipe!