Black Licorice Caramels
September 21, 2011 by Lara
We are about to embark on a wild candy making ride! This, my friends, is one recipe you HAVE to try out this Fall! I remember making these delicious caramels every Halloween since I was a little girl. Just for the record,… I don’t like black licorice at all. This black licorice treat, however, is amazing. Our neighbors would beg us for huge bags every Fall. I even remember my friends mom hiding the entire bag so she, and only she, could eat every last piece 
Get ready. After one bite… you won’t be able to stop eating!
Ingredients:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups white corn syrup
1 teaspoon licorice or anise oil
1/2 teaspoon black paste food color
In a pot mix the first 5 ingredients together: sweetened condensed milk, sugar, butter, salt, and corn syrup.
Cook and stir the mixture constantly over medium high heat. Use a heavy metal spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan while stirring, this will prevent it from burning on the bottom.
Cook until the caramel is to the soft ball stage or light brown. If you have a candy thermometer it will be done once it reaches 232 degrees.
*there will be little flecks of brown in the mixture, this is normal.
*If you don’t have a candy thermometer here is how to test if it is done:
Fill a cup with cold water. Spoon out some of the caramel mixture into the water. Squish it together with your fingers and let it cool down a bit in the water.
Remove it from the water, feel it, taste it and make sure it is set up enough. This is the consistency the caramel will be once it cools.
Once it is done cooking, remove from the heat and add the licorice or anise oil. Stir it through the mixture.
Next measure the black paste food coloring, stir it through the caramel.
Stir till the mixture is black all the way through.
Butter a 9 x 13 pan (don’t miss any spots, we want this to come out after it sets up). Pour the caramel mixture in the pan. Do not scrape the bottom and sides out, there is usually a bit of sugar residue that you don’t want to crystallize in your caramels.
Set aside and let it cool. When it is firm and cooled completely loosen with a spatula and place on a buttered counter.
Tear a piece of waxed paper and place over the slab of caramel. Cutting on top of the paper and this will prevent the caramel from sticking to your knife. Cut the pieces into 1 inch wide strips.
Go back over the strips with the waxed paper and cut them 1 inch squares. Separate the caramels after cutting, if you pile them on top of each other they will stick together.
Tear pieces of waxed paper about 4 1/2 inches wide. Lay the strips on top of each other and cut in thirds.
Place the caramel square in the center of the waxed paper piece.
Pull two opposite corners together and pinch. With the other hand twist the caramel.
This will create a nice little wrapped piece of caramel.
This was my favorite part when I was a kid. My mom would gather all of us and have us wrap while she would cut.. and we would wrap as fast as she was cutting. So get those kids and put them to work! It’s a fun family activity!
There you have it! Package them up and share them with friends.. or keep them all for yourself
I wouldn’t blame you.. they’re delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups white corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon licorice or anise oil
- 1/2 teaspoon black paste food color
Instructions
- In a pot mix the first 5 ingredients together: sweetened condensed milk, sugar, butter, salt, and corn syrup.
- Cook and stir the mixture constantly over medium high heat. Use a heavy metal spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan while stirring, this will prevent it from burning on the bottom.
- Cook until the caramel is to the soft ball stage or light brown. If you have a candy thermometer it will be done once it reaches 232 degrees.
- *there will be little flecks of brown in the mixture, this is normal.
- *If you don’t have a candy thermometer here is how to test if it is done:
- Fill a cup with cold water. Spoon out some of the caramel mixture into the water. Squish it together with your fingers and let it cool down a bit in the water.
- Remove it from the water, feel it, taste it and make sure it is set up enough. This is the consistency the caramel will be once it cools.
- Once it is done cooking, remove from the heat and add the licorice or anise oil. Stir it through the mixture.
- Next measure the black paste food coloring, stir it through the caramel.
- Stir till the mixture is black all the way through.
- Butter a 9 x 13 pan (don’t miss any spots, we want this to come out after it sets up). Pour the caramel mixture in the pan. Do not scrape the bottom and sides out, there is usually a bit of sugar residue that you don’t want to crystallize in your caramels.
- Set aside and let it cool. When it is firm and cooled completely loosen with a spatula and place on a buttered counter.
- Tear a piece of waxed paper and place over the slab of caramel. Cutting on top of the paper and this will prevent the caramel from sticking to your knife. Cut the pieces into 1 inch wide strips.
- Go back over the strips with the waxed paper and cut them 1 inch squares. Separate the caramels after cutting, if you pile them on top of each other they will stick together.
- Tear pieces of waxed paper about 4 1/2 inches wide. Lay the strips on top of each other and cut in thirds.
- Place the caramel square in the center of the waxed paper piece. Wrap.
This creamy licorice caramel treat will be a hit that the whole family will look forward to every year! I Promise.
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Amazing!! I would love to try this.
These look delicious! What a fun family activity – and with all your great photos and step by step instructions, I think I could actually do this! Thanks for sharing!
I can’t wait to try these out!!!
Oh my gosh! I’m so excited to try these! I love black licorice! Thanks for sharing!
I’m going to try these for sure!! Yum!
I can’t stand black licorice, but since you said to try it even if you dont like black licorice. I am going to give it a shot! I figure if i don’t like it, i am sure someone else will love them. Thanks for sharing.
These are so much better than you think they are going to be!
I can not WAIT to give these a try. I don’t mind black licorice but some candy is just too strong. This looks like it would be a mild licorice flavor. PERFECT!
Wow! Black licorice caramel. Sounds yummy.
Oh My, these look amazing…I Love Black Licorice and am already sure It’ll have to be a dbl. batch, One for me, One to share, two for me, one to share, haha. Thanks for the Recipe…This could work with any flavor addition and color wouldn’t they?
Yep! I’m sure they would be yummy in any flavor and color!
Red Carmels with cinnamon are good. Also my hubby hates black licorice too but loves these.
Can’t wait to try them… but with my microwave caramel recipe – even easier!
Thank you… I can almost taste them…yummy. Black licorice is my fav!!!
This sounds delicious! I want to make it for my Halloween party. However, may I make a suggestion? You need a ‘print friendly’ button so we can print out all your instructions, etc. in a nice, clean format. If you are using any type of wordpress application, I know there is a free ‘Print Friendly’ plug-in you can add – I added it to my own site and it’s been great.
whait what! were we neighbors as children? are you me, or am i you? i have made this since i was a little girl too! i remember my grade 7 photo day i had a little too much black licorice caramels in the morning and my teeth turned green: green teeth not so great for school pictures……did you warn the readers the “other” side effects to the black coloring! HAPPY FALL!!!
Can you use anise extract instead of anise oil?
A friend made these for our quilting group the other night and they were wonderful. They do not have a strong licorice flavor–just a hint–but the butter flavor really comes through. I can not stop eating them (I was able to bring some home). Fabulous recipe!
Hi,
Where do you purchase the black paste food color? Also the licorice oil?
Don’t think I ever saw these in the grocery stores.
Would love to try these.
I believe they sell it at most craft stores and candy making shops!
I have ALWAYS loved licorice caramels and have had them only a few times throughout the years. My mouth waters just thinking about them!!! When I came across this recipe I literally giggled with delight! =) So, I went out and purchased the items(couldn’t find anise oil, used pure anise extract instead/used up the entire 1oz. bottle and could have used a little bit more for a touch more flavor) & made these last week ~ YUMMY!!!!!! Everyone who tried them LOVED them! EXPECIALLY ME!!! =) I am going to be making them over and over, think I will give them as Christmas gifts etc…
Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous recipe!!!
I seriously love licorice and I seriously love caramels, making this candy a serious must try. After reading your into, maybe even my husband and kids will like it. I mean, he HATES licorice, but he does love the taste of absinthe, so you never know…
Absolutely delicious! thanks for sharing recipe!