I concocted this recipe for homemade peanut butter caramel many years ago. My oldest little boy asked for peanut butter caramel for his apples. I think he really just wanted peanut butter and the caramel was a slip-up.
But that got me thinking, why the heck not?
Turns out the combination is so so delicious! But really, was there any doubt that caramel and peanut butter would taste great paired??
This caramel is ridiculously easy to make and has amazing flavor! So let’s talk about all the tasty ways you can enjoy it…
Uses for Peanut Butter Caramel
You can use this caramel in many different ways. Below is a list of ideas to get you started…
- Cheesecake topping
- Ice Cream Sauce (it is awesome with dry roasted peanuts sprinkled on top)
- Dip for
- Apple Slices
- Pretzels
- Animal Crackers
- Graham Crackers
- Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips
- Popcorn (sweet and salty- yum)
- Brownies
- In Plain Yogurt
Suffice it to say, we LOVE this stuff; it is very versatile!
Candy Making Stage Overview
You may not think of this caramel sauce/dip as candy, but it technically is as far as cooking.
I don’t want to get too into the nitty gritty of candy-making at this time. But I do want to provide you with a simple overview of the different temperature stages for candy so you can cook your peanut butter caramel properly.
| STAGE | TEMP | USES | APPEARANCE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thread | starts @ 230°F | sugar syrups, fudge, sauce, & jellies | At this stage, the syrup is at a relatively low temperature and there is a lot of remaining water left in it. When syrup at this stage is dropped in cold water to cool, it forms a liquid thread that will not ball up. The syrup will form a loose thin thread. |
| Soft Ball | starts @ 234°F | caramel, fudge, pralines, fondant, buttercreams, & meringue | The syrup at this stage will form a soft, sticky, flexible ball when dropped into cold water. When you remove the ball from the water it will flatten like a pancake after a few seconds. |
To achieve this, you can follow the appearance on the right column. For greater accuracy, you can utilize a candy thermometer. I have done both, but prefer to use the thermometer personally.
Peanut Butter Caramel
Ingredients
- ½ c. butter
- 1 c. brown sugar, packed
- 1 c. half and half
- ½ c. corn syrup
- ¼ c. peanut butter, creamy
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat..
- Add all the remaining ingredients to the melted butter, except for the vanilla extract.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and stir it regularly while it cooks.
- Depending on your desired consistency, continue to boil until the mixture reaches the thread stage (230°F) or soft ball stage (234°F).
- Remove your saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Store any leftover peanut butter caramel in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.