Chewy Caramels, Carambar Style

I love caramel in all its forms: melting, runny, slightly crunchy, and of course the famous salted butter caramel, which I like to rework without butter in a fully plant-based version. But this time I wanted to go a little further and recover a very particular flavor: that of the famous Carambar, France’s chewy caramel candy.

You know the one, that unmistakable taste halfway between caramel and chocolate that takes us straight back to childhood candy. The treat you took pleasure in unwrapping, in savoring slowly… and whose famous jokes we all knew by heart.

With this recipe I wanted to find that very simple pleasure again, but also to set myself a new challenge: recreating these little sweets in a fully plant-based, gluten-free version, without losing any of their charm.

And I am particularly happy to be able to share the result with you today.

Because behind a caramel that looks so simple lies real precision work. Cooking the sugar, balancing the ingredients, the final texture… every part matters in getting a sweet that holds together while keeping that tender, melting quality we love so much.

It is a somewhat technical recipe, I will not hide that from you, but it is entirely doable at home if you take your time and follow the stages properly.

You will need to pay attention to the cooling in particular. Once the caramels are poured into their molds, it is important to let them set long enough in the refrigerator and to keep them chilled, since they can soften and lose their shape in the heat.

But what a pleasure, once they are ready, to eat these homemade little marvels.

Personally I could nibble on them all day long, I love that caramel flavor so much — sweet, generous and so comforting. There is something deeply satisfying about these small confections, something that takes us back to simple pleasures, to those moments when one small sweet was enough to make us happy.

And I also love the idea of making them to give away, arranging them in a nice box or simply sharing them over coffee, with family or friends. These small edible kindnesses often make the finest memories.

A word of caution, though: if you make this recipe with children, be particularly careful. Cooking caramel reaches very high temperatures and can cause serious burns. I would keep the preparation and the hot handling to adults. Younger ones can join in on the safe steps, once the caramels have cooled completely.

I truly hope you take as much pleasure in making this recipe as I took in working it out.

And above all, I hope that at the first bite you find that very particular Carambar taste, the one that makes you smile and takes you back, for a moment, to childhood.

So enjoy them, share them with the people you love, young and old, and make the most of these small moments of happiness. Because after all, that is pastry too: the pleasure of giving pleasure.