Brown Sugar Jasmine Tea Caramels Recipe (2024)

By Mary | 9 Comments

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Brown Sugar Jasmine Tea Caramels Recipe (1)

We are officially in VIETNAM! Woohoo!! If you missed my last post on the how, what, when, where, why — check it out here. One thing I didn't cover was the content for my food posts: I'll likely still be talking about day-to-day stuff, like I did in Bozeman, but now my daily life is traveling! I'll save the nitty-gritty travel details for travel-specific posts.

Brown Sugar Jasmine Tea Caramels Recipe (2)

So far we've been exploring Hanoi, mostly by foot, and adjusting to our new "lifestyle" as nomads. Of course we're making a point of eating delicious, local, Vietnamese food. It's incredibly easy to find a little hole-in-the-wall joint, bursting with locals. We just sit down and a bowl of steamy noodles (or whatever the specialty of that particular spot is) appears in front of us! We look entirely silly sitting on tiny little baby stools, but we make it work! My favorite so far was our lunch yesterday — bun bo nam bo: a big pile of rice noodles with beef, herbs, and a little bit of broth (not enough to make it soup, like pho!).

Brown Sugar Jasmine Tea Caramels Recipe (3)

I thought I'd share these caramels today because it seems fitting — we're drinking a lot of tea! I'm not sure exactly what type of tea we're being served most of the time, but it smells and tastes exactly like the temples smell. If you've ever been to a temple, you know what I'm talking about! It's unmistakable! It's delicious!

Brown Sugar Jasmine Tea Caramels Recipe (4)

I made these caramels before we left Bozeman in an attempt to use up some of our remaining food, including tea and brown sugar! I love jasmine tea, and thought it would be perfect in a soft pillow of caramel. I was right! I was really nervous that the flavor of the tea wouldn't actually come through, but was pleasantly surprised to find a strong, but not overpowering, jasmine undertone to the caramels. I'm particularly fond of brown sugar caramels because my mom used to make them all the time, and they're so soft and delicious! I adapted this recipe from her "Christmas Cookbook" which includes a variety of recipes she makes during the holidays. They're some of my favorites!

Brown Sugar Jasmine Tea Caramels Recipe (5)

For the jasmine in this recipe, I suggest seeking out a high quality jasmine tea. It will make a big difference in your final product! If you have loose tea, use that, but if you only have tea bags you can cut them open (you'll need a few of them) and then have loose tea. Take care not to over-brew the tea, either! You don't want bitter caramels!

Brown Sugar Jasmine Tea Caramels Recipe (6)

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Brown Sugar Jasmine Tea Caramels Recipe (7)

Brown Sugar Jasmine Tea Caramels

  • Author: by Mary
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 20-30 caramels 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

UnitsScale

  • 1 cup half & half
  • 2 Tbsp loose Jasmine tea (highest quality you can find)
  • ¼ cup butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • dash of salt

Instructions

  1. Butter an 8x8 inch pan, line with buttered parchment paper, and set aside.
  2. Heat the half & half until near boiling, then submerge the tea and let steep for 2-3 minutes. Remove the tea, and set the half & half aside.
  3. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a large, heavy saucepan. Melt while whisking.
  4. Once melted, add the corn syrup, salt, and jasmine-infused half & half. Whisk to combine, then bring to a simmer (and stop whisking) and cook until a candy thermometer reads 244 F.
  5. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and pour into the prepared pan.
  6. Once cooled, cut into small squares and wrap in wax paper.

« Upcoming Changes to TKP: Our Year Abroad!

Hanoi: Welcome to Vietnam! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Matt Robinson says

    I seriously want to eat every one of those. Love that you put jasmine tea in there! On another note, nothing like authentic Vietnamese food huh? It's the best! Naomi is vietnamese and she takes me to Little Saigon here in SoCal all the time and we go crazy over the food.

    Reply

  2. Graham @ Glazed & Confused says

    Jasmine Tea + caramel seems like such a great combination that I would have never thought of.
    These look so luscious and absolutely divine!

    Pinning these for later!

    Reply

    • Mary says

      Thanks, Graham! I really enjoyed the combo — it was a new one for me, too!

      Reply

  3. Roxanna says

    Instead of using Half & half, would it be possible to use the tick part of a tin of coconut cream?

    Reply

    • Mary says

      Hi Roxanna —I would use the whole can!! Coconut cream is a great substitute.

      Reply

  4. Robin Johnson says

    Did you use jasmine green tea or black tea with jasmine flowers?

    Reply

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Brown Sugar Jasmine Tea Caramels Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is brown sugar good with jasmine tea? ›

Sweetener: I love the flavor combination of jasmine green milk tea and cardamom syrup, but maple syrup, brown sugar syrup, agave, coconut nectar, or plain simple syrup all work well too. Oat milk: The creamy consistency of oat milk accentuates the sweet, floral notes of jasmine tea incredibly well.

What is the best sweetener for jasmine tea? ›

A lot of iced tea recipes will have you make your own simple syrup, as it's easer to mix a liquid sweetener into tea. But I find that agave is a great ready-to-use option and it doesn't compete with the delicate flavor of the Jasmine Tea.

How long to infuse jasmine tea? ›

Jasmine scented tea should steep for 2 to 4 minutes depending on desired strength. If you find that your jasmine tea is too bitter, try using fewer leaves or brewing for a shorter amount of time. We recommend steeping for 2 minutes initially and testing the flavor every 30 seconds to suit your taste preferences.

What can you do with jasmine tea? ›

Jasmine tea is also a popular ingredient in milk tea and boba. To prepare jasmine milk tea, prepare your base tea using the instructions above, infusing your tea leaves until the tea is steeped. To enjoy your milk tea hot, add milk and sweetener right away for a sweet and milky treat.

Does jasmine tea raise blood sugar? ›

Jasmine tea made from green tea may lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. It contains the compound EGCG, which may help your body use insulin more effectively and reduce blood sugar levels ( 28 ).

Is jasmine tea OK for diabetics? ›

For those at risk of type 2 diabetes or already trying to manage the health condition, a cup of jasmine tea can be worth its weight in gold thanks to those green tea leaves too. Jasmine tea that uses green tea as its base will bring a burst of health benefits to those with diabetes.

Is jasmine tea good for kidneys? ›

While there is limited scientific research on the specific benefits of jasmine tea for the kidneys, some studies suggest that green tea, which is the base of jasmine tea, may have potential benefits for kidney health.

Which is healthier green tea or jasmine tea? ›

Health benefits of jasmine tea vs green tea

Jasmine tea is usually made using green tea as the base tea; therefore, jasmine tea and green tea tend to have very similar health benefits. Both are packed with antioxidants that can lower the risk of cancer, boost your immune system, and promote skin and hair health.

Is jasmine tea as healthy as green tea? ›

Since jasmine tea is not much different from green tea, except the scent added to it, the benefits are pretty much the same. Jasmine tea adds the aspect of relieving stress but if jasmine scent is added to a caffeinated tea, it won't be of much use.

Can you oversteep jasmine tea? ›

Over-steeping will simply cause your tea to taste bitter or astringent, whereas additional leaf may create an overly strong concentrate. More information about brewing iced tea here.

Why does my jasmine tea taste bitter? ›

Jasmine tea usually has a sweet flavor and aroma. But using boiling water can make the flavor bitter. Brewing it for more than 3 minutes will also lead to a bitter tea taste.

What happens if you infuse tea for too long? ›

Different types of tea require various steeping times and temperatures of water to extract optimal flavor from the leaves. Tea steeped for too short a time might end up weak and watery, while more delicate teas can become bitter if they're steeped for too long.

Is it OK to drink jasmine tea everyday? ›

Jasmine tea and other green teas are safe for most people to drink in amounts up to 8 cups a day. However, there are still some possible risks. Green tea contains oxalates, compounds found in many plants.

Is it OK to eat jasmine tea leaves? ›

Yes, jasmine flowers and teas can be consumed safely for most people. Jasmine tea is a popular beverage made by infusing green or black tea leaves with jasmine flowers. Jasmine tea has a delicate floral aroma and flavor and is enjoyed by many people around the world.

Is jasmine tea good for anxiety? ›

Jasmine green tea can help soothe stress in more ways than one. Sipping on the tea will give you a dose of l-theanine, a compound known to lower levels of the stress-inducing hormone cortisol. “L-theanine is able to pass through the blood-brain barrier, exerting its relaxing effects,” explains Shapiro.

What tastes good with jasmine tea? ›

Berries and citrus fruits. Vegetal with a hint of sweetness, jasmine tea pairs well with berries and citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit. These fruits are known to relieve stress and help boost your mood so they're a perfect pairing to amplify the health benefits of jasmine tea.

What tea goes well with brown sugar? ›

A stronger black tea, such as Assam or Darjeeling, will stand up to the caramel flavor the best. But you'll need to experiment and determine whether you like brown sugar in black tea and how much to add to make drinking it more pleasurable.

Can I use brown sugar with tea? ›

Sugar: Traditional sweetener for classic Southern iced tea.

Brown sugars might be too overpowering for delicate green iced tea, but they're great with strong, spicy black tea recipes. You can also enjoy sugar in fun forms, like cubes, rock crystals and even swizzle sticks coated in crystallized sugar.

Is brown sugar good for making tea? ›

Yes, not only does brown sugar sweeten your tea with a molasses flavor, it also gives you more minerals, like calcium, potassium and iron. Brown Sugar is made by adding the molasses back to regular white sugar, which makes it much more moist and prone to clumping than white sugar.

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