Cut sweetness of caramel

[sconner]

I have been experimenting with my caramel recipe and different flavors.  The two that I have been told are too sweet are the ones that I subbed 30% of the white sugar for brown sugar.  I was trying to enhance the maple syrup (subbed 25% of corn syrup for maple) in one and the molasses (subbed 25% of corn syrup for molasses) in the other.  I thought that brown sugar was less sweet?  I am not sure that I want to reduce the amounts of sugar ... how can I try cut some of the sweetness?  I am a just a mom playing with a recipe trying to create variations with a more or less set base recipe.  I am open to suggestions!

[pastrygirl]

add salt

 

[curls]

Tart fruit caramels... lemon, yuzu, passionfruit, etc.

[Pastrypastmidnight]

I second the salt suggestion—or cook your sugar darker. 

[KennethT]

Sub some of the sugar with isomalt

[jmacnaughtan]

Caramel is always going to be pretty sweet, that's just how it is.

 

I'd avoid using brown sugar, molasses or maple syrup, though - it makes it impossible to judge the colour. The darker the colour, the less sweet it is.

 

And yeah, always add some salt.