What ingredient helps to give caramel its chewy texture?

The ingredient that helps to give caramel its chewy texture is heavy cream. When making caramel, heavy cream is often combined with sugar and other ingredients, and as it heats, it contributes fat and moisture to the mixture. The fat in heavy cream plays a crucial role in shaping the final texture of the caramel. It provides richness and helps to create a smooth, pliable consistency that can be chewy when cooled.

In contrast, while butter also contributes fat, it typically doesn’t provide the same level of creaminess that heavy cream does. Sugar syrup can assist in achieving the right consistency while cooking, but it does not inherently add the chewiness that heavy cream offers. Milk powder, although it can enhance richness, primarily contributes to flavor and does not play a significant role in developing the chewy texture associated with caramel.