Have you ever made your own caramel sauce? It is one of those items that is fairly simple to make and tastes OH so much better fresh, however most people still tend to buy it at the store.
I am a firm believer that everything tastes better with caramel. And even better with salted caramel! Full disclosure: my husband thinks I use wayyyy to much salt. I think I use just enough.
Why You’ll Love this Caramel Sauce
Think beyond caramel apples- this easy caramel recipe can be used on almost anything you can think of!
- Great gift idea – There’s nothing I love more than a homemade gift. Add this salted caramel recipe to a mason jar with a cute tag and boom, a great gift!
- No high fructose corn syrup – I love making homemade caramel sauce because I know exactly what goes into it. It’s only 5 ingredients and one of them is a high quality flakey salt.
- Tastes good on everything – I mean, let’s be real! Is there any dessert that wouldn’t taste better with a little caramel on it? I might put some on my Cheerios.
Ingredients
You can easily find these simple ingredients at your local grocery store if you don’t already have them on hand.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar dissolves quickly so it’s the best choice for this recipe.
- Water – This will help give the sauce its viscosity.
- Heavy cream – Don’t skimp on the cream and use half and half or a light cream. Caramel relies on a heavy whipping cream for its texture and flavor.
- Unsalted butter – Since you’ll be adding salt, make sure to use the unsalted variety.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla will give this the purest of caramel flavor but if you want to experiment with other extracts you can.
- Fleur de sel – While we give a measurement, the amount of salt you choose to use is up to you. Our only recommendation is to not use too much salt or regular table salt. A delicate flaky sea salt is best.
Variations
There are plenty of ways for you to make this salted caramel sauce your own.
- Heat – If you want to make a spicy sweet sauce add a touch of cayenne pepper or Old Bay.
- Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar, but expect a different color and flavor.
- Extracts – If you want to add another dimension, try other extracts instead of (fully or partially) vanilla. Consider almond for its nuttiness.
- Salts – While we prefer fleur de sel, you can also use Kosher salt, pink Himalayan salt, or whichever type of salt you prefer.
How to Make Caramel Sauce
You are going to love how easy it is to make homemade caramel sauce.
- Boil sugar and water. In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and water over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, swirling the sauce pan gently, but not stirring.
- Allow to reach a deep caramel color. Simmer until the mixture is syrupy and a deep caramel color, but make sure sugar crystallization doesn’t occur.
- Remove from heat and add butter and cream. Remove mixture from heat and whisk in butter and cream, being mindful that the mixture will spit and sizzle, so be careful.
- Whisk vigorously until it reaches a smooth, sticky consistency with no bubbles. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon and be deep amber color.
- Add vanilla and salt. Whisk in vanilla and fleur de sel. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
How to Use Caramel Sauce
Use this easy caramel sauce on all of your favorite recipes.
- Ice cream sundaes – You can spoon this over regular vanilla ice cream or you can dress up banana splits.
- Pudding – Add a drizzle of caramel over any flavor pudding you may prefer, including a nice warm rice pudding.
- Cakes – Whether it’s a rich chocolate cake, slice of cheesecake or a dense vanilla pound cake, this homemade caramel sauce adds tons of flavor.
- Fruit – This sauce is great for dipping things like apples, or drizzling over berries and bananas.
- Pies – Apple pie is a no-brainer for caramel sauce, but this is delicious on nearly any pie or tart.
- Milkshake – Pour some of this into a delicious milkshake or smoothie for some extra salty sweetness.
- Cinnamon rolls – Breakfast is made better with cinnamon rolls treated to a topping of this sauce.
- Cookies – Gently drizzle (or wholeheartedly dollop) a bit of this sauce to make any cookie sweeter and more delicious.
- Frosting – Add this sauce to a basic vanilla buttercream recipe for a salted caramel frosting that’s simply amazing.
Storage and Freezing
How to Store Caramel Sauce
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in a glass jar or other airtight container for about one week.
Can I Freeze Caramel Sauce?
Freezing is not recommended. It will not thaw to the same consistency. However, if you do, make sure to freeze it in a container that is NOT glass.
Frequently Asked Questions
You might be able to find some gluten free caramel sauces that are made with non-dairy cream alternatives, but this is not one of them. This recipe will not work with almond milk or other nut or plant based milks.
I am sure there is a recipe out there somewhere, but this recipe uses cream, as do most caramel sauce recipes. Some do use evaporated milk. I have not experimented with this recipe using evaporated milk.
Chances are you didn’t let the sugar fully dissolve in the first step. You can simmer on low, but sometimes this mistake is irreversible.
Have patience, it will. And when it does start to turn a fabulous amber hue, it will happen fast, so keep an eye on it!
Use Caramel Sauce on These Recipes
Who are we kidding, we love caramel so much, we’d put it on our Cheerios! But here are a few suggested uses.
How to Make Caramel Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2-1 teaspoon fleur de sel*
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring to a very low boil, swirling the saucepan gently, but not stirring. Simmer until the mixture is syrupy and a deep caramel color, about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the butter and cream, being mindful that the mixture will spit and sizzle, so be careful. Whisky vigorously until it reaches a smooth, sticky consistency. Finally, whisk in the vanilla and fleur de sel. Set aside to cool.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you use white sugar or brown sugar?
White but you can also use brown if you love the flavor of molasses.
used this for ice cream- it was really good! I’ll make it again.
This was perfect to top my Caramel Apple Crumb Cupcakes. Great instructions.
I was nervous about trying to make caramel icing. However, this recipe was easy to understand and fix. I followed it to a Tee, and it came out perfectly. I have added the recipe to my cookbook. Thank you for sharing and making the directions easy to follow.
Thanks for coming back to let us know! Happy holidays!
This sounds great! I can’t see the amount of salt you use. Would you mind letting me know?
Hi Rachel! It is 1/2- 1 teaspoon, I’ll update the recipe, not sure how it disappeared.
Thanks so much!