Making homemade caramel sauce uses 4 ingredients you probably already have on hand and takes no more than 10 minutes. This simple and easy recipe will have you drizzling caramel on anything from breakfast pancakes, pound cake, to vanilla ice cream.
Did you know that you can make caramel sauce in minutes? It's true. Most people just presume it's either difficult or time-consuming.
Recently, we visited some friends, and guess what? There was no dessert other than vanilla ice cream in the fridge. I offered to make a quick caramel sauce to accompany it. And everybody was surprised how quick it was.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Sugar - Caramel is made with white sugar - regular white sugar. Butterscotch is made with brown sugar and has a slightly different process. So, if you want to use brown sugar use my recipe for a butterscotch sauce.
- Butter - It's best to use butter, not margarine, in this recipe as margarine has a high water content, which makes a runny consistency of caramel.
- Corn syrup - This is an invert sugar and helps prevent crystalization when the caramel cools down. If you dont' have the corn syrup, a tsp of lemon juice or ½ tsp cream of tartar works just as well.
- Extract - I always add vanilla bean paste but vanilla extract works just as well
- Salt - It's optional but I do believe it really helps bring out the flavor by cutting down on the sweetness.
Caramel is working with hot sugar so you have to be extra careful
- No kids around.
- And no answering phone calls.
- Also, no putting your face too close to check the sugar as there will be hot steam.
- Wear gloves in case of spills and rips.
- Use heat-resistant silicone or wooden spoons that have not been used for grease.
- Have all your ingredients ready as the process is quite quick.
- Always use a heavy-bottom and deep saucepan as the mixture will rise when you add the butter and cream. The heavy-bottom encourages even distribution of heat.
Video and step by step instructions (pin)
- In a heavy-bottom deep saucepan, add the sugar, water, and corn syrup.
Tip - corn syrup prevent crystalization, you can also use 1 tsp lemon juice - With the heat on medium bring the sugar to a boil. Shake the pan slowly guiding the distribution of heat. DO NOT STIR
Tip - we avoid stirring to prevent crystalization of sugar. - The sugar will melt with big bubbles on the top. Continue to heat shaking the pan to encourage even coloring and prevent the sugar from burning.
- As the bubbles get smaller the color of the sugar starts to turn amber.
Tip- it is important to keep the heat to medium or medium-low to prevent burning. We want a caramelized sugar, not burnt sugar.
- The sugar should now be a deep amber color. Add the butter followed by the cream. Take it off the heat so it does not over-flow or overheats in the pan
Tip - the caramel will rise at this point, that's normal hence the deep saucepan. - Add the vanilla extract and salt.
Tip - for salted caramel, you can add more salt over the cooled sauce later. - Cool for a few minutes in the pan then pours into a mason jar or storage bowl.
Tip- caramel is very hot so it's best not to pour it immediately into glass storage to prevent cracking. - The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Consistency
The consistency at which you remove the caramel sauce from the heat depends on what you want to use it for. An important thing to remember is the sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Pouring sauce - If you want to drizzle the sauce over desserts, such as pies and ice creams, it's best to take it off the heat about a minute after you add the cream similar to what I did in the video
- As an ingredient - If you need to use it as one of the ingredients - like buttercream or tart filling - it's best to have it a bit thicker. I cook it for about 2 minutes more after adding the cream.
- Toffee consistency - If you cook the sauce for a good 5 to 6 minutes after adding the cream - the sauce will be thicker and more intense. Then, pour it into a lined and greased baking tray. And when almost cool - cut into square or roll into balls.
Frequently asked questions
The caramel sauce will keep in the fridge in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks. It can stay at room temperature for about a week but it does increase the shelflife up to 2 weeks if kept in the fridge.
Absolutely. There are many ways to flavor caramel. You can add
1 tbsp of rum or bourbon to make caramel rum sauce.
1 tsp combined of cinnamon, nutmeg, or ground ginger for a spiced caramel in fall.
Add 1 tbsp rock salt for salted caramel flavor.
3 oz of melted dark chocolate for chocolate caramel sauce
4 tbsp brewed espresso to make an espresso caramel sauce
Butterscotch is made with brown sugar and it uses a slightly different process. So, if you want to use brown sugar use my recipe for butterscotch sauce
Yes, you can. However, I do make a creamy, delicious caramel filling made with condensed milk, which I highly recommend as a filling in cakes, pies, and desserts.
What else can I use caramel sauce in?
- Caramel Apple Cake
- Caramel Cupcakes with Soft Caramel Centers
- Banana Caramel Cake
- Caramel Banana Ice Cream
- Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- Cinnamon Caramel Apple Tarts
- Homemade Caramel Eggnog
- Moist Coconut Pumpkin Cake with Coconut Cream Caramel Frosting
- White Chocolate Pumpkin Caramel Tarts
- Pumpkin Spice Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Drizzle
- Halva Fruitcake Squares with Caramel
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Description
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
- 3 tbsp Water
- 2 tbsp Corn syrup see substitutes
- 4 tbsp (60 g) Butter
- ½ cup (120 ml) Whipping cream 38% fat or more
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottom deep saucepan, add the sugar, water, and corn syrup.Tip - corn syrup prevent crystalization, you can also use 1 tsp lemon juice
- With the heat on medium bring the sugar to a boil. Shake the pan slowly guiding the distribution of heat. DO NOT STIRTip - we avoid stirring to prevent crystalization of sugar.
- The sugar will melt with big bubbles on the top. Continue to heat shaking the pan to encourage even coloring and prevent the sugar from burning.
- As the bubbles get smaller the color of the sugar starts to turn amber. Tip- it is important to keep the heat to medium or medium-low to prevent burning. We want a caramelized sugar, not burnt sugar.
- The sugar should now be a deep amber color. Add the butter followed by the cream. Take it off the heat so it does not over-flow or overheats in the pan Tip - the caramel will rise at this point, that's normal hence the deep saucepan.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt. Tip - for salted caramel, you can add more salt over the cooled sauce later.
- Cool for a few minutes in the pan then pours into a mason jar or storage bowl.Tip- caramel is very hot so it's best not to pour it immediately into glass storage to prevent cracking.
- The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Recipe Notes
Consistency is Key for Caramel Sauce
The consistency at which you remove the caramel sauce from the heat depends on what you want to use it for. An important thing to remember is the sauce will thicken as it cools.- Pouring sauce - If you want to drizzle the sauce over desserts, such as pies and ice creams, it's best to take it off the heat about a minute after you add the cream similar to what I did in the video
- As an ingredient - If you need to use it as one of the ingredients - like buttercream or tart filling - it's best to have it a bit thicker. I cook it for about 2 minutes more after adding the cream.
- Toffee consistency - If you cook the sauce for a good 5 to 6 minutes after adding the cream - the sauce will be thicker and more intense. Then, pour it into a lined and greased baking tray. And when almost cool - cut into square or roll into balls.
Notes
- Grainy caramel - If the sugar is not dissolved properly the caramel will be grainy. So it's best to keep the heat low and let the sugar dissolved and caramelize slowly. Alternatively, graininess can also happen when undissolved sugar falls back into the syrup while it is boiling. This recipe uses light corn syrup to prevent crystallization.
- Separated caramel - low-fat cream or overheating can cause separation. Take it off the heat and continuously keep stirring until it becomes homogenous again. You can also place it over a bowl of cold water to cool it quickly.
- Runny caramel - high-moisture butter, low-fat cream are usually the culprit. Place it back on the heat and let the liquid evaporate. The sauce will thicken as you heat the mixture. Take note that it will thicken considerably as it cools as well.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
