You'll be tickled by how easy it is to make your own homemade Caramel Sauce, and blown away by how delicious it is. I've been making caramel sauce from scratch for over 20 years and it's always better than store-bought. With this foolproof caramel recipe and 5 simple ingredients, I'll show you how to make salted caramel in less than 30 minutes.
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Why You'll Make Homemade Caramel Sauce Again and Again
I was nervous the first time I made caramel, after all, I was dealing with hot sugar. But after the first time, I was hooked on how delicious and how easy it was. Homemade caramel is better than store-bought caramel sauce and believe it or not, it's less sweet.
This recipe uses the 'wet method' for making caramel, where the sugar is dissolved in water before being cooked. This differs from the 'dry method', which involves cooking sugar directly without any added liquid. Dissolving the sugar in water first, creates a more controlled and forgiving cooking process, resulting in a beautifully smooth and glossy caramel. The dry method is equally delicious, but if you haven't made caramel before the wet method is the best for beginners.
I cook the caramel to 340°F (170°C) which gives it a deep rich flavor similar to toffee or butterscotch. The hint of bittersweet balances the sweetness. The flavor is so perfect I eat it by the spoonful and I bet you will too. It's that good!
Homemade caramel is great when you want to add something extra special to a dessert or sweet treat. Use it as a topping for ice cream or pie, like my Apple Caramel Crumble Pie or Apple Bread Pudding.
Tips for Successfully Making Caramel
- Don't multitask while making it. Keep a close eye on your caramel as it cooks to prevent burning. Once you make it a few times, you'll learn to recognize the perfect color, and soon you'll be a caramel-making pro.
- Prep your ingredients. Measure and prep all your ingredients before you start making the caramel. Rushing to measure ingredients while the caramel is cooking could result in mistakes and burnt caramel.
- Use a good-quality pan. A heavy-bottomed saucepan ensures even heat distribution and prevents uneven cooking and accidentally burning the caramel. I recommend brands like All-Clad and Made In. Their pans are expensive, but they're well made and you'll have them for years.
- Use a light-colored pan. A light pan helps you see the color of the caramel as it cooks, which is crucial for getting the perfect amber hue. You may be tempted to use a non-stick pan, but the dark interior makes it hard (almost impossible) to see the color of the sugar syrup.
- Don't stir constantly. Too much stirring can cause the sugar to crystallize. Gently stir the sugar and water together at the beginning to help the sugar melt. Once the mixture starts bubbling, resist the urge to stir and let the caramel work its magic as it cooks.
Salted Caramel Sauce Ingredients
With just a few ingredients in this delicious sauce, make sure you use quality ingredients and take your time.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar is the star of the show! It's cooked until it turns into dark amber, creating that signature caramel flavor.
- Water: Water helps the sugar dissolve evenly once the sugar-syrup starts heating up.
- Heavy Cream: The cream transforms the caramelized sugar into a luscious, velvety sauce. Don't use whipping cream, it has a lower fat content.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter makes everything better. It adds richness and gives the caramel a creamy texture. Use a butter that tastes good. I recommend Kerrygold and Tillamook butter.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla enhances all the other flavors and gives the caramel that classic, comforting taste we all love.
- Kosher Salt: The salt balances out the sweetness and creates that irresistible sweet and salty combo. If you prefer a less salty caramel add about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt instead of the full teaspoon. Don't use table salt which is saltier than kosher salt.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Caramel Sauce from Scratch
After you make caramel sauce for the first time, you'll be amazed at how easy it is to make and how delicious it is. Seriously it's so good, that I can eat it all by itself.
Step 1: Combine the sugar and water in a heavy-duty saucepan
Step 2: Bring the mixture to a boil and cook the sugar syrup undisturbed as it changes color.
Step 3: Cook the sugar syrup to a dark amber and 340 degrees F.
Step 4: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the heavy cream.
Step 5: Whisk in the butter one piece at a time.
Step 6: Let the caramel sauce cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the vanilla extract and the kosher salt.
How to Store Salted Caramel
After the caramel cools down, pour it into a heatproof glass jar or container. Don't use plastic. Cover the jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to 1 month. I've stored caramel for longer, but for food safety, a month is a good time.
The caramel solidifies as it cools, but you can reheat it in the microwave until it’s liquid again.
Can You Freeze Caramel
Yes, you can freeze the caramel sauce. Place it in a freezer-safe container. Because caramel expands slightly during freezing, be sure to leave at least an inch of space between the caramel and the lid of the container. Freeze it for up to 3 months.
Thaw the caramel in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm it up in the microwave before using.
If you make this yummy caramel sauce please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 m water
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Remove the butter from the refrigerator and cut in into 4 pieces. Let the butter come to room temperature (65°F) before you start making the caramel. Make sure you have an instant-read thermometer or a candy thermometer on hand to take the temperature of the caramel.
- Prepare the Heavy Cream: Right before you start making the caramel, pour the cream into a measuring cup and heat for about 45 seconds in the microwave, or until it reaches 100°F. You don’t want to add cold cream to the caramel.
- Combine sugar and water: In the saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water. Place the saucepan over high heat. As the mixture heats up gently and slowly stir the water and sugar together to help dissolve the sugar. Only stir a few times. Avoid splashing the mixture to avoid crystallization against the sides of the pan.
- Cook the sugar syrup: Bring sugar syrup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook the caramel until it turns a dark amber color and reaches the temperature of 340°F (hard crack stage). As the sugar syrup darkens gently swirl the pan to even the cooking if the sugar syrup is noticeably darker in one area. It will take about 10-15 minutes to reach this stage.
- Whisk in the cream: Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream and then whisk to incorporate the cream. The mixture will bubble up, but keep whisking until subsides. Return the pan to low heat and continue whisking making sure to scrap the bottom to ensure all the caramel is melted and smooth. Continue to whisk until the caramel reaches the temperature of 230°F.
- Carefully add butter: Remove the pan from the heat. Slowly whisk in the butter, one piece at a time until fully incorporated.
- Stir in vanilla and salt: Let the caramel cool for 5 minutes, then slowly whisk in the vanilla extract and kosher salt.
- Cool and store: Pour the caramel sauce into a heatproof jar or container with a lid. Let it cool completely at room temperature. The caramel will thicken as it cools. Cover the jar with the lid and store the caramel in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. It may actually last longer.
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