Salted Caramel Sauce is the perfect sweet, gooey topping for all your favorite fall and holiday desserts! It’s super easy to make with just 4 basic ingredients.
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I love having a jar of homemade salted caramel sauce in the fridge! It lasts for a month, it’s easy to make and is the best finishing touch for so many desserts.
Once you see how easy salted caramel sauce is, you’ll want to make it all the time. I originally created this recipe to top my caramel apple pie bars.
It’s also delicious drizzled over my apple pie crumble cheesecake and apple spice cookies or just eaten by the spoonful!
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Simple: You only need 4 ingredients and 15 minutes to make it! You don’t need any special tools.
- Decadent and versatile: Salted caramel sauce elevates desserts. It’s good drizzled on everything from ice cream, brownies, and cheesecake. I also love it on treats like these date and orange scones and my banana ricotta bread!
- Flavorful: Homemade caramel sauce is fresher and more flavorful than store bought.
- Everyone loves it: I love having homemade caramel sauce in the fridge to serve with desserts. It lasts in the fridge for a whole month! It also makes a great gift!
Ingredients
- Granulated sugar: Use white granulated sugar.
- Butter: I prefer unsalted butter because it allows me to control how much salt to add. Use really good butter for the best flavor. You can also use unsalted butter to make this buttery caramel popcorn recipe!
- Heavy cream: Room temperature heavy cream works best. You can also use whipping cream, light whipping cream, or double cream. Do not use milk, it is not thick enough.
- Salt: Kosher salt or table salt. We’re adding the salt at the end. Use as much or as little as you like. I recommend starting with 3/4 teaspoon then adjust to taste.
Substitutions & Variations
- Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract when adding the salt.
- Use flaky sea salt in place of kosher or table salt.
- Swap in salted butter in place of unsalted butter! Leave out the extra salt in the recipe if using salted butter.
Step 1: (See photo 1 above). Add the sugar to a medium heavy bottomed stainless steel saucpan with high sides. Stir sugar constantly over medium heat with a wooden spoon or heat resistant silicone spatula. Not much will happen for the first few minutes, but keep stirring.
Step 2: (See photo 2 above). After a few minutes, the sugar will start to clump up.
Step 3: (See photo 3 above). Next, it will melt into a coppery, amber colored liquid. Continue stirring until sugar has completely melted.
Step 4: (See photo 4 above). If there are any chunks of sugar left, keep stirring til it’s completely melted. Be careful not to burn the sugar.
Step 5: (See photo 5 above). Once the sugar has melted completely, reduce heat slightly. Immediately whisk or stir in the butter until it’s completely melted.
Step 6: (See photo 6 above). If the butter seperates from the sugar, remove pan from heat and whisk for a minute or two until the butter and sugar are combined.
Step 7: (See photo 7 above). Remove pan from heat. Whisk constantly while you slowly pour in the heavy cream. The caramel will bubble up when you add the cream, this is normal. After the cream has been added, stop stirring and place the pan back on the heat. Allow caramel to boil for 1 minute without stirring.
Step 8: (See photo 8 above). Remove from heat. Stir in the salt, to taste. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before using. Caramel will thicken as it cools.
Expert Tips
Read the directions and look at the step by step photos before starting. Caramel sauce is easy, but you can’t hit pause once you start making it. If you stop to measure or get ingredients, the caramel could burn.
Measure out all your ingredients before starting the recipe. Have all your ingredients and equipment next to the stove before starting.
I don’t recommend doubling this recipe. The extra sugar when doubling could affect how the sugar melts. Also, the caramel bubbles up when adding the cream. It’s best to make batches one at a time.
Homemade salted caramel sauce makes an excellent gift! Pour it in mason jars and give as a hostess gift!
Recipe FAQs
I don’t recommend doubling this recipe. It’s best to make individual batches one at a time if you want more than one batch.
Store cooled caramel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month. Warm the caramel in the microwave for a few seconds to make it pourable. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge then warm before using.
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Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar pure cane
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) heavy cream room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) salt add up to 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- Measure out the butter, heavy cream and salt. Allow to come to room temperature. Place them next to the stove. Take out a wooden spoon, high heat resistant silicone spatula and a whisk.
- Add the sugar to a medium heavy bottomed stainless steel saucpan with high sides. Stir sugar constantly over medium heat with a wooden spoon or heat resistant silicone spatula. Not much will happen for the first few minutes, but keep stirring.
- After a few minutes, the sugar will start to clump up and then will melt into a coppery, amber colored liquid. Continue stirring until sugar has completely melted.
- Once the sugar has melted completely, lower heat slightly and immediately whisk or stir in the butter until it's completely melted. If the butter seperates from the sugar, remove pan from heat and whisk for a minute or two until the butter and sugar are combined.
- With the pan off the heat, slowly whisk in the heavy cream. The caramel will bubble up when you add the cream, this is normal. After all the heavy cream has been added, stop stirring. Place the pan back on the heat and allow caramel to boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the salt, to taste. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before using. Caramel will thicken as it cools.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
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