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+ servings
Caramel sauce in a glass.
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5 from 1 vote

Easy Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

This easy homemade caramel sauce is great on my apple sheet cake, my fudgy brownies, or on top of ice cream.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Canadian
Servings: 8
Calories: 233kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the sugar in a medium pan over medium to medium-low heat. It will begin to melt, then clump, and then melt again.
    You can stir it gently or just swirl instead to minimize sugar crystals from forming on the sides of the pan and causing a grainy sauce.
  • Cook the sugar until amber in color, making sure not to burn it.
  • Add the butter, stirring to combine, being careful as it will bubble up and splatter. (The sugar is hot and can cause serious burns, so be extra careful!)
  • Do the same with the cream. (If the caramel seems like it separated at this point, just keep heating and stirring and it will come back together.)
    Boil for one minute, then remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
  • Add the vanilla extract and ½ - 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
    Optionally, use can use Fleur de Sel as garnish on your dessert instead of stirring salt in or omit all salt completely.

Video

Notes

Tips
  • be prepared: have everything measured before you even begin the recipe. Caramel sauce cooks quickly.
  • use a heavy bottomed pan: a heavy bottomed pan as opposed to one with a thin bottom will cook the caramel more evenly, eliminating hot spots where the sugar can burn.
  • be careful: be careful when adding the butter and cream, the hot caramel can bubble up. Cooking sugar should be done carefully, hot sugar can cause severe burns.
  • cool it: let the caramel cool for a few minutes before adding the salt to prevent it from crystallizing.
  • to stir or not to stir: many recipes recommend swirling the pan instead of stirring, to eliminate sugar from crystallizing on the side of the pan. I usually stir mine and it turns out fine.
If you've followed the instructions and tips and still ended up with a gritty caramel sauce, here is how to fix it.
  • Simply reheat it. Add a few tablespoons of water or cream and heat while whisking the caramel to fully dissolve the sugar in the added liquid.
Storage
Store homemade caramel sauce in a container with a lid in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
Refrigerated caramel sauce thickens a lot. Reheat a portion in the microwave to make it easy to pour.
Freeze caramel sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow the caramel to thaw in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Sugar: 27g | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.03mg