This caramel sauce recipe is almost sinful.
But I’m posting it anyway. Just because I love you guys.
Now keep in mind, I’m a big believer in the importance of reducing sugar. I used to have a fierce sweet tooth, and have since tamed it considerably.
However.
Sometimes you just gotta splurge. Like this—>
And thick-and-gooey-homemade-salted-caramel made with real butter and cream is the perfect time to do said splurging.
Should you make this homemade caramel sauce recipe everyday. Well, no.
But fall is the perfect time to enjoy this decadent sauce–especially if you need a quick treat to take to those fall parties and festivities. And I’m of the opinion that if you combine this caramel sauce with apples, it officially makes it healthier. Right??
Okay, so I’ll stop leading you astray now.
(And just so you know–I’m totally redneck in my pronunciation of “caramel.” I say ‘CAR-mel’, even though all the fancy foodies on TV pronounce it “car-ah-mel”. I can’t help it.)
Why You’ll Love This Easy Caramel Sauce
Traditional caramel recipes can be a little fussy, but this version is decidedly not. There’s no candy thermometer, no complicated sugar-caramelizing process, and no special equipment.
This homemade caramel sauce recipe:
- Uses just 5 simple ingredients
- Takes about 10 minutes
- Requires no candy thermometer
- Can be made with brown sugar, sucanat, or rapadura
- Works as either regular caramel sauce or salted caramel sauce
- Thickens beautifully as it cools
Ingredients You’ll Need for Homemade Caramel Sauce
Caramel purists may point out that traditional caramel begins with caramelized white sugar. This shortcut version uses brown or unrefined cane sugar for a similar deep, buttery flavor without the finicky caramelization step. I’m all about easy recipes and don’t often feel like hassling with caramelizing sugar (which can be tricky). I promise, no one is going to taste the difference!
Sugar: I originally wrote this recipe using sucanat or rapadura, but normal brown sugar works beautifully too. Sucanat gives the finished sauce a darker color and slightly deeper molasses flavor.
Butter: Use real butter here. Salted or unsalted will both work; just adjust your added salt accordingly.
Heavy cream: This creates the richest, thickest sauce. Half-and-half also works, although the finished caramel will be thinner.
Vanilla: Add it after removing the sauce from the heat for the best flavor.
Salt: A pinch balances the sweetness. For salted caramel sauce, increase it to 1/2–1 teaspoon, according to taste.
Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe
- 3/4 cup sucanat or rapadura or brown sugar *see note below
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (half n’ half will work too)
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract (how to make your own vanilla)
- pinch of sea salt (I use this one)
In a saucepan, melt the butter and sugar over low heat. You’re looking for the sugar to dissolve and the mixture to become smooth.
Pour in the cream and whisk well to incorporate.
Bring to a gentle simmer and continue to stir/cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the caramel sauce is nice and smooth.
Remove from the heat and mix in the vanilla and salt.
Serve warm or cold. It will thicken as it cools. If it becomes too thick, you can gently reheat it before serving. Store in the refrigerator.
Kitchen Notes
- I have made this both with sucanat (aka rapadura– a coarse, dark, unrefined cane sugar) and a lighter organic evaporated cane sugar. You can see the difference in the color above. Both had excellent flavor, with the sucanat sauce being richer, with more of a molasses-taste. If you don’t have these sugars, regular old brown sugar will work in a pinch.
- Want homemade salted caramel sauce instead? Increase the salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon).
- Using half n’ half will result in a slightly thinner, yet still yummy, caramel sauce.
- Your caramel sauce should last in the fridge for several weeks– but I doubt it’ll be around that long…
- Drizzle this caramel sauce over ice cream, pies, or serve as a fruit dip.
- Or swirl it into your coffee.
- Or dunk an apple in it for the ultimate caramel apple treat. You’re welcome.
Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sucanat or rapadura or brown sugar *see note below
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (half n’ half will work too)
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract (how to make your own vanilla)
- pinch of sea salt (I like this one)
Instructions
- In a saucepan, melt the butter and sugar over low heat. You’re looking for the sugar to dissolve and the mixture to become smooth.
- Pour in the cream and whisk well to incorporate.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and continue to stir/cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the caramel sauce is nice and smooth.
- Remove from the heat and mix in the vanilla and salt.
- Serve warm or cold. It will thicken as it cools. If it becomes too thick, you can gently reheat it before serving. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- I have made this both with sucanat (aka rapadura– a coarse, dark, unrefined cane sugar) and a lighter organic evaporated cane sugar. You can see the difference in the color above. Both had excellent flavor, with the sucanat sauce being richer, with more of a molasses-taste. If you don’t have these sugars, regular old brown sugar will work in a pinch.
- Want homemade salted caramel sauce instead? Increase the salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon).
- Using half n’ half will result in a slightly thinner, yet still yummy, caramel sauce.
- Your caramel sauce should last in the fridge for several weeks– but I doubt it’ll be around that long…
- Drizzle this caramel sauce over ice cream, pies, or serve as a fruit dip.
- Or swirl it into your coffee.
- Or dunk an apple in it for the ultimate caramel apple treat. You’re welcome.
Caramel Sauce Recipe Troubleshooting & FAQ’s
Why is my caramel sauce too thin?
Fresh caramel sauce is much thinner while hot. Let it cool first. If it is still too thin after cooling, return it to the saucepan and simmer it for another minute or two.
Why is my caramel sauce too thick?
Gently warm it and whisk in a splash of cream until it reaches the consistency you want.
Why is my caramel sauce grainy?
Usually this means the sugar hasn’t completely dissolved. Keep the heat low at the beginning and allow the butter-and-sugar mixture to become smooth before adding the cream.
Why did my caramel sauce separate?
Uneven temperatures or excessive heat can sometimes cause the butter to separate. Remove it from the heat and whisk vigorously. A small splash of warm cream can also help bring it back together.
Can I make caramel sauce without a candy thermometer?
Yes — this recipe doesn’t require one.
Can I use brown sugar instead of sucanat?
Yes. You can use sucanat or rapadura or brown sugar in this easy caramel sauce recipe.
Can I use half-and-half instead of heavy cream?
Yes, but it will be thinner.
How do I make salted caramel sauce?
Increase salt to roughly 1/2–1 teaspoon.
Does caramel sauce thicken as it cools?
Yes — significantly.
Can I make caramel sauce ahead of time?
Yes; refrigerate and gently reheat.
Ways to Use Homemade Caramel Sauce
Obviously, eating it straight from the spoon is an option. But if you’d like to pretend to be civilized, try it:
- Drizzled over vanilla ice cream (homemade vanilla ice cream, of course, is the best)
- As a caramel dip for sliced apples
- Over apple pie or apple crisp
- Swirled into coffee or homemade lattes
- Spooned over cheesecake
- On pancakes or waffles
- Drizzled over brownies
- Mixed into homemade whipped cream
- Over bread pudding
- Tossed with popcorn for quick caramel popcorn
More Tasty Fall Recipes:
- Honey Maple Pumpkin Bread
- Apple Puff Pancake Recipe
- Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate
- Rustic Pear Tart
- Maple Walnut Blondies with Maple Butter Sauce
- Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
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This looks fab…apples and caramel just go together in the fall. But really, is there anything caramel doesn’t taste fab with? PS I am pinning this for my readers 🙂
Yup– EVERYTHING is better with caramel!!
Jill have you not made Dulce de Leche in your Instant Pot yet? Sooooooooo good!
http://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-dulce-de-leche/
Sounds delish!! And I say “car-mel” too – I think it’s weird to say “car-a-mel”! lol
Your recipe looks amazing, and I love that it uses all “real food” ingredients. I grew up on a small (100 acre) farm just outside of Torrington, WY and I am loving reading your blog. I now live in South Carolina, and to folks here, 100 acres is huge! I live just outside the city limits of a fair sized city, and have 6 backyard hens even though I just have a large lot in a subdivision. I still have family living in various parts of Wyoming, and get back to see them occasionally. I am now retired and will stay here because that is where most of my kids and their families are.
We’re not too far from Torrington– it’s a lovely area!
I say car-mel when it is caramels or caramel apples, but say car-a-mel when it is caramel sauce or salted caramel…don’t ask me why.
Even easier sauce, put a can of (Eagle Brand), Sweetened Condensed milk submerged completely in water into a crock pot of minimum of 3 hours, usually 5, depending on the heat of the crock pot.
remove from water, open, voila, caramel sauce. (dolce de leche)
Cool! I’ve never tried that!
Are you kidding?! I did this years ago and when I opened it up, it sprayed boiling milk on my face. Make sure it cools off first. Even then….the pressure builds up in the can when it’s heated!
Double the caution to cool! My kids loved fall growing up because we’d do this in the crockpot and dip apples after school the next day. Teachers always looked forward to their ‘gifts’ as well lol. Usually coincided with the annual school trip to the apple farm!
I don’t usually do this, but the recipe I found a couple of years ago makes me cry it is so good and is so easy. Please try…MMM will audible pass your lips as the spoon enters your mouth.
http://straightfromthefarm.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/dulce-de-leche/
Yummo!
Sounds delish! Could you can this?
Probably not– dairy products don’t can well unfortunately.
I love me some caramel sauce!! I make an identical recipe except I use coconut sugar. I’ve tried sucanat and of course brown sugar, but coconut sugar is my favorite!! And it doesn’t get too hard in the fridge so it is easy to scoop out. Mmmmm
I assume that coconut cream will work for those of us who can’t have dairy.
Yes– coconut oil should work as a replacement. coconut cream is a bit different though.
Whoa, this looks fantastic! Great post and great site all around! All my clients think I don’t splurge and have sweets but I think I’ll make some of this and show them that I let loose too!
OK so this caramel is the best thing to ever happen in my whole life ….well ok not the best …..giving my life to the Lord ,my husband and kids are thee best but after that its the best !!!!! I have been using it on everything …..I just mixed it up with some fresh popcorn …oh so yummy and this afternoon we had caramel macchiato
Oooooooh…. popcorn……… YUM!
Could this also work using coconut sugar instead of sucanat?
Sure!
I love this recipe! I use unrefined cane sugar and half ‘n’ half. It is the perfect balance of sweet and creamy for coffee. It is now a weekend favorite to add to our special weekend coffee.
Thank you for this recipe! Besides this, you have great ideas! I grew up on a farm, but don’t know a lot, as we always had hired hands. I also say ‘car Mel’ To tell you something funny, one of my cousin’s grandson is Cameron and I never know how to pronounce his name, so I just call him ‘honey’!!!!!!
Anyway, my question is: Can I use full fat canned coconut milk instead of the cream? If you say yes, would it be the cream part or the milk part?
Thank you!
Hey Jeannette,
That just might work! I can’t guarantee the results, but I would definitely give it a try. I would use the coconut milk to replace BOTH the milk and cream. Let me know how it goes.
Do you think one could use honey as the sugar?
Maple syrup works well too, in place of the sugar! And since we make it on our farm, it’s my “go-too” for sweetener.
What, dear Montana princess, do you call the eggs and potatoes recipe featured as the first photo in this here free book of yorn, and what spices y’all use please.
I’m wanting to have a little, all natural, make-your-own candy apple bar at a birthday party, would this work in that way? Like if it was left out at room temperature would it be thick enough to stick to apples without running off, but gooey enough to have topppings stick to it?
Thanks so much! : )
Hi Krystal! I would think this would work for that, but I don’t have personal experience with using this for a candy apple bar 😉 But please check back and let us know how it works if you use this recipe!
I have never heard of sucanat. So I googled it. So if I understand it right this has or keeps more molasses than regular brown sugar? Thank you for the post.