The Best Salted Caramel Sauce โ This homemade salted caramel sauce is creamy, buttery, rich, thick, smooth, and blows away anything youโll ever buy. Best of all, it’s done in 15 minutes!
Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
I love caramel sauce and could literally eat it by the spoonful. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, it’s fast and easy to make.
I’ve tried lots of recipes and methods, and I’ve found this is the best, easiest, least fussy way to make homemade caramel sauce, and it’s ready in 15 minutes. The easy caramel sauce is creamy, buttery, rich, thick, smooth, and blows away anything you’ll ever buy. You’ll never want store-bought again, which is usually thin, runny, and lackluster in flavor.
I love salted caramel and for salty-and-sweet treats, and always add a pinch of salt to my caramel. Even if you don’t want it ‘salty’, a pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness so the homemade caramel sauce doesn’t taste overly sweet.
Salted caramel sauce makes great gifts and keeps for months, but I doubt it will last long enough to give away.
What’s in Salted Caramel Sauce?
To make this homemade caramel sauce, you’ll need:
- Granulated sugar
- Water
- Corn syrup
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
How to Make Caramel Sauce
To make salted caramel sauce, combine sugar and water with a tiny bit of corn syrup (reduces the likely of crystallization) and whisk until smooth. Then just let the mixture boil away until it turns caramel-colored.
Depending on what size pot you use and the conductivity, the boiling time could range from about 5 minutes on the low end to about 10 to 12 minutes on the high end. I have an electric stove, and because I always use a pot much larger than I ‘need’ as insurance against bubble-overs, boiling usually takes about 10 minutes.
The final stage where the sauce turns from pale amber to that perfect shade of caramel can go quickly, in less than 30 seconds, so keep a watchful eye and don’t let it burn. Super stinky and you’ll have to start over.
Then just whisk in the cream, vanilla, and salt, and dig in!
Can I Make Caramel Sauce Dairy-Free?
Having never made dairy-free salted caramel sauce, I can’t say for sure if a non-dairy alternative will work in place of the heavy cream. If you find a method that works for you, please leave me a comment so I can try it for myself!
What Type of Salt Should I Use?
I used regular table salt, but you can also use kosher or sea salt. Just note that salt with larger flakes tastes less salty than table salt, so you may have to play around with the amount you add in.
How to Store Homemade Caramel Sauce
You can keep this salted caramel sauce at room temperature for up to a month. If you’re planning on giving it away as gifts, use your best judgement when figuring out how far in advance to make the sauce.
Tips for Making Salted Caramel Sauce
The tiny bit of corn syrup in this recipe helps prevent the homemade caramel sauce from crystallizing, but you can omit it if desired.
While making this salted caramel sauce, you can swirl the pan gently every minute or two if necessary, but the less the sugary mixture gets on the sides of the pan, the better in preventing crystallization in the final sauce.
There are pleasant vanilla undertones in this easy caramel sauce, which are heavenly for a vanilla fiend like myself, but the vanilla can be omitted or swapped with bourbon, rum, Grand Marnier, or a favorite liqueur. The alcohol burns off quickly, and it’s a mere 1 tablespoon for the whole batch, and what remains is an extra layer of subtle flavor.
Here’s how to make caramel sauce from scratch!
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Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ยผ cup water
- 1 teaspoon light-colored corn syrup, can be omitted but helps reduce crystallization
- ยฝ cup whipping or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, optional (or substitute with bourbon, rum, Grand Marnier, or a favorite liqueur)
- ยฝ to 1 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste (for a true โsalted caramelโ sauce, I use 1 teaspoon)
Instructions
- In a medium to large saucepan (use a pan much larger than you think youโll need because the sauce will bubble very vigorously at the end), add the sugar, water, corn syrup and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking until sugar has dissolved.
- Allow the mixture to boil for 5 to 12 minutes, or as necessary, for it to turn caramel-colored, at which point it will likely be smoking slightly. The final stage where the mixture turns from pale amber to that perfect shade of caramel can go quickly, in less than 30 seconds, so keep a watchful eye and donโt let it burn. Super stinky and youโll have to start over. Throughout the boiling time, you can swirl the pan gently every minute or two if necessary, but the less the sugary mixture gets on the sides of the pan, the better in preventing crystallization in the final sauce.
- As soon as the sauce has turned caramel-colored, reduce the heat to low.
- Very carefully and slowly, add the cream. Stand back because mixture will bubble up considerably.
- Optionally, and very carefully, add the vanilla and salt, to taste. Stand back because mixture will bubble up again.
- Whisk until sauce is smooth and combined, and let it boil another 1 minute, which helps thicken it up.
- Transfer sauce to glass jar or heat-safe container (easiest to pour into a 2-cup measuring cup and then easily pour into glass jar). Allow sauce to cool uncovered to room temperature; sauce thickens considerably as it cools.
- Sauce will keep airtight at room temp for at least 1 month, although will likely last much longer; use common sense if giving as gifts with storage considerations.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipes That Use Caramel Sauce:
Salted Caramel Buttermilk Brown Sugar Muffins โ These easy, one-bowl, no-mixer muffins are soft, wonderfully moist, and the crumb has the perfect balance of density and lightness.
Peanut Butter Twix Caramel Bars โ In these bars, there’s buttery shortbread, rich and dense peanut butter, sweet and intense caramel, and smooth dark chocolate.
Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies โ Salty-and-sweet, soft and crunchy. If you enjoy contrasting flavors and textures, these easy blondies are just for you!
Caramel Apple Sheet Pan Pancakes โ Craving pancakes but not the work of standing at the stove flipping them? Make these EASY sheet pan pancakes!
Caramel Macchiato Banana Bread โ Banana bread that tastes like a caramel macchiato!! Soft, tender, infused with salted CARAMEL and topped with a brown sugar glaze!
Caramel Apple Crumble Foil Packs โ EASY, zero cleanup, made on the grill (or oven) in record time, and tastes amazing!! Juicy apples, chewy crumble topping, and luscious salted caramelโฆSO irresistible!!
Caramel Cream Poke Cake โ Poke cakes are always supremely moist and this one reminds me of a cheaterโs version of Tres Leches Cake because itโs sweet and creamy.
Omg. Shut up! This is amazing!!! I can so see this for Christmas and little party favors for cookie exchange get-togethers.
The corn syrup is a great tip to avoid it all crystallizing! That’s the number one hardest part of making salted caramel, and your solution is great!
And the less the mixture splashes and sloshes on the sides of the pan, the better. Many suggest wiping the sides with a pastry brush or damp paper towel but honestly when the mixture is boiling like crazy, I am NOT getting that close to it!
Diving in! Mouth first of course. We can use this sauce on my s’mores berries!
Your berries, my sauce, and your drinks – and we’re totally set :)
We love homemade caramel sauce! It really is so easy and it tastes so much better than store bought. Never going back! As always, looks gorgeous, Averie! Happy Monday. :)
I’m so in love with this Averie!!
Love, love, love salted caramel sauce! This is almost how I make mine, though I usually use a little butter. Regardless, this makes me want to whip up a batch.
And a little butter never hurt anything, either :)
The easiest salted caramel and ready in 15 minutes? I’m totally on board with that! :) This looks amazing Averie! Pinned!
Wow this looks delicious, I want a jar of this for breakfast! I could eat caramel by the spoonful too, and have been known to…but that’s what it’s for, right? :) I never realized just how easy it was to make home-made caramel, so I’m definitely trying this recipe out! Pinned!
I LOVE a good homemade caramel sauce and it sounds like you have definitely found a keeper recipe! Love how dark and gooey this gorgeous caramel looks. I’ve never added vanilla to mine before, but now I’m thinking the flavor would be even better! Can’t wait to try your version, Averie. :) Pinned!
Thanks for pinning and yes the vanilla is great! (or bourbon or rum!)
ooh I had forgotten about those no ice cream maker ice creams you made last summer this post just reminded me and that caramel sauce oh yes..must have.
Glad I could jog your memory :)
Great post, Averie! Can’t wait to try this… pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Marie!
I love how it clings to that spoon–I could do some damage with a jar of this! I have used butter and half and half (like your dark rum caramel sauce) but haven’t tried heavy cream. Just curious how you think the 2 compare in terms of taste (though the flavor profiles are different)and maybe texture.
I would say (from memory because I haven’t made that other one in ages) but this one is definitely thick, rich, and luscious! If you’ve ever had Trader Joe’s salted caramel/fleur de sel, it’s along those lines, but with a definite homemade taste and richness.
This carmel sauce looks amazing!
Averie, I think I might fall into the “unfortunately” category. I’m totally pinning this but I’m not sure I can be trusted around this stuff! YUM!
I can totally relate to everything you just said & thanks for pinning!
I made my own caramel sauce awhile back for the first time, using coconut milk instead of cream, and it was so easy! I still haven’t tried anything “Salted caramel” so I can’t wait to try this! Pinned!
Oh your coconut milk caramel sounds excellent! And thanks for pinning!
Oh this is fabulous! Ive always had trouble getting the perfect caramel sauce. Will have to try!