This Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe is buttery, silky, and has a deep caramel flavor that’s so good. This is our go-to caramel recipe for everything! Made with 6 simple ingredients in about 30 minutes, it’s way better than store-bought options and super simple to make. Try it out, and you’ll never go back to jarred caramel sauce again. Honestly, it’s so delicious we love just eating it with a spoon!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe
After many tests, this caramel sauce has been perfected! We love that it can be made right at home, and it’s honestly so good. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Simple Ingredients – You only need 6 items to make this recipe, and you probably already have them on hand! No artificial flavors or unnecessary additives required.
- Perfected Flavor & Texture – Every bite provides an incredible buttery, caramel flavor that’s perfectly sweet with a hint of vanilla.
- So Many Ways To Use It – Use this caramel sauce as a dip, drizzle it over your favorite treats, or swirl it into desserts for a fun filling.
- Easy To Store – Homemade caramel sauce stores super well. So, we like to make a big batch to keep on hand and give away as gifts, especially during the holidays!
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Ingredients
If you’ve never made caramel sauce before, you’ll never guess how simple the ingredients are! Here’s what to gather:
- Granulated Sugar – The base of the sauce, creating a classic sweet taste.
- Light Brown Sugar – Adds a subtle molasses taste. This is a must in caramel!
- Unsalted Butter – Salted would work great, too.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Creates a smooth, creamy finish.
- Fine Sea Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor. Regular salt would work great here too.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds depth and creates a well-rounded taste. Bourbon vanilla extract would be delicious in this recipe, too!
Safety When Making Caramel
Since caramel involves heating sugar to a super-hot temperature, be VERY careful not to let it touch your skin. We recommend wearing an oven mitt glove when mixing the caramel in case it splatters up. This is not a great recipe to make with kids since it can cause burns, just a heads up! But it’s so worth making at home for the BEST caramel sauce.
How to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce
Our easy homemade caramel sauce recipe was initially inspired by the Broma Bakery caramel sauce recipe, but with lots of modifications and tests, we’ve put our own twist on it for what we believe is the best flavor and perfect texture! You’ll need a small, heavy-bottom saucepan (stainless steel is great for this!) and a little bit of patience. Here’s how to make caramel sauce:
- Melt the sugar – Mix the granulated sugar and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is partially dissolved. It will still be a little lumpy! Increase the heat to medium-low, and cook until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Combine – Remove the pan from the stove, and whisk in the butter. The sauce may separate, but it’s okay! Just keep whisking. Once dissolved, whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the salt and vanilla.
- Cool – Let the caramel cool. Then, transfer it to a jar, and chill in the fridge, allowing it to set. Enjoy!
Prevent Caramel From Burning
We’ve all tried making caramel only to have the entire pot burn and need to start again! This has happened way too many times for us to count. But we’ve finally figured out how to prevent it!
The trick is cooking your sugar on LOW heat and having a ton of patience. Don’t rush the process. After cooking the sugar over low heat for the first 20 minutes, we increase the heat to medium-low to speed up the process. At this point, it’s less likely to burn since it’s already forming into a liquid.
Mixing the Sugar
During the sugar melting process, it’s important to move around the sugar without agitating it too much. Think of this process as super delicate!
To mix properly, we recommend using a rubber spatula and pushing the spatula from one end of the pot to the other, essentially scraping the sugar from side to side in the pot, rather than mixing in a circle.
Also, when you pause mixing with the rubber spatula, don’t wipe it off on the side of the pot. Otherwise, the pot will be filled with hardened crystallized sugar. Lightly tap the spatula to let any excess sugar drop back into the pot. You can use a spoon or knife to carefully brush any excess sugar off the spatula and back into the pot!
Tips
- Fix Clumped Sugar – If your sugar clumps while combining the ingredients, don’t stress. Just return the pot to the stove, and carefully mix over medium-low heat until the lumps dissolve.
- Keep an Eye on the Sugar – When melting the sugars down, they go from a dry sandy look to a wet sandy look after 2-3 minutes of cooking. Then, they turn quite clumpy before partially melting and finally melting fully, and turning into a golden liquid.
- Low and Slow is Best – Cooking the sugars over low heat may feel like a slow process, but it’s worth it! It prevents burning and gives the caramel that delicious, rich flavor we want.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients – Make sure your butter and cream are at room temperature before beginning. Cold ingredients can cause the caramel to seize.
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Variations
Salted Caramel Sauce – Stir in an extra ½ teaspoon of sea salt at the end for a sweet-salty flavor.
Vanilla Bean Caramel – Swap the vanilla extract for fresh vanilla bean paste to give the sauce a deeper vanilla flavor.
Bourbon Caramel Sauce – Add 1-2 tablespoons of bourbon after removing the pot from the heat for a fun, boozy twist.
Spiced Caramel – Stir in a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom for a warm, spiced flavor. It’s perfect for fall!
Espresso Caramel – Add 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder with the sugar for a subtle kick of coffee flavor.
Dairy-Free Caramel – Swap butter for vegan butter and use full-fat coconut cream instead of heavy cream for a dairy-free caramel with the same taste and texture.
Serving Suggestions
There are SO many ways to enjoy this homemade caramel sauce recipe! We love to pair it with fresh fruit, like apples, for dipping. Here are more ideas for serving:
- Dessert Drizzle – Spoon the sauce over vanilla ice cream, Snickers brownies, no-bake mini cheesecake bites, or cake.
- Drinks – Whisk the caramel into lattes, crockpot hot chocolate, or milkshakes.
- Filling/Swirl – Use the sauce in baked goods like blondies, Oreo Cheesecake Brownies, or cookie dough.
- Breakfast Topping – Use your caramel sauce in place of syrup on Mini Pancakes and waffles for a fun morning treat!
- Gifting – Pour your caramel into jars, tie it with a ribbon, and add a tag for a festive treat that friends and family love.
How to Store
Store – Once cool, transfer the caramel sauce to a glass jar or an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Freezer – For longer storage, freeze the caramel for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
Reheating – When ready to serve, reheat the caramel sauce in the microwave in 10-15 second intervals, stirring in between, until it’s smooth and pourable. You can also warm it gently in a pan on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently. If the caramel is too thick after chilling, stir in a splash of cream while reheating to loosen it back up!
More Easy Homemade Desserts
- Apple Cinnamon Cake
- Rice Pudding Recipe
- Pistachio Dessert
- Margarita Cupcakes
- Strawberry Pretzel Dessert
- Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
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Homemade Caramel Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature and sliced into cubes
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small heavy-bottom saucepan (I like stainless steel), mix together the granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Over low heat, cook the sugar for 20-25 minutes, lightly stirring with a rubber spatula every 30 seconds, until the sugar is partially dissolved but still quite clumpy.
- Increase the temperature to medium-low heat, cooking for another 5-7 minutes until the sugar is fully dissolved into a liquid.
- Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove.
- Whisk in the butter cubes until dissolved and fully combined, about 2-3 minutes. It may separate a bit, that is ok, just keep whisking.
- Whisk in the heavy cream until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Helpful Tip: If the sugar clumps up, return the pot to the stove and carefully mix over medium-low heat until the chunk is dissolved.
- Add the salt and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
- Let the caramel mixture cool in the pot for 20 minutes before pouring into a jar.
- Let cool fully, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or until ready to serve) for the perfect thick caramel consistency.
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