Rich, buttery homemade caramel sauce recipe is so easy to make! Five simple ingredients and 10 minutes are all you need to make gourmet caramel sauce at home!
Caramel sauce can be temperamental, but this homemade caramel sauce recipe is a faster, easier way to make caramel sauce. It’s made with 5 ingredients, and it takes just 10 minutes to whip up a batch.
Best of all, this easy recipe makes delicious, buttery, sweet and salty caramel sauce. Give this simple recipe a try, and you may never want to buy jarred caramel sauce again.
“I have made a lot of caramel sauce and usually the recipe calls for combining the sugar with water prior to cooking. This method is by far the best for making the sauce and it came out beautifully. I highly recommend it!” – Liz
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Salted butter: I’ve tried using unsalted butter and salted butter in this recipe. I prefer the flavor with salted butter because it’s more balanced and less sweet.
- Heavy cream: It’s important to use heavy cream and not half-and-half. Heavy cream is thicker and will give you the correct consistency in the caramel sauce.
- Granulated sugar: I’ve tried this with coarser grain sugar (organic and raw sugars), and I found that it didn’t work as well. I recommend using regular granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Fleur de sel: Fleur de sel is a finishing salt that’s used to “finish” dishes. It has larger grains and is less “salty” than table salt. The best substitute will be a good-quality large-grain sea salt flake. Maldon sea salt in one substitute. If you can’t find fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt, kosher salt would be the best choice.
How to make homemade caramel sauce
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients is given below.
Step 1: Begin by melting the sugar in a heavy saucepan.
Tip >> I don’t recommend using a dark-colored saucepan because you won’t be able to judge the color of the sugar.
Step 2: Once the caramel is a deep amber color, add the butter to the melted sugar, and whisk in. The sugar can bubble up, so it’s important to use a larger saucepan.
Step 3: Remove from heat, and stream in the cream, whisking as you go.
Step 4: Add the vanilla and fleur de sel, and whisk in.
Step 5: Let the caramel sauce sit for about 10-15 minutes before pouring it into glass jar.
Recipe Tips!
- Candy thermometer: After making this caramel sauce many, many times, I’ve stopped using a thermometer. I know that’s pretty much candy-making heresy, but I’ve found that it turns out as well when I just go by the color.
- Room temperature ingredients: It’s important that the butter and cream be at room temperature. Otherwise, they can cause the sugar to seize up.
- Glass jar: I don’t recommend using a plastic container as the hot caramel can melt plastic containers.
Storage
The caramel needs to come to room temperature before being stored in the fridge.
The caramel sauce should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 1 month when properly stored in the fridge.
The sauce will thicken as it sits in the fridge. You’ll need to either set it out to let it come up to temperature or warm it up a bit before use.
More caramel recipes!
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Caramel Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup salted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fleur de sel
Instructions
- Pour the sugar into a large, heavy saucepan.2 cups granulated sugar
- Heat over medium-high heat, whisking it regularly. The sugar will form clumps and puddles, but just keep whisking it until all of it has melted.
- Once all of the sugar has melted, stop whisking it.
- Keep cooking the sugar until it reaches a deep golden amber color. Watch the sugar closely as it could easily overcook.
- Once the caramel is deep golden amber, add the butter, and whisk until it is completely incorporated. The caramel will bubble up, so be careful.3/4 cup salted butter
- Remove the pan from heat.
- Slowly stream the cream into the caramel, whisking to combine. The caramel will bubble up again, so be careful.1 cup heavy cream
- Once the cream has been incorporated, whisk in the vanilla and fleur de sel.1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon fleur de sel
- Let the caramel sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Pour into a glass jar, and let cool to room temperature (uncovered).
- The caramel can be refrigerated for up to 4 weeks.
- Warm before using.
Video
Notes
- Salted butter: I’ve tried using unsalted butter and salted butter in this recipe. I prefer the flavor with salted butter because it’s more balanced and less sweet.
- Fleur de sel: Fleur de sel is a finishing salt that’s used to “finish” dishes. It has larger grains and is less “salty” than table salt. The best substitute will be a good-quality large-grain sea salt flake. Maldon sea salt in one substitute. If you can’t find fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt, kosher salt would be the best choice.
- Nutrition values are estimates.Â
Nutrition
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Originally published 2/13/13. This post is regularly updated.
adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Liz S says
I have made a lot of caramel sauce and usually the recipe calls for combining the sugar with water prior to cooking. This method is by far the best for making the sauce and it came out beautifully. I highly recommend it!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Tonya Street says
I made this sauce for the first time this week. I used it in Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting and also in a mousse filling for a chocolate cake. It was delicious! This will be my go-to for making caramel sauce from now on.
Kate says
Thank you so much!
L says
I followed all the directions but the caramel is really bitter. What did I do wrong?
Kate says
Hi! Did the caramel scorch or burn? Since caramel has such a high sugar content, it’s really easy for it to cross over from amber to burnt.
Anu says
Hi. How many cups does this recipe make ? I only need 1/3 cup to go with your salted caramel icing recipe.
Kate says
Hi! It makes about 2 cups.