Salted Caramel Sauce
This homemade salted caramel sauce is rich, buttery, and super simple to make with just five ingredients. Using the dry caramel method, the sugar melts into a deep, toasted caramel flavor without using any water. Finish it with butter, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt for a smooth, luxurious sauce that’s perfect for drizzling over ice cream, brownies, cheesecake, or apple slices.
If homemade caramel sounds intimidating, don’t worry. Once you know what to watch for as the sugar melts, making caramel sauce from scratch is much easier than you might think.
Why You’ll Love This Salted Caramel Sauce
A lot of store-bought caramel sauces are thin and runny. But this homemade caramel is THICK and buttery, has a deep caramelized sugar flavor with the perfect balance of salt to keep it form tasting overly sweet.
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It’s also incredibly versatile. Serve it warm as a sauce, let it cool until thick as a caramel dip for apples, or use it as a filling or topping for many desserts.
And because this recipe uses the dry method, you don’t need to use water or worry about cooking a finicky sugar syrup that might crystalize. Instead, the sugar goes directly into the pan and slowly melts into amber caramel.
Ingredients You’ll Need
NOTE: Full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.
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You only need five ingredients to make this homemade salted caramel sauce recipe:
- Sugar – Granulated sugar forms the base of the caramel. As it melts and caramelizes, it develops the deep, toasted flavor that makes homemade caramel so delicious.
- Butter – Butter adds richness and helps turn the caramelized sugar into a silky sauce. Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the finished caramel sauce.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream gives the caramel its smooth, pourable consistency. You can always add more of this if you like a thinner consistency.
- Vanilla – A little vanilla rounds out the caramel flavor and adds warmth.
- Salt – Salt balances the sweetness and turns this into salted caramel. Adjust the amount depending on how salty you like it.
Choosing the Right Salt
- Fine Sea Salt: Best for dissolving smoothly directly into the hot caramel liquid so every single bite has an even, balanced taste.
- Flaky Sea Salt (Fleur de Sel or Maldon): Best for a stunning crunch and bursts of bright flavor when sprinkled on top or stirred in gently at the very end.
- Kosher Salt: A great alternative if you want to mix the salt straight into the sauce base, though you should use slightly less or ensure it dissolves well since coarse crystals can vary.
- Table Salt: Avoid if possible; the added iodine and anti-caking agents can make the sweet caramel taste sharp or metallic.
What Is the Dry Method for Caramel?
There are two common ways to caramelize sugar: the wet method and the dry method.
With wet caramel, sugar is combined with water before it cooks. With the dry caramel method, granulated sugar is heated by itself until it melts and caramelizes.
The dry method is fast and requires fewer ingredients, but it does need your attention. Sugar can go from perfectly amber to burnt very quickly, especially toward the end of cooking.
The key is to use moderate heat, watch the color carefully, and have your butter and cream measured and ready before you begin.
How to Make Salted Caramel Sauce Using the Dry Method
- Prepare the ingredients. First, make sure the butter is at room temperature and cut into slices. Then heat the cream in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to warm it up. Measure all other ingredients and set them next to the stove.
- Melt the sugar. Add the granulated sugar to a medium-sized (3qt), heavy-bottomed saucepan and place it over medium heat. As the sugar warms, it will begin melting around the edges and will form clumps.
- Use a heat resistant spatula or wooden spoon to gently stir or move the melting sugar toward the center so it melts evenly. The clumps will melt once the color deepens, just keep stirring and break them up as needed.
- Caramelize the sugar. Continue cooking and stirring until all of the sugar has melted and the caramel reaches a rich amber color. (About 6-8 minutes; possibly longer if using an electric stovetop.) Watch it closely once it has melted because caramel can go from perfectly browned to burnt very quickly.
- Add the butter. Turn the heat down to low and carefully add the butter. The caramel will bubble, so use a saucepan with plenty of room and keep your hands away from the steam. Stir until the butter is incorporated.
- Add the cream. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring. Again, expect lots of bubbling. (TIP: If the caramel seizes or forms hard pieces when the cream is added, don’t panic. Return it to low heat and gently stir until everything melts back into a smooth sauce. Then remove it from the heat again.)
- Finish the sauce. Add the vanilla and salt.
- Stir until smooth and uniform.
How to Store Salted Caramel Sauce
TO STORE: Allow the caramel to cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring it to a heat-safe airtight container or glass jar. It will look fairly thin while it is hot, but thickens considerably as it cools. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
The caramel sauce will solidify when chilled. When you’re ready to use it, gently warm a portion for about 15 seconds in the microwave until it reaches a pourable consistency.
TO FREEZE: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then warm gently to a pourable consistency.
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Recipe Notes
Follow these tips for perfect caramel sauce:
- Start with a heavy-bottomed saucepan, which distributes heat more evenly and reduces the chance of scorching.
- Have all of your ingredients measured before you start because caramel darkens quickly once the sugar has melted.
- Use room temperature butter and warmed heavy cream. This helps the sauce combine properly without seizing.
- Pay attention to color rather than relying only on cooking time. You want a rich amber caramel. If it’s too pale, the flavor will be mostly sweet instead of deeply caramelized. If it gets too dark, it can become bitter.
- Be especially careful when adding butter and cream. Melted sugar is extremely hot, and both ingredients cause the caramel to bubble and steam aggressively.
Why Did My Caramel Seize?
If your caramel suddenly turns into a hard clump after adding the butter or cream, it doesn’t necessarily mean the batch is ruined.
The temperature difference between the hot caramelized sugar and cooler ingredients can cause some of the sugar to harden (aka seize). Keep the saucepan over low heat and stir gently. In many cases, those pieces will melt back into the sauce.
Using room-temperature butter and slightly warmed heavy cream can help reduce the temperature shock.
Ways to Use Homemade Caramel Sauce
While eating it by the spoonful is tempting, there are plenty of desserts that become even better with a drizzle of homemade caramel.
- Spoon warm caramel over homemade vanilla ice cream.
- Drizzle it over a warm slice of apple pie.
- It’s especially good spooned over apple crisp with vanilla ice cream.
- Use it as a topping for classic cheesecake.
- A drizzle turns fudgy brownies into an easy salted caramel dessert.
Freshly made caramel is warm and pourable, but it becomes much thicker as it cools. That makes this same recipe perfect as a caramel dip for apples. Tart, crisp varieties are especially good because their acidity balances the sweetness and richness of the caramel.
It also makes a delicious homemade gift when packaged in a small jar and kept refrigerated.
FAQs
Yes. This recipe uses the dry method, which means the granulated sugar is melted directly in the saucepan without adding water.
Caramel develops increasingly complex flavors as it darkens, but sugar that cooks too far becomes bitter. Remove the caramel from the heat once it reaches a rich amber color, before it becomes very dark or begins to smoke.
Warm caramel sauce is naturally thinner. Give it time to cool before deciding whether the consistency is right. It will thicken significantly as its temperature drops.
Yes. Reheat it gently until it loosens to your desired consistency. Avoid overheating it.
Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, and sliced
- ½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream, warmed (*see instructions)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp sea salt, (start with ¾ tsp if salt sensitive)
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Make sure the butter is at room temperature and cut into slices. Then heat the cream in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to warm it up. (This helps the sauce combine properly without seizing.) Measure all other ingredients and set them next to the stove. Caramel cooks quickly, so have everything ready and within reach.
- Melt the sugar. Add the granulated sugar to a medium-sized (3qt), heavy-bottomed saucepan and place it over medium heat. As the sugar warms, it will begin melting around the edges and will form clumps.
- Use a heat resistant spatula or wooden spoon to gently stir or move the melting sugar toward the center so it melts evenly. The clumps will melt once the color deepens, just keep stirring and break them up as needed.
- Caramelize the sugar. Continue cooking and stirring until all of the sugar has melted and the caramel reaches a rich amber color. (About 6-8 minutes; possibly longer if using an electric stovetop.) Watch it closely once it has melted because caramel can go from perfectly browned to burnt very quickly.
- Add the butter. Turn the heat down to low and carefully add the butter. The caramel will bubble, so use a saucepan with plenty of room and keep your hands away from the steam. Stir until the butter is incorporated.
- Add the cream. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring. Again, expect lots of bubbling. (TIP: If the caramel seizes or forms hard pieces when the cream is added, don’t panic. Return it to low heat and gently stir until everything melts back into a smooth sauce. Then remove it from the heat again.)
- Finish the sauce. Add the vanilla and salt. Stir until smooth and uniform.
- Cool. Allow the salted caramel sauce to cool slightly before serving to thicken. It will be relatively thin while hot and will thicken considerably as it cools.
Video
Notes
- Yield: 1 ¼ cups
- Use a large enough, heavy-bottomed saucepan: A heavy-bottomed saucepan will distribute heat more evenly and reduces the chance of scorching. The caramel bubbles dramatically when the butter and heavy cream are added. A saucepan with extra room helps prevent it from bubbling over or burning your hands.
- Watch the color: A pale caramel won’t have as much depth of flavor, while caramel that becomes too dark can taste bitter. Look for a rich amber color.
- TO STORE: Store cooled caramel sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Gently warm a portion for about 15 seconds in the microwave until it reaches a pourable consistency.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then warm gently to a pourable consistency.
Nutrition
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