Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
This quick and easy homemade salted caramel sauce recipe requires only four ingredients, takes just 15 minutes, and comes out perfect every single time.
It's absolutely divine on ice cream sundaes, can be used in any recipe calling for caramel sauce (hello, salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars!), makes a wonderful hostess gift, and, most importantly, is delicious straight from the spoon (feel free to drop an extra spoonful in your coffee!).
The salted caramel possibilities are truly endless, especially when you have a no-fail, go-to recipe. I've found the simplest method to be the best when making caramel sauce – a pan, a whisk, and just a few simple ingredients is all you need.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Caramel Sauce
It’s easy to understand why people fall in love with a homemade salted caramel sauce; it’s not as cloyingly sweet as store-bought versions and has a much greater depth of flavor.
It doesn’t take much time or many ingredients to churn out a batch in your own kitchen and I guarantee you’ll be addicted! Here are the highlights:
- Quick: It only takes 15 minutes to get a smooth, creamy salted caramel sauce.
- Simple: You only need four ingredients and no fancy equipment.
- Lots of help: There are expert tips on making the recipe, as well as a video to guide you.
The Ingredients
These four ingredients undergo a magical transformation and result in the most amazing caramel sauce you’ll ever taste.
- Sugar: Regular white, granulated sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: Use the best butter you can, it makes such a difference in flavor! I love Kerrygold and highly recommend it. I use unsalted butter so that we can completely control the salt content in the sauce. If you can only use salted butter, you can do so but add only 2 teaspoons of the flaky sea salt, then taste and add more if desired.
- Heavy Cream: This is best at room temperature so it incorporates into the sauce properly. Heavy cream can be labeled in many different ways depending on the fat content; you can also use whipping cream, heavy whipping cream, light whipping cream, or double cream. Do not substitute milk, it is not thick enough for making this sauce.
- Salt: I highly recommend using flaky sea salt like fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt. If you need to substitute regular table salt, use only 1 teaspoon, or the sauce will be much too salty!
How to Make Salted Caramel
Caramel sauce can be intimidating, but the more you make it, the more you will get a feel for the look and the smell, and it will become second nature.
Here's a quick rundown of the process:
- Sugar goes straight into the saucepan (no water!) and is melted over medium heat, while you stir constantly. The sugar may clump at first but it will all eventually melt.
- Continue cooking until the melted sugar is a gorgeous amber color, then add the butter and whisk until it is completely melted.
- Remove the pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream, then stir in the salt. Your caramel sauce is done!
No Candy Thermometer Required
It is not necessary to use a thermometer when making this caramel sauce; simply using visual cues will work perfectly!
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The sauce may seem thinner than you'd expect when you're done whisking everything in, but it will thicken as it cools.
Recipe Success Tips
Below are a number of tips to help you make the most amazing caramel sauce!
- Prep Your Ingredients: Have all of the ingredients measured, at room temperature, and ready to go before you begin making the sauce. Things move quickly once the sugar starts to melt and pausing for a measurement or to grab something could cause the sauce to burn.
- Scaling the Recipe: Due to how much the sauce bubbles up when the heavy cream is added, doubling or tripling the recipe is not recommended. If you’d like to make a larger volume, I recommend making separate batches.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Salted Caramel Sauce
Allow the sauce to cool for a bit in the pot, then pour into a glass jar or other airtight container and cool completely, then store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. You can gently warm it up in the microwave or on the stove over low heat before using it again.
You can also freeze salted caramel sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat as desired.
Can This Be Used for Caramel Apples?
While this is a delicious caramel sauce, it will not work for caramel apples; it is not thick enough to cling and set as a coating on the apples. I recommend using my homemade caramel apples recipe instead.
How to Use the Sauce
This salted caramel sauce quite literally goes with everything! Here are some ideas of how to use it, serve it, or gift it:
- Drizzle it over ice cream, brownies, pie, or cheesecake.
- Use it as a dip for apple slices or other fruit.
- Stir a spoonful into hot chocolate or coffee.
- Put it in a pretty mason jar, tie a ribbon around it, and give it as a hostess gift, birthday gift, or holiday gift.
- Whip it into buttercream frosting.
- Eat it by the spoonful.
Recipes That Use Salted Caramel Sauce
Use your batch of homemade caramel sauce in these recipes:
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars
- Easy Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
- Salted Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Salted Caramel Apple Cake
- Snickers Cupcakes
Watch the Recipe Video:
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Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (397 g) granulated sugar
- 12 tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fleur de sel, or any other flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Add the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a medium (3 to 4-quart) saucepan. Heat the sugar over medium heat, whisking it as it begins to melt. You'll see that the sugar will begin to form clumps, but that's okay. Just keep whisking and as it continues to cook, they will melt back down. Stop whisking once all of the sugar has melted, and swirl the pan occasionally while the sugar cooks.
- Continue cooking until the sugar has reached a deep amber color. It should look almost a reddish-brown, and have a slight toasted aroma. This is the point where caramel can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds, so keep a close eye.
- As soon as the caramel reaches its sweet spot, add the butter all at once. Be careful, as the caramel will bubble up when the butter is added. Whisk the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted. Remove the pan from heat.
- Slowly pour the cream into the caramel. Again, be careful because the mixture will once again bubble up ferociously.
- Whisk until all of the cream has been incorporated and you have a smooth sauce. Add the fleur de sel and whisk to incorporate.
- Set the sauce aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then pour into your favorite glass jar and let cool to room temperature. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Salt – I highly recommend using flaky sea salt like fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt. If you need to substitute table salt, use only 1 to 1½ teaspoons, or the sauce will be much too salty!
- Saucepan – It is important to use a saucepan of at least 4-quart capacity. It will seem too big for the job, but when the butter and cream are added, the sauce bubbles up ferociously, and you need that space so it doesn’t boil over.
- Storage – The caramel sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. This recipe is not suitable for canning or long-term storage.
- Freezing – The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using it.
- Reheating Instructions – To reheat the sauce, remove the lid from the jar and microwave for about 45 seconds, then stir. It should be smooth and pourable, but not piping hot.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
[photos by Ari of Well Seasoned]
This is my go to recipe for salted caramel!
Tip: to clean pot.pan after you are done
Put water In pot.
Back on stove. Heat it up.
Swirl the whisk you used while making this recipe around In the vessel after water is hot. Stuck on caramel will dissolve.
clean pot.pan as usual after this method!
Can you used this sauce for your salted caramel chocolate chip bars?
Yes!! :)
I did scan the replies but didn’t see my question. Can this be water-bath canned as well to preserve?
Hi Kenna, I do not recommend that as I can’t guarantee that it would be safe for long-term storage.
This is amazing. I added a bit of whiskey to the salted caramel and used it to glaze a date-walnut loaf cake. I would say that the salted caramel whiskey glaze was an even bigger hit than the cake itself (and it’s a pretty good cake!)
Just wanted to let you know – I’ve been using this recipe for years. I always come back to it when I’m making a batch :)
Mine came out semi clumpy because it started to burn but it tastes lovely! I was in a panic though because as I was whisking away I needed to look at another step and all of the ads made it impossible to see anything! Pop ups on a temp and time sensitive recipe spell disaster
Silly question- but how do you keep your whisk from getting all clogged with partially melted sugar?
Hi Patty, I find that if I keep whisking it eventually melts off (and I run under hot water to get anything left off).
This was my second attempt and it turned out PERFECTLY! I am an advanced baker but had never melted down sugar….it is a little tricky. I think I had my fire too hot the first time and things went way too fast. I have a commercial gas range and it gets hot! My suggestion is to keep trying and learn from your mistakes. I will be making again and again…..thank you brown eyed baker.com!
Super yummy
Is there any problem in using salted butter instead of unsalted butter, once we’re adding fleur de sel at the end of the process?
Not at all, I would just dial back on the fleur de sel a bit.
I made this once and it was amazing. Came out perfect. Tried last night and burnt it, sooo sad. Wondering if it’s import that the butter and cream be room temperature?
Hi, I’m not trying to sound snarky but in the updated notes it says both need to be. Actually, I make sure to bring all of my refrigerated items to room temperature unless the recipe states otherwise. Many pro bakers give that tip. Hope this helped you….
I’ve tried two times now to melt the sugar. I have hard, hard candy so I at least I didn’t waste my butter and cream. The third time, I wasted my butter. By the time all the sugar melts, it’s too hot. If I leave some of the sugar in clumps will it eventually melt?
Also, how do you clean a pan full of hard candy? I waited for it to cool down but not all of it came out. I have 3 pans coated with hard candy. And I’m out of butter!!!!
Hello, I’ve Made this recipe so many times and it’s perfect.
Do you have any tips to make this in a larger batch?
Just make sure you use a large enough pot, otherwise it scales very well!
Made this recipe a few times. I feel like you are leaving out crucial parts of your video. Like what to do when the sugar remains super clumpy. Every time I have tried to make this I also have noticed that 12 TbL of butter seems like way too much as well as a full cup of heavy cream… it makes the Carmel very watery and not thick. A more detailed video tutorial would be helpful.
Love this stuff. My family can’t get enough of it, especially in those Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes!
Do you know if you are able to can this sauce? I want to give as gifts but would like to can it first
Your caramel has a really nice rich color. It would go very well on a slice of cheesecake. 😋
Hi Michelle, can I use Maldon Sea Salt Flakes instead of the fleur de sel? I am not sure the difference but I have Maldon on hand :-)
Thank you for sharing – can’t wait to try this and I am glad that your recipe only has 4 ingredients and doesn’t include corn syrup ;-)
Hi Grace. I’ve made this recipe many times and I’ve never used the type of salt that the recipe calls for. Two reasons being 1. When I first came across this recipe I had everything to make it but the salt. 2. When I looked for the salt at the store I wasn’t about to buy a salt that I wouldn’t use often much less pay that price point for it. So I just used reg table salt (same brand you asked about) that I put into a mini blender so that way my salt would melt easier into the warm caramel. It works like a charm every time. Hope this helps you or anyone else who may not have/or want to buy that particular salt….
Perfect! Can you believe I couldn’t find caramel at the grocery store!? But then I checked your blog… and of course you have the perfect recipe posted:) Turned out perfectly!
Hello! I can find the salt that the recipe ask for, can i use regular salt? And what would be the amount? Thank you
Hi. How long would this last in jars? And would it have to be kept in the fridge at all times do you think?
Hi Chloe, About 1 month in the jars in the refrigerator.
Sugar did not melt…just got hot lol
I made this and it is AMAZEBALLS! My local store didn’t sell flaked sea salt, so I used finely ground sea salt. This was my first time making caramel and I didn’t use a thermometer. Your directions were incredibly easy to follow and user friendly. I nailed it, thanks to you!
Tried this tonight for the first time and man….I could drink this straight! Turned out really well but it was really hard on my wrists with all that whisking!
This was my first time making caramel, and thanks to your detailed instructions it came out perfectly! I used about a third of a tablespoon of fine ground sea salt. I used this caramel as a chocolate cake filling and then doused the top of the cake with it as well! SOOOO GOOOOOD!
How long does the whole prosess take to make??
Hi Joseph, About 20 minutes (prep/cook/total times can always be found at the top of the recipe).
So delicious. This was my first time making caramel and it went very well, thanks to your direction. I think I will use a different sauce pan next time– I think mine was a little too broad (it was 3 quart) and I wasn’t able to get all of the sugar into the caramel (some of it crystallized on the sides). I got a lot of the mentioned crumbliness and at one point thought I had crystallized but it turned out I hadn’t gotten close yet (it was still a white color, but was getting stuck in my whisk). I just kept going and once the sugar started to melt and I got the amber brown color, I knew I was headed in the right direction. The sauce tasted perfect in the salted caramel cupcakes from this site. I have a lot of sauce left, so I’ll be checking out additional recipes soon! Thanks for sharing!
Heaven in a spoon! Fantastic instructions, and so easy. But be sure to read through all steps (memorize! ) and have all ingredients measured and at hand. This is easy, but does require your close attention throughout.
I found the sugar heated to 350 faster than I expected, so by the time I measured it was already 360, slightly above actually. But, it was still absolutely perfect!
Final point: I used a white flaky sea salt, similar to fleur de sel. It worked great. But note that sometimes the flakey sea salts have quite large, airy flakes — up to almost 1 cm across. I suggest breaking those up (after measuring out your 1 Tbsp), because the large flakes won’t dissolve or break up in the caramel sauce, leaving you with salt flakes in the sauce that are likely larger than you would like. Again, it was still incredible!
Very easy to make, great result!
I made your caramel sauce for the first time and it is fantastic. Now my daughter will only eat the caramel sauce I make. We actually put a teaspoon of it in our coffee. DELICIOUS !! Guess that jar of Smuckers caramel sauce will be sitting in my fridge for a long, long time. Thanks for sharing your recipe.