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:
If you make this salted caramel recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
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]
So I looked all over for a caramel recipe that didn’t contain corn syrup or honey. I never found one and decided to try boiling your recipe to a firm ball stage. These have to be the smoothest caramels I have ever had! Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi, thanks for a fabulous recipe. I have made a few batches now but each time the salt does not dissolve completely. I have a ‘flakey sea salt’ and in the first batch I made I added the amount stated in the recipe but the majority clumped together and sunk to the bottom. A horrid taste when you ate it by accident! For the following batches I have reduced the salt amount to between half and a quarter of the amount and ground it up, but it still clumps rather than totally dissolving. Any suggestions?
Hi Liz, That’s really weird that the salt is clumping. The only thing I can think of is – do you live in a particularly warm area? Sometimes salt and sugar can clump up if exposed to too much warm/humid air.
Thank you for replying so quickly!
Ah, if it’s humidity, it could be that the salt is damp, or as I am transferring it from the mortar it absorbs the moisture evaporating from the caramel. I live in the UK and it hasn’t been particularly dry here for a while either, so the air could be damp!
I think as long as the last jar is always reserved for me no-one will ever know! ;-)
Hi,
Simple is awesome. Agreed.
A few queries though. This is the first time I’m making it. I used the dry method. By the time the sugar melted, the color was perfect. I added the butter and kept whisking it in. This was when the pot was still being subjected to heat. I continued stirring till the butter had all melted. Then I took it off the flame, and added the cream. Thankfully nothing spilled out, but the consistency of the sauce isn’t smooth. It’s kind of grainy.. Did I do it right? Is there a reason for this?
Hi Rushil, If it’s grainy, it sounds like the sugar didn’t melt the entire way. Either that, or there were some pieces of sugar stuck to the side of the pan that got incorporated while you were whisking.
Hi, I’ m not too sure what you mean by 12tablespoons butter -can you give a weight please? Thanks Jane
Hi Jane, 12 tablespoons of butter = 6 ounces. You can find some common conversions on this page, for future reference: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/conversions/
This recipe IS the “real deal”…impressive tutorial, photography and the taste-factor is AWESOME…Question…do you favor a large flake (as in Maldon Salt?) or a finer Fleur de Sel (as one finds easily here in France?)…Also…Could one possibly coat APPLES with this caramel for Autumn or Halloween treats?…Does it “set up” well for this usage?….So appreciative of your sharing this exquisite recipe…really well-done!
Hi Donna, Thank you for the kind feedback, I’m so happy to hear you enjoy the sauce! I use fleur de sel in mine. I have not tried coating apples with this sauce; it does set up pretty stiff in the refrigerator, so you might dry dipping the apples in a slightly cooled sauce, and then refrigerating to allow them to set. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Thanks so much for the rapid reply!…I’ll give it a whirl!..First..I
want to make batches and put it in pretty jars for holiday
gifting!!!…This is truly the best caramel out
there..color…aroma….texture…It’s all there..Your readers need
look no further!
I just made this on my electric stove. It was the easiest thing ever. Thank you for the wonderful instructions!!!
Any chance this could be canned in Mason jars to give as gifts? Maybe with the cream it just has to be a make it and eat it sauce?
Hi Laurie, You couldn’t can this to be preserved at too temperature long-term. You could still put the sauce in mason jars and give away, with instructions to refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
As a diabetic OH but this looks great, but unreasonable. So I’m experimenting with Blue Agave Syrup. It boils at a lower temp. I’ll let you know how that goes.
hello, if i wanted to make this a little thicker would i just add less butter? im planning on putting it in stuff rather than on top and i would like it to stay inside instead of slowly oozing out.
Hi Robyn, No, make it as directed, but don’t use it immediately after making it. Let it cool (you can even refrigerate it to speed up the process) and it will thicken. If you want it pourable again, just warm it up.
never made caramel before, so was a little nervous going into it. fortunately, my first attempt came out great! fyi, i kept the heat pretty low, which seemed to help in keeping it from burning. try it on vanilla icecream with grapenuts!
How funny! My dad always used to sprinkle Grape-Nuts on his vanilla ice cream! He’d also drizzle maple syrup on top ;-)
Funny you mention that, back in the day Baskin & Robins used to make a maple walnut sundae that was soooo good. Unfortunately it went away and I’ve been trying to duplicate them ever since. I think the grapenut thing works because of the ‘crunch’ appeal. Anywho, I like it. Great cite, Michelle, thanks!
p.s. bummer about the hockey lockout…i was really looking forward to the Winter Classic!!!
This is fabulous!!! The first batch I made burned, you really have to watch it. The ONLY way that you can cook this with a thermometer is if it is instant read, 350 on a regular candy thermometer is burnt beyond saving. After several batches, I found that a wooden spoon is better than a whisk and that it takes just seconds from the time that the sugar hits liquid until the sugar is done. Makes great gifts!
Hi, I want to try this out SO bad and I’m just going to order a candy thermometere. I love your hot pink thermometer!
Can you tell me which one you use? Do you recommend getting it and should I get extra probes ( I read somewhere that some thermometeres need probes replaced). Thanks,
A
Hi AK, I use a Thermapen, I use it for everything and highly recommend it. It’s not cheap, but worth every penny! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GIZZWM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002GIZZWM&linkCode=as2&tag=broeyebak-20
OMG this is a sign from the heavens up above. I spent the entire morning researching candy thermos yesterday and narrowed it down to a Thermapen and yey that’s the one you recommend too! Only yours is a nice hot pink and they only have what looks like a baby pink. I think I’m going for a zebra print instead of baby pink. Hurray! I wonder how long it will be before I get my hands on it! SO EXCITED!
Success on 2nd try! It doesn’t taste like caramel from Brittany, but this is definitely gorgeous!
Thank you BEB! ^_^
I tasted the sauce… and its very strong… did I burn the sugar? Or was the cream too thick? I’m trying this recipe again tonight.
I’m not familiar with the type of cream you mentioned above, so yes, the cream may have been too thick. If it tastes burnt, then it was probably cooked too long. If it doesn’t taste burnt, though, then it’s probably something else, perhaps the cream.
Hey BEB;
I just made the caramel recipe, only a couple of questions though.
I wasn’t sure about what kind of cream I needed so I used 1 cup of solid cream. The butter was also a lot… The caramel is done but looks darker, like a shade of darker caramel with darker red. Will the cream and color affect the flavor?
Thanks
Twins.
Hi there, As stated in the recipe, you should use heavy cream for the sauce. I’m not sure what solid cream is, but heavy cream is a thick liquid. Depending on how long you cook the sauce, it could go from a toffee color to a dark amber in a matter of seconds. The cream will slightly lighten the color of the sauce.
I’m going to use this to drizzle all over my chevre cheesecake! Looks AWESOME.
I just found your recipe and the comments make it seem amazing! I have one question. I’m planning on making filled chocolates for Christmas and wanted to make a salted caramel filled one. Do you think your sauce will work for this? If cooled but still room temp would it be thin enough to fill a chocolate mold? Thanks!
I have never thought to make carmel from scratch for my recipes . I know that
your photography has motivated me to give this recipe a try and I may buy a new camera! My DSL has to be 30 yrs old. And I have not used it in 20 yrs.
Thank you.
I will be making this for Christmas presents. Once made can it be stored at room temp until I give it as gifts? I be making it like 2-3 weeks ahead. Thanks
Hi Jennifer, It needs to be stored in the refrigerator due to the cream in the recipe. You could keep in the fridge, and then take out the day you plan to give it, with instructions to keep it refrigerated once they get it home.
Made this for the caramel apple cheesecake pie, and oh my goodness!!!! I tasted it, and before I knew what was happening I was eating it by the spoonful from the pan! I should mention that I’m 8 months pregnant… and this sauce will not last long!
How much coarse sea salt if I can’t find the flaked? Thank you for an amazing looking recipe.
Definitely less, but how much less would really depend on taste. I would add a teaspoon, then taste it to see what you think. Then add more if you’d like it a little saltier.
I love your blog!
I find myself coming back to it time after time. Your techniques are flawless.
Kudos.
I have always been scared to make caramel. It is so intimidating! Being a Culinary Arts student, focusing on baking, I have to get over my fear of caramel if I want to succeed. I have been searching for quite some time for a fairly easy way to learn to make caramel and I have to say, this is the only one that I have tried that worked! It is absolutely amazing and it tastes fantastic!!! Having the pictures was a big help and I will definitely be visiting your blog every chance I get! Thank you so much for sharing such an awesome recipe!
Are you sure you are supposed to heat the caramel to 350, most recipes say 250….?
Hi Laura, No, 350 is what I used for this recipe. However, some thermometers can vary due to not being calibrated. I would also pay close attention to visual cues as well.
I burned the first batch- no way do you go to 350 with a traditional candy therm. I’ve never used an instant read but I make a tone of candy and 350 was way too hot for this sauce
Hi,
Great recipe, I shared it on my page “crepespace”
http://www.facebook.com/crepespace
Hope you don’t mind.
Cheers.
Florian
I tried it; on one hand, my jaws dropped when I saw the amount of butter required. On the other hand, your instructions were very easy to follow and those photos helped a lot, too! I ended up drizzling this on home made popcorn, divide them into mini cupcake pans (under the guise of portion control, haha) and brought them to a picnic and to a get together. Needless to say, they were a hit! So, thank you thank you thank you!
No one has asked, but can this be done with margarine? (I’m assuming it cannot – only asking because I live on a mission base in a third world country and margarine is $3.50 for a pound while butter is $5.00 a pound and making the ice cream alone costs a fortune, but if it has to be butter, I’ll buy it because it looks delicious! :) ) Also, no salt like that available here – can I use anything else?
Hi Amy, The butter adds such a smooth flavor that I would not substitute margarine here.
Never made caramel before in my life, and this turned out perfectly! Thank you, and I think the best way to serve this is on a spoon. =)
I missed the part about how to store this the best way when finished. It sounds mouth-watering. Will it harden up around apples? It sounds so good and when they talked to eating it by spoonfull I could imagine a long iced-teaspoon dipping into the carmel and then licking the spoon where the carmel coated it. It would sure taste good in hot chocolate or on icecream of any kind. I hope it will last a long time as thereis just my husband and me and a few friends who are older. I can imagine it in chocolate and carmel and fudgey brownie with icecream. Yum!
You’ll want to store this in the refrigerator, and then warm it up before using it again. I haven’t tried it with apples, but give it a shot! You’ll want to let it thicken up before dipping them.
Hi, love your blog and have tried some of the recipes but find they can be a little hit and miss for those of us who do not deal in “cups”, could you give the quantities in grams or oz as conversions for cups vary from country to country whereas the other measurements above are international and constant.
Hi Katie, Thank you for the feedback. I try to include ounces whenever possible, but in the event that I don’t, please see the Conversions page (https://www.browneyedbaker.com/conversions/) for resources where you can back into the metric measurements as needed. In particular, the King Arthur Flour master weight chart should be a good starting point.