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]
Hi Michelle, I’m new to your site. I’m new to baking, in fact. I just wanted to say thank you. Your blog is lovely, your recipes great and instructions easy to follow. (I only wish your measurements were in the metric system, but I’ll get used to it, I’m sure!). I made the salted caramel sauce today, and your recipe is perfect. I made the chocolate cup cakes to go with it as well (notice how it’s not the other way round?!), and so far, so good! I made your dark chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting last week too, and the cupcakes were delicious. (the peanut butter frosting was not so great, but that’s my fault, not the recipe’s! long story, no need to bore you with it!). So thank you, and keep up the good work!
Asya – all the way from Singapore.
Hello! Will like to find out if 350 is farenheit or deg celcius? Many thanks!
Fahrenheit.
This sauce is really fantastic. I used it for the salted caramel cupcakes recipe (which got rave reviews at a friend’s birthday) but I also drizzled some on to your New York Style Cheesecake (which I had a slice of left in the fridge) and it was ABSOLUTELY delicious. I think I might do an ice cream factory thing next time I have guests, and use this sauce along with your hot fudge sauce as toppings!
I have the worst luck with this recipe. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!!! My sugar cooks to the dark, amber color but every time I have a TON of uncooked chunks of sugar in the pot that are rock hard and not melted. Yet the rest of the sauce is done, or overdone since I have tried to wait on the clumps to cook down. I have cooked the sugar anywhere from low heat for ages to high heat to everything in between. I have attempted this recipe 8 times now! What am I doing so wrong?! Why isn’t my sugar cooking evenly? I have tried whisking continually to whisking only until the sugar starts to melt. But this taste so damn good I keep trying it! I have used a candy thermometer and cup of water trick, so i know its at the right temp. Just Uneven. I just wish I knew what I was doing wrong! Help!
Hey BakerShay – I made this recipe today, and like you, I had the uncooked chunks of sugar too. Actually, I only had one that was the size of a tennis ball!. What I did was take the pan off the heat and stirred the lump of sugar in the melted sugar. When the melted sugar was starting to cool down, I put it back on the heat. Then I’d take it away from the heat again, and stir the lumpy sugar again. It seemed to work for me, and the sugar wasn’t overdone. ps// I actually think it’s using the whisk that’s causing the lumps, because the sugar gets caught in the wire cage of the whisk. I remember ages ago making caramel and just using a wooden spoon, and it was fine. I think I’ll do that next time and see how it goes.
Taking it off burner for a while did the trick for me. Thanks for the idea!
Also, using the whisk at the beginning then switching to a wooden spoon helped, I think.
Made this for the first time for Mother’s Day (2-013). It was very easy; although, heed the “it can burn quickly” advice. It was part of a gift basket for my mom and was a big hit all around. She felt extra special and thought I was a genius. Everyone loved it. We served it over pound cake and caramel ribbon ice cream (store bought this time). I’m not much of a dessert maker but will definitely be trying out a few of the other goodies around here! Thanks for such great recipes and perfect instructions.
This is the most amazing sauce ever!
So darn good. It was really easy to make too. I love this stuff! And the caramel frosting was easy too.
I made this recipe to go with the cupcake recipe that uses it. Then I put the leftovers in the fridge, and started putting it in my coffee in order to use it up. I am now completely addicted to having this in my coffee. Thanks for an AMAZING recipe; it is a very sweet addition to my daily routine. :)
Such a good idea! I’m so doing that next time I make coffee…
I want to make the Salted Caramel Cupcakes for my grad party, but I always mess up caramel because my candy thermometer is horrible! What (affordable) kind of thermometer will work for this?
Hi Riley, I use this Taylor candy thermometer (less than $10!): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004XSC9/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004XSC9&linkCode=as2&tag=broeyebak-20
Wow!!! The hardest part was waiting for it to cool enough so as not to burn my mouth while inhaling the caramel… Amazing as usual – Thank you!
I can’t tell if I burnt it or there’s too much salt. Had to use a fine sea salt. Any advice before I waste the rest of my butter? I also made my own heavy cream with full milk and unsalted butter.
Hi Sylvie, I’m not sure you’re question. I really have no way of knowing if you burnt it or used too much salt. However, if it didn’t turn out correctly, you may want to try traditional heavy cream and see if it works any better. I can never guarantee results when there are ingredient substitutions made or the recipe hasn’t been followed exactly.
Been dying to make salted caramel cupcakes for so long so I found this recipe and it looked so good so i made it today and twice because the first time it left a bad after taste like it was burnt at the bottom the second time it left the same bad taste and it even turned the color you said. Don’t know why so I just used a recipe in my Georgetown cupcakes cookbook that took less time and came out tasting amazing.
Just wondering, in the pictures what is the brand of the thermometer you use?
Hi Kait, It is a Thermapen: 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
When making caramel sauce I found that it is much easier to go by color. If I let the sugar get to 350 I would have a lot of burnt sugar!
I love your salted caramel brownies! I made this and it turned out so delicious! Looking forward to try out more of your recipes.
awesome post! i love salted caramel because it’s so versatile!
I saw this recipe about 2 weeks ago and have been dying to try it. I have never made caramel before, but am adventurous with my desert making so what the heck right? Well, the first attempt was a bust, I looked away for about a second and it boiled and created a hideous stench. LOL. The second attempt went better, but I still burnt it; just barely though. I think I know how to do it this time, so here it goes again. I will probably have to stop at this attempt, it’s getting expensive.
Third time’s the charm. This sauce is beautiful!!! I gave my honey a spoonful when he got home and he took the jar from me…SCORE!!! We spent last night thinking of ways to use this lovely sauce. Thank you!!!
I made this yesterday using raw (turbinado) sugar, since that’s what we have switched to. It turned out way too dark and hadn’t even melted all the way before it looked over done. I was using an electric stove since that’s all I have. I have always loved cooking on electric and it’s all I’ve ever known. Anyway, when I added the cream it turned into a huge lump and would not incorporate with the rest. I put it back on the burner on low-med heat and it finally did melt together enough to salvage most of it. It’s really dark and strong tasting, not burned, but over done for our taste. When I added the salt (I used Maldon Crystal Sea Salt Flakes) it seemed to mix in fine, then later I noticed that most of it was clumped up in the bottom of the glass jar. I am an experienced cook/baker and love your recipes. This one just didn’t turn out great like they usually do. I am going to use the caramel to make the chocolate chip cookie bars so maybe they will be sweet enough to counter the strong caramel taste. Do you think part of the problem was the raw sugar? Thanks. :)
Hi Annette, It could very well have been due to using the raw sugar; I have never used that for caramel sauce.
Well, Michelle, I used the dark caramel sauce in your Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar recipe and OH MY WORD! They are fabulous! Redemption… :)
Like I said, it wasn’t really burned, just dark, and probably because of the raw sugar. I am SO glad I put it back on the burner and waited for it to melt back together instead of throwing it out. It tastes amazing in the cookie bars! Thanks again!!
Hi, I tried this for the first time this weekend and, while it tastes fantastic, its almost solid. It HAS to be eaten with a spoon…no way is that being drizzled on anything!!! Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to thin it down so that it’s more of a sauce and less of a solid? Or what could have caused this in the first place?
Hi Tracey, Once it cools and is refrigerated, yes, the sauce thickens to the point of needing to eat it with a spoon. For drizzling, simply re-warm it gently on the stove or in the microwave.
Phew!!! Thanks for the reply. I was worried I’d messed it up somehow :)
I just made some and it came out delicious! Finally a opportunity to use the Fleur de Sel de Guérande I got for christmas :)
I substituted the cream for some semi skimmed milk (because I hade no cream and it was late in the evening and I wanted to have this stuff NOW.) and it is probably a bit more runny than the version with cream, but still gorgeous sauce.
I should add – just made another batch and noticed a couple things I do.
I use a 6 quart Farberware pot. I frequently double the recipe in this pan, but also use it for single batches. The sugar cooks easier when I make a single batch. (Less caking and lumps.)
I stir 1 teaspoon of salt into the cream while the sugar is melting. It seemed to settle when I added it to the caramel. I also use salted butter.
I thought the salted caramel brownies were fabulous with this sauce. I drizzled a little bit over the brownies after they were baked and cooled in addition to the caramel in the recipe.
I have made numerous batches of this since Thanksgiving. It is wonderful! I used at least 15 jars for gifts, a alot over ice cream, used some in thumbprint cookies, dipped apples, and ate spoonfuls when I walked thru the kitchen. I am making some tonight for Easter, just incase….
Thank-you! I have meant to make my own caramel sauce for years, but never got around to it.
I made this last night and it came out absolutely beautifully! I am writing a post on it for tomorrow, and used it ti make caramel frosting for a German chocolate cake :)
I made this sauce last night, with my husband standing over me holding the butter. (0: It was very delicious! And I managed to only eyeball. The instructions were very helpful. I want to make this cupcake for a baby shower, and don’t want to drizzle this over the cupcake for decor purposes. Can I inject this into a cupcake without it getting soggy? And does it harden for a garnishment?
Hi Pam, You might want to let it set up for a bit before piping it. If you let it sit at room temperature, or even refrigerate for a short time, it will get much thicker, which will make it easier to pipe and keep the cupcakes from getting soggy. It doesn’t ever get rock-hard.
I think your caramel tastes totally burnt.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but you must be crazy taking the caramel to 350 F. That’s temperature when sugar starts to burn. 295 F (hard crack stage) will give you a pretty brittle or hard candy. Caramel shouldn’t go beyond hard ball stage, certainly not more then 270 F.
Am I being ignorant and your technique is just fine? I really want to know and would appretiatie you getting back to me.
Not sure what to tell you. I’ve made multiple batches and it’s always turned out perfect and there are a lot of comments above from people who have made it with great success.
i just made a batch of this and it is to die for!! i am a baker by trade and have never in my 8 years been able to make a good caramel until tonight. thanks so much and the pics helped out a lot. i poured it in between and on top of a caramel apple cake and it’s amazing
Hi. Your shared recipe of salted caramel sounds fantastic. I want to use it for a fundraising gift pack. Is there any way you can preserve this sauce to last a few months? Pasteurize or vacuum pack or whatever? like the store bought bottles.
Thanks.
Hi Dely, Unfortunately, I am not well-versed in food science, but I do know that a key to preserving foods is having some type of acidic component to them. I have no idea if you could make this sauce and process it and have it be fine for a period of months. You might want to check with your local department of agriculture, or just search for a recipe that has been specifically formulated for processing and long-term storage.
I just made my 3rd jar of this in 6 weeks! I’ve almost stopped going to Starbucks, because I put this in my coffee everyday! I’ve also tried it on ice cream, popcorn and apples! It is SO delicious!
I had never made caramel before, but this pregnancy (my baby is 5 weeks old) I craved salted caramel like crazy!
Thank you for the easy instructions and pictures!
This looks so amazingly good.
New to this site—and my daughter and I are really enjoying baking together.
Again I want to thank you for the impending weight gain…LOL.
I recently lost about 100 pounds–am seeing some of that coming back on with these fantastic recipes. (seriously–moderation in all things and it will be just fine)
I just made this last weekend for a big family get together. Dark chocolate cupcakes with vanilla bean frosting and drizzled with this caramel sauce. To die for! And your instructions made it so easy – thank you!