Hi everyone! This is Sierra, and this is my recipe for homemade salted caramel sauce!
As a kid, I always loved sweet caramel candies, but never did I imagined salted caramel would taste so good. This salted caramel sauce is perfect to top off your ice cream, brownies, cupcakes, cookies, and any other sweet desserts, and it’s so quick and easy to make, requiring only 4 ingredients and 10 minutes!
Tips To Get Your Caramel Perfect Every Time
Keep stirring gently as you are boiling the sugar water. This will allow the sugar to brown evenly. But avoid stirring too quickly as that will create air bubbles that mask the color of the caramel (it’ll be helpful to see what color it is to determine when you should turn the heat off).
Additionally, the process of browning and melting sugar happens very quickly, which makes it hard to know when you should turn the heat off to avoid burning the sugar. The easiest way to avoid burnt sugar is to use an instant-read thermometer. The sugar-water mixture will start changing color from transparent to slightly yellow/brown once the temperature hits 300°F. When this happens, pay close attention as you will soon reach the point where the perfectly browned caramel starts to burn.
If you see a golden, reddish-brown color with a slightly burnt smell, then you should immediately take the pot off the heat and put it on a cool surface so that it does not cook anymore. If you are using a thermometer, this would be when the temperature is around 340°F.
Then, quickly pour in heavy cream and mix vigorously. Please be careful in this step as the steam from the combination of the two liquids will be hot and blinding! Don’t put your face in the pot. Take a step back and avoid the hot steam.
Finally, mix in butter and some more salt (optional) and you’re done once you have a smooth caramel! It will thicken as it cools.
How Can You Use Salted Caramel Sauce?
Salted caramel sauce can be used in a lot of desserts!
Try adding caramel to your brownies, cinnamon buns, cookies, ice cream, or any other dessert! Our Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies taste amazing with this caramel sauce, and it would be a great topping for our Zucchini Mochi Brownies as well! Let us know what your favorite use of salted caramel sauce is in the comments!
FAQ
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How do I know when the caramel is done?
If you don’t have an instant-read or candy thermometer, you’ll know the caramel is done when the temperature reaches 340°F. If you don’t have one, don’t worry! You can tell that the caramel is done when it turns a golden, reddish-brown color with a slightly burnt smell. Immediately remove from heat and add the heavy cream so the caramel doesn’t get cooked more!
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Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Course: DessertCuisine: WesternDifficulty: Intermediate6
tablespoons1
minute10
minutesThis rich, salty, and sweet salted caramel sauce is so easy to make, taking only 10 minutes and 4 ingredients! It’s the perfect pairing for countless desserts, so try using it to add more flavor to your favorite sweets!
Ingredients
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional for saltier caramel)
- Equipment
Small pot
Heat-resistant spatula
Directions
- Add sugar and water into a small pot. Prepare cold heavy cream and butter on the side (prepare this now since we’ll need it immediately later)
- Boil the pot over high heat while stirring everything with a heat-resistant silicone or wooden spatula. Make sure the sugar at the bottom doesn’t get burnt
- Keep stirring until the color of the sugar water changes from clear to light brown (caramel color). This process will happen in an instant once the color changes from transparent, so keep an eye on it (if you have an instant-read or candy thermometer, this change will happen at around 300°F). Take the pot off the heat when you smell a deep, rich sweetness (around 340°F). Don’t worry if it smells a little burnt as long as it’s not dark brown burnt
- Remove the pot from heat so the caramel doesn’t get burnt more. Quickly add the heavy cream and mix vigorously with the spatula. Take a step back from the pot when you do this as there will be a lot of steam coming out when you add the heavy cream!
- Add the butter and mix well until the butter has melted and incorporated into the mixture. Optionally, add salt to desired saltiness
- When the mixture looks smooth, pour it into a different bowl, preferably a glass jar that has a lid. Let it cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge or freezer
Notes
- Store for up to 3 weeks in the freezer in an airtight container
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