Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe
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This caramel sauce recipe is so simple, you’ll never want store-bought again! There are only 5 all-natural ingredients that all go into the pot at once and then you whisk until it’s thickened to your liking. How easy is that?! You’ll learn how to make caramel sauce in no time!
I’ve been disappointed many times looking for caramel that didn’t have high fructose corn syrup, or artificial colors and flavors, or other ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. It’s crazy! This caramel recipe is not just easy, but it tastes amazing. Nothing beats homemade caramel sauce!
I learned how to make caramel sauce from Pioneer Woman years ago and have been making this salted version ever since! The little bit of salt in this recipe balances the flavors perfectly so don’t skip it! There’s a reason why salted caramel is “a thing.”
Caramel Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar, packed
4 Tbsp unsalted butter*
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1/2 cup half and half (or use equal parts heavy cream and milk)
1 Tbsp real vanilla extract
*If using salted butter, cut the salt to 1/2 tsp or add it to taste.
To make the Easiest Salted Caramel Sauce:
1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over low heat, whisking constantly or until thickened and no longer watery (6-9 minutes). Keep in mind it thickens more as it cools.
P.S. That’s homemade vanilla extract you see up there. You only need to ingredients for it – so easy! It also makes for a great homemade gift!
Can I Make Caramel Sauce Ahead?
Homemade caramel sauce can easily be made ahead and we love keeping a jar in the refrigerator. Caramel sauce is great served warm, at room temperature or chilled with refrigeration. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. You can warm it slightly to make it more drizzle-able.
P.S. Be careful with the sampling – It’s easy to get carried away!
What Causes Caramel Sauce to be Grainy?
Sugar crystallization can cause a grainy caramel sauce giving your caramel sauce a rough consistency. To prevent this, use a pastry brush moistened with water to brush down the sides of your saucepan if any sugar is present on the sides of the pan. Also, avoid any ingredient substitutions.
To Fix a Grainy Caramel Sauce:
To fix a caramel that separates or a grainy caramel sauce, you want to add a little water (1 to 2 Tbsp), bring it to a boil, and re-dissolve the crystalized sugar. Once it’s smooth again, remove it from heat.
⬇Print-Friendly Caramel Sauce Recipe:
Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, *
- 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup half and half, or use equal parts heavy cream and milk
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
-
Combine all ingredients in a small/medium saucepan and simmer over low heat, whisking constantly or until thickened and no longer watery (6-9 min). Keep in mind it thickens more as it cools. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. You can re-warm it slightly to make it more drizzle-able.
Recipe Notes
*If using salted butter, reduce salt to 1/2 tsp or add it to taste.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
We love this homemade caramel sauce over our pumpkin cheesecake, vanilla ice cream, over baked apples, and the mini cheesecakes I will post later this week, and everything we can possibly put caramel over ;).
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Wow….I threw in a few, thin sliced apples that were leftover from my apple pie filling. This legitimately tasted like a caramel apple. It was so good that I actually took a shot of it, THANK YOU. It is smooth, delicious and thick (whisked contantly for 15 minutes on low, cooled, stored in a glass jar).
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Is there actually anyone that even attempts to keep caramel for 2 weeks 😆
Mine was devoured the first day!!!
😆
This was perfect! Most delicious salted caramel! I used 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt and salted butter (I never keep unsalted butter). Poured over vanilla ice cream over top homemade pumpkin pie for our Christmas dessert.
Sounds delicious! I’m so glad you loved it.
This is my go to recipe for dressing up any dessert. My family loves it and I’ve shared it numerous times. Its so easy I’ve made it many times while my company is sitting at the table.
So glad it was a hit! Thank you for sharing, Helene!
I must say I had doubts about the recipe working, after reading comments about others’ sauce being grainy or watery. However, it turned out just as you said!! I whisked it constantly for about 11 mins. Used Single Cream (which I think is the irish version of half-and-half). Absolutely delicious caramel sauce. Thank you for the recipe! This will be a go to now whenever caramel is called for.
You are so welcome, Tom! Great to hear that you loved this recipe!
I just made this caramel and it’s too watery. how can I get it to thicken?
Hi Guadalupe, I suggest constantly whisking or until thickened and no longer watery (6-9 minutes). Keep in mind it thickens more as it cools. Also to make it thicker, cook the sauce longer. As more of the liquid evaporates, it will thicken. Was anything changed or altered in the recipe to further troubleshoot?
I substituted whipping cream for half and half and while it is a beautiful colour it just not want to seem to thicken. Should I take it off the heat and then it will thicken?
Hi Kim. The whipping cream is what helps it get thick. I am not sure how to achieve those results with half and half.
Hi Natasha, the recipe says to use half and half or equal parts of heavy cream and milk. So is there a mistake? Was I supposed to use heavy whipping cream instead of half and half. I used half and half and it doesn’t want to thicken. Thanks 🙏🏻
Hi Marina! Yes, half and half is correct. Equal parts of heavy cream and milk are what make up half and half so for those people who do not have access to half in half in their local grocery stores or don’t have time to make a trip to the store, they can make their own at home with milk and heavy cream. 🙂
I’m having the same issue – used half and half (what the recipe calls for) and it is not thickening. Help!
Hi Tiff, make sure to simmer it over low heat and continue whisking it until it thickens.
Attempted this last night without the salt and it turned out really grainy. Didn’t go back to the recipe to see the suggested fix for grainy sauce. I cooked it a long time, even let it boil, because it never seemed to thicken.
Hi Sharon, I have added this to the recipe “What Causes Caramel Sauce to be Grainy?” and how to fix it. I recommend trying that out.
Can you use 100% heavy cream? If I don’t have half & half and don’t keep milk, will this significantly change the process?
Hi Debbi, you can use equal parts heavy cream and milk if you don’t have half and half.
Hi
I am unable to see your video of this easy caramel sauce recipe, there are too many adds running on the website. Is there anyway it can be fixed, thank you
Hi, this recipe does not have a video associated with it so that is why you aren’t seeing it, but this would be a fun one to film.
Hi Natasha! Love your recipes. . . They are consistently awesome, so please keep ‘em coming ;o)
In this recipe for caramel sauce, can dark brown sugar be used vs. light brown?
Hi Mary! I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes. Thank you.
I have not made this with dark but one of my readers reported excellent results using dark.
I used dark brown sugar and came out excellent. Color and texture and used half and half and it did thickened. Thank you Natasha for another awesome recipe. 🙂 I often use your recipes, your Turkey recipe is AMAZING. Cheers
I’m so glad it worked out well, Menijeh! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Just wondering how long will this keep in an unopened bottle in the cupboard? Or will it need to be kept in the fridge even if unopened
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried canning it for a shelf life so I can’t make that recommendation.
Just wondering if you could use Golden Monkfruit Sweetener instead of light brown sugar.
Hi Teresa! I have not tested this to advise what the outcome would be.
I love this carmel and have made it many times but I’m curious if it would work well over cake?
Hi Jennifer, I haven’t tried that myself, but I imagine that may work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Do you pour this caramel sauce over the cheesecake just before serving or pour it on CC & let set ?
Aloha! We have it set. In our Mini Cheesecakes with caramel sauce recipe see step 3: “Cool to room temp in the baking dish then spoon this caramel sauce over each one. Refrigerate 2 hours then top with homemade whipped cream (see “how to make whipped cream” below) and dust with cinnamon if desired. Serve with or without liners.”I hope this helps!
Hi! Sorry, my brain just won’t process at the moment. What did you mean when you said equal parts of heavy cream and milk? Thanks!
Hi Sam, just in case you cannot find half and half you may use half whipping cream and half whole milk.
I just made a batch now, and omg I love it! Thank you, Natasha! 🙂
This isn’t caramel, it’s butterscotch. Caramel is made with white sugar.
I made your cheesecake and carmel. Not paying attention to the amount of salt, I doubled the recipe🤦♀️. Even if the amount was 1/2 tsp. It would be enough. I’m now making more Carmel to add to the first recipe and it will be perfect.
The cheesecake turned out well😉
Oh no! I’m sorry Judy, but glad the cheesecake turned out well! 🙂
While this sauce is extremely hot could you use canning jars, seal & keep w/o refrigerating until
it is opened?
Hi Jackie, I have not tried canning this recipe and because of the dairy ingredients, I do not know how well it will can and if it will be safe for consumption if not refrigerated.
A lovely, smooth butterscotch sauce! Lovely over my bread pudding and ice-cream! Thank you!
So yummy! I’m glad you loved it. 🙂
Hi Natasha! Would this work with coconut sugar instead of brown sugar? Thanks
Hi Ester, I haven’t tried this with coconut sugar, but here’s what one of my readers wrote “i used coconut sugar and needed to cook a little longer. The flavor had much more depth, however, it is very dark no matter how much cream you use. side note. I also tried it with coconut whipping cream. MUST TRY.” I hope this helps!
this is a recipe for butterscotch sauce. Caramel is made using white sugar and allowed to bubble as the sugar caramelizes; never stirred for the entire cooking time
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, ML! I hope you enjoy our take on it!
The recipe is great but I have a question. Can you substitute brown sugar with white sugar?
Hi, brown sugar is preferred because it has molasses in it.
Can you substitute white sugar or mix of half white / half light brown?
Thanks!
Hi Steph, I have always made this with brown sugar. I think it could work but you probably wouldn’t get as nice of a caramel color using white sugar since the brown sugar has molasses in it for color.
Can this be canned? If so, water bath or pressure canner and for how long? Thank you
Hi Reta, I haven’t tried canning this to advise.
What a fantastic little recipe! I’ve used other recipes for caramel sauce…they were too involved or they didn’t turn out. I made a caramelised banana upside down cake using your caramel recipe which my family devoured and all of them luvd and commented on the caramel sauce…Thanks Natasha
Hi Sam, happy to know that the recipes that you tried went great! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
I would love to have that recipe pretty please! My hubby is addicted to anything with bananas.
Thank you for the recipe…I absolutely love caramel and its getting too expensive to buy.
I am using mine to make copycat starbuck’s frappacino
Were the small o’s on the measurements meant for something…I did remove them as I found the recipe a bit too busy to read.
You’re so welcome! I’m not so sure what you mean about the small o’s the measurement looks fine to me.
Amazing!!!!!! Used this sauce after messing up another recipe I found online. I was able to make this recipe in about 10 min. (in time to get my kids from daycare) and the flavor is unbelievable!
Thank you for sharing, Rachel. I’m so happy to hear that.
Omg this caramel sauce is amazing! Mine didn’t go as thick as what you’re looks. In Australia we don’t have ‘half and half’ cream so I used half thickened cream and half full cream milk. Any suggestions on what would make it thicker? Would double cream work?
Hi Felicity! Half & Half is a mix of milk and heavy whipping cream. The heavy whipping cream here is about 36% fat. I’m not sure how much fat double cream has, but if it’s close to that 36%, that may work to mix with the milk to make your own Half & Half. I hope that helps!
I dont know if you found this out to be but, the first time I made this amazing recipe I dont think i cooked long enough. So this last time I kept it on till it bubbled much! And I did get the sauce to come out right.
Natasha, I have tried several of your recipes and my family has enjoyed them all. Enjoy your bubbly personality.
Hi Judy. I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for sharing that with me.
Just yum. Runnier than expected but still 5 stars. I’ll be making this again
Thank you for the review! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
While this is indeed an easy recipe, and yummy, it isn’t caramel, it’s butterscotch.
Butterscotch is made with brown sugar, caramel is made with white sugar. Butterscotch is a distinctly different flavor than caramel, but people often confuse the two or even think they are interchangeable. And you’re not the only post for “caramel” that uses brown.
Absolutely correct 😁
Technically
White is caramel
Brown is butterscotch
I have always used brown sugar to make homemade soft chew caramels and they have never tasted like butterscotch. It is really odd that I keep reading that brown sugar cannot be used to make caramel yet I have only used white sugar once to make a caramel sauce and it was good but still prefer the brown and I def know the difference between butterscotch and caramel. I’m not a fan of butterscotch but love caramel so that’s interesting!
Hi Natasha! How can I make stay runny even if I place it in the fridge? I plan on using this for iced coffee and I don’t really want to heat it every time I make coffee. Thanks!
Hi Anna, I haven’t tested that to advise on the technique to make that happen! I hope you try and love this recipe!
5 stars for the taste, 5 stars for the colour, and 10 more for how easy this recipe is! I made it with dark brown sugar and it was just perfect!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Elena I want to use dark brown sugar as well. Can you please tell me will the colour be darker than the photos? Thank you 🙏
I have tried a few recipes for caramel sauce but this blows them out of the water!! Thank you!!! (also, for me, the Color was beautiful!) 🙂
You’re welcome, Kim. Thanks a lot for your excellent feedback!
Love, love, love, the caramel cheesecake. The recipe is easy to follow, the sauce easy and quick. Thank you so much!
We love easy recipes and I’m so happy you do too, Deborah! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I made this recipe but it didn’t thicken and it was too salty even though I followed the directions carefully.
Can this Carmel recipe be doubled or tripled? I need to make 25- 4oz jars for gifts.
Hi Patty, I think that would work fine but it may need to be on the stove longer and you’ll definitely need a larger pot to hold it.
I was skeptical on this based on the color (sort of gray-ish), but then I tasted it and was blown away. Amazing!
Wonderful feedback, Mike. Thanks a lot for sharing that with us!
I would love to make this and give as part of Christmas gifts, can the recipe be doubled?
Hi Becca, that sounds like a good idea! I imagine that will work, you can go to the recipe card and click the number of servings to adjust the ingredients too.
Best caramel sauce!!!! Easy. Delicious. Did I mention easy? Lol. Don’t bother with any other recipe. This is the one. Thank you, thank you!
Perfect! Thanks for sharing your experience trying out this recipe, Robin. I’m happy that you loved it!
Made this in a double batch. Turned out great. I made to go with my fresh apple pie I just made. Yummy
Hello Kerrey, thank you for your review. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Awesome flavor, easy to make!
When I pulled it off the heat it was super smooth and not grainy at all, but as it cooled to room temp and got thicker it became quite grainy at that point. How could this be prevented or what did I miss? I assumed the directions for adding water and bringing it to a boil again was for if it was grainy during the cooking process rather than after cooling.
It still tasted amazing and didn’t stop us from enjoying it!
Hi Erin, that’s right, it sounds like it needed a little more time to melt completely. I recommend ensuring you’re not using a different kind of sugar.
Tastes fine but didn’t turn out for me. It separated and I have to stir it each time I want to use it. Followed the recipe exactly so not sure what happened.
Hi Amber, keeping it on too high of heat could cause that. Also, make sure not to use any substitutions in ingredients before testing the recipe as written, otherwise, it’s difficult to troubleshoot.
This caramel sauce is to die for!!I eat by the spoon fulls. Thank you for sharing!!!
Thanks for the awesome feedback, Beth. I’m glad you love it!
This is thee best caramel sauce everrrrr. Not only is it delicious, it’s easy to make. As in EASYYY hehe. Don’t even think about any other recipe. This is the one! I ran out of light brown sugar so I used dark brown sugar this time. Was just as delicious FYI. Thank you so much for sharing!
You’re welcome, Robin. Thank you so much for your great comments and feedback!
I am just wondering if this recipe can be made with white sugar?
Hi Shelby, I haven’t tested it that way but I imagine it would be lighter in color.
Hey Natasha can I use It for your caramel apples cause I am not a blessing to find caramels in Sri Lanka
Hi Ranuth, unfortunately, this caramel sauce would be too thin and too soft to use for caramel apples. It looks like next year I need a caramel apples from scratch recipe!
Hi Natasha,
I’ve made this before as directed and it turned out fabulous. I want to make it again but only have dark brown sugar. Will that work and taste similar?
Thank you
Hi Erica, thanks for sharing that with us. Someone shared this comment “This is the one! I ran out of light brown sugar so I used dark brown sugar this time. Was just as delicious FYI. Thank you so much for sharing!” I hope that helps.
Hi is there a recommened final temp rather than not watery Thanks
Hi Ken, between 340-350°F is when the caramel starts to get the right color so keep an eye on it at that point and remove from heat once it reaches your desired color and thickness.
Can I use this recipe for caramel covered apples? Or is it different I’ve never done it before so I was just curious thank you!
Hi Alyssia, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hi, um I was wondering what happeneds if you don’t pack down the brown sugar.
Hi, Yes, brown sugar should be packed into measuring cups and spoons with your fingers until even with the rim. If it is not packed, you will get an incorrect amount and a different outcome.
Hi Natasha, love your recipes! Question about the caramel sauce. What do you put it in to give as gifts?
Hi Kerry, you can put the sauce in a nice jar just like what is shown in the picture in the recipe.
Hi Natasha, this is delicious! How would I store this and how long will it last for please?
Hi Lei, please see the section in the recipe post titled: “Can I Make Caramel Sauce Ahead?”
Can you use evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk in this recipe??
Hi Carolyn, I haven’t experimented with those.
Hi,
This caramel sauce sounds exactly like one I’d love to try. Can half and half be replaced with anything non-dairy?
Hi Anne, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
I will perhaps try this recipe because it does sound delicious, but there’s an old, very easy recipe I’ve used forever. Just take one can of condensed milk. make two small punctures in top to release steam, put in pot of boiling water, reduce to simmer, careful not to let water go over top of can, let simmer till you can tell it’s carmelized. Can’t remember how long, sorry.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Sheila! I hope you give this a try soon!
Can it be frozen in smaller amounts?
Hi Sue, I haven’t tried freezing this caramel sauce so I’m don’t sure if that would break the consistency.
Hi Natasha.
Wow. My second batch of the sauce came out so perfect that I wanted to cry:)) Божественно. Can I hug you?:)) I will never purchase caramel sauce again.
Unfortunately the first batch came out unbearably salty, so instead of 1 teaspoon, I added half a teaspoon for the second batch.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’m gonna use this for my lattes too:)
Sending you an air hug, Susanna! Thank you for your lovely comment!
Hi Natasha,
This recipe looks great and I’m tempted to try it with Ina Garten’s Pana Cotta recipe. However, I’d like to make this desert ahead and have the caramel over the panacotta. Do you think this sauce can be poured over the pana cotta and refrigerated then served or should the warm caramel be served on the side with the chilled pana cotta. I want it to be as easy for serving as the number of guests are 50. Would appreciate your earliest response. Thanks again for sharing all your wonderful recipes
Hi there, either process will actually work fine. I recommend testing it out before the actual event so you’ll be able to see which process is easier for you.
A tablespoon of real vanilla extract is way way WAY too much. I used a teaspoon and that was way too much. It tastes like vanilla on steroids I can’t even imagine what a tablespoon would taste like.
Hi Natasha, I think you should make a full in depth video because I followed the instructions to make your caramel sauce but at the end it start to turn hard inside the pot and I don’t know if I should take it out of the pot and transfer it into a bowl and probably it was because I added too much heat.
Hi Jhony, cooking for longer may make that happen. This caramel sauce may be a little thin for certain recipes – it won’t fully harden and dry as caramel candies would, although it will if you cooked it longer, but I still think it would be sticky to the touch.
Hi Natasha,
I’ve been always been a fan of your cooking and baking.
Can I asked please if I can use brown sugar instead of light sugar. I couldn’t find light brown sugar in Sydney.
Thank you and all the very best!
Regards,
Kathryn
Thanks for your support, Kathryn. I would avoid dark brown sugar which can seize the caramel and turn it grainy. But someone else also shared that they used brown sugar and worked too, I think you would have to do an experiment on that. If you try it, please share with us how it turns out!
can you use this for runny type chocolate caramels. please send answer to email senior not great with this thankyou
Hi Dorothy, I haven’t tested that to advise on the technique to make that happen! I hope you try and love this recipe!
Do you think it would work to double this recipe?
That would work, Angie. If you click on the serving size in the recipe card, you can slide it up or down to scale the recipe ingredient lists. I hope that helps!
This came out PERFECTLY. I whisked non stop and I mean non stop lol … on low and at the end just simmered. I did this for closer to 7 minutes. It still seems watery at first but you don’t realize how much it will thicken. I was worried about cooking it too long and crystallization like others mentioned. I cooled it at room temperature in a mason jar. I made the mini salted caramel cheesecakes with it. Out of this world! Thank you
You are very welcome, Nicole. I’m happy that you enjoyed and loved this recipe! Thank you for giving this a try and for sharing your great feedback and review with us.
Thank you for your reply Natasha. I tried using brown sugar. The recipe was really great. However, when it cooled down it became granny.
Hi Natasha! i have been watching you since a long time you are a wonderful cook! i just wanted to ask that will this recipe harden after being cooled to a spreadable consistency, for example like a filling between cakes?
Hi, it does thicken up with refrigeration. I haven’t tested it between cake layers to see if it would seep out, but that may work.
okay thankyou for replying! loads of love <3
Thank you for the best caramel recipe after many failed attempts at it!
Definitely will be making this quick and super easy recipe again
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Pam!
Hi Natasha…
i was wondering … why my caramel sauce when it cool, it become hard like a candy?
Am i doing it wrong?
Hi Lielie, cooking for longer may make that happen. This caramel sauce may be a little thin for certain recipes – it won’t fully harden and dry as caramel candies would, although it will if you cooked it longer, but I still think it would be sticky to the touch.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use equal parts heavy whipping cream and milk instead of heavy cream?
Hi Sue, I haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I used heavy whipping cream in substitute for heavy cream an it worked great! I would highly recommend this option if you don’t have heavy cream.
Nice to know that, Dandy! Thank you for sharing that with us, so helpful.
Hi Sue, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you give that a try, please share with us how it goes.
Está deliciosa la receta de caramelo… Gracias…
Pero al enfriarse se me hizo azucarada!!! No sé que hice mal😞
Thank you! Glad you liked it.
Love all your recipes! Never made one I didn’t love! Your also so fun to watch! Thank you a 🇨🇦 fam!
You’re welcome, Joan! I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying this recipe.
Just made it. I used Demerara sugar as that’s all I had on hand. Omg! Delicious 😋 a bit darker colour but you’re right. Don’t think I’ll ever buy store bought again. Thank you for the really easy recipe.
Delicious and easy to make. Not grainy and doesn’t separate. Unfortunately….. it only lasts me five days and then I have to make it again! Note to self: Make a double recipe.
Glad you liked it, Susan! Yes, doubling it sounds like a good idea.
Disappointed.
After mine cooled, it wasn’t smooth, it was very grainy.
Followed the instructions to a T.
Hi Maria, this could be due to overcooking (make sure the heat isn’t too high). Also, avoid dark brown sugar which can seize the caramel and turn it grainy. To fix a grainy caramel or a caramel that separates, you want to add a little water (1-2 Tbsp), bring it to a boil, and re-dissolve the crystalized sugar then remove it from heat.
Natasha im trying to male this recipe can i use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar?
Hi Lena, I haven’t tested that so I’m not sure if it would melt and caramelize the same way.
i used coconut sugar and needed to cook a little longer. The flavor had much more depth, however, it is very dark no matter how much cream you use. side note. I also tried it with coconut whipping cream. MUST TRY.
Love all your recipes. I like the caramel too. How do I make caramel for apples. I want to make candy apple coated in caramel. I think the sauce recipe you have is for dipping and will not harden for candy apple. Thank you
Hi, this caramel sauce doesn’t harden the way you would want for candy apples. I have that on my list to post, but it’s still in progress.
I have not made this sauce, yet, and I need to know – will it slightly-crystalize after it cools, like other caramels I’ve made that included corn syrup? Also, how would adding bourbon affect it?
Hi Rick, I haven’t tested those add-ins so I can’t say for sure. It shouldn’t crystalize, but it does firm up. A quick heat-up will loosen it up again.
Just use the bourbon instead of the vanilla extract. Comes out perfect!
Hi Natasha, happy holidays to you and your family 🎄🎄🎄I made this caramel sauce and is very delicious 😋.
I have one question, it took about 20 minutes to get the sauce thick.
I was wondering should I start with medium heat and when it starts to bubble, should I go to low heat and let it simmer for 6 to 9 minutes?
Hi Rosy, you can try that. Just make sure not to boil or burn it. Stoves vary, and that can impact how long it takes to cook on low.
I followed the recipe exactly and it came out great. It thickened up as it cooled and was smooth. Although it was tasty, this is more of a penuche sauce and not a caramel sauce. The brown sugar taste is strong. If you want a penuche sauce this is a great recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha,
What do you mean by “use equal parts of heavy cream and milk”?? So you mean 1/2 heavy cream and 1/2milk? I hope my question makes sense. Thanks!
Yes, that is right!
i love the way you cook..it make sense and very knowledgable..thanks be to God for all your recipes❤️
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
Hi Natasha! I made the recipe and it was perfect while it was hot. But when it cooled down, the sugar crystalized and had a sand-like texture. What should I do to save my sauce?
Hi Raquel, it sounds like the sugar didn’t melt completely. I would recommend making sure to use the same kind of sugar listed n the recipe. Also, a grainy appearance can be due to overcooking or undercooking. To fix that consistency, try reheating it before serving. It normally does thicken up when it cools, especially when refrigerated, so I like to warm it up slightly before serving.
Hi Natasha…love all your recipes and videos. This recipe for caramel sauce is actually the recipe for butterscotch sauce, as you are using brown sugar. Caramel sauce calls for white sugar. Makes no difference to me, but a chef friend of mine has asked that I bring it to your attention….
Thanks for bringing that to my attention, we’ll take note of these things for our future videos.
Should the sauce separate when it cools? The caramel looked great on the saucepan but quickly separated while it cooled in a glass jar!
Thanks!
Hi Sonny, normally it thickens but doesn’t separate while refrigerated. Try warming some of it and see if it comes together. I wonder if it was heated too long.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I never knew it was so easy to prepare caramel sauce. I made it for the mini cheese cup cakes. I did not read the instruction properly and used complete amount of heavy cream since i did not have half and half. My caramel sauce is pretty thick. I was able to melt it by cooking on the stove. My question is, can i always heat it up before using or is that a bad idea and do you recommend tossing this and creating a new batch. I did warm up the caramel sauce and added it on the cheese cupcakes. I hope that does not spoil the taste.
Hi Vin, this homemade caramel sauce reheats really well and it’s ok to warm it up a little before serving. I have warmed it in the microwave and on the stovetop.
Hi Natasha. I’m Wong from Malaysia. I have tried this recipe together with the mini cheese cake. I couldn’t gibd half anf half here so i substitute it fully with dairy whipping cream. Find the caramel seems to melt and became watery on top of the cake after 2 days in the fridge. What did i do wrong here. Hope to get some advice. TIA
Hi, a substitute for half and half would be equal parts of milk and heavy whipping cream mixed together. Since cheesecake can release some moisture in the refrigerator, I prefer to add the caramel when I am serving.
Hi Natasha, please tell me, for the caramel sauce, heavy cream needs 121 ml?
Hi Manana, yes that is correct. If you click on the metric button it will convert to the liquid measurement in metric measurements.
Hi, is it possible to replace the light brown sugar for demerara sugar? Does the cooking time or consistency changes?
Thanks!!
Hi Eti, I am not familiar with demerara sugar and haven’t tested with that so I can’t say for sure.
HI Natasha,LOVE,LOVE this. I should not admit this but I will. I eat this by the teaspoon!! I can not get enough of it.My Fiance’ and oh yes, my kitty is in on the act I let her have a little taste once and now she wants it every time she sees me eating it.Do you by any chance have one for chocolate? I love all your receipes.You do a great job and I look forward to your shows. Blessings and stay safe!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi ladies!
Demerara sugar is the same then brown sugar. Azucar moreno in spanish.
@ Farah Zoquier Demerara sugar and brown sugar are NOT the same thing although you can substitute one for the other.
I have made the sauce three times and I can’t get it to thicken. I end up with a runny caramel sauce.. What am I doing wrong?
HELP!
Hello Diana, I suggest whisking constantly or until thickened and no longer watery (6-9 minutes). Keep in mind it thickens more as it cools. Also to make it thicker, cook the sauce longer. As more of the liquid evaporates, it will thicken. Was anything changed or altered in the recipe to further troubleshoot?
I cannot get this caramel sauce to thicken. Have tried twice now.
Hi Dev, to make it thicker, cook the sauce longer. As more of the liquid evaporates, it will thicken. Was anything changed or altered in the recipe to further troubleshoot?
Caramel sauce that was truly easy. Toasted great also. Definitely make again and again
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe Ritu! Thank you for sharing this great review with me!
Don’t you need to use a candy thermometer?
Hi Julie, an instant-read thermometer also works if you wanted to check the temperature, but this can be made without a thermometer following the instructions and visual cues.
Is this the same caramel for caramel apples or is this sauce too thin?
Hi Jaime, this wouldn’t firm up like you would want for a caramel apple. I have that on my list for this year though.
What is shelf life of caramel sauce in Fridge and outside fridge
Hi, see the section above titled: “Can I Make Caramel Sauce Ahead?”
Made this to top my sticky date pudding. It was so easy to make and it tastes divine. Didn’t have regular brown sugar so I used dark and some extra cream – thanks for this incredibly simple and good recipe
You’re welcome Nisani! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
The sauce is delicious but I could not get it to thicken no matter what I did. I probably stirred it for 20 mins straight and even added cornstarch to see if that would help. I followed the recipe exactly so I’m not sure why it wouldn’t get past the watery phase.
Hi Melinda, I suggest whisking constantly or until thickened and no longer watery (6-9 minutes). Keep in mind it thickens more as it cools. Also to make it thicker, cook the sauce longer. As more of the liquid evaporates, it will thicken. Was anything changed or altered in the recipe to further troubleshoot?
Hi Luda-
Thanks for sharing. Question for you- I know you said it can keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Are you allowed to leave it at room temp instead? How long would it keep that way?
Thanks!
Hi Brit, since there is dairy in it I would not leave it at room temperature. I would refrigerate after a day at room temperature. The sooner you refrigerate, the longer it will last.
Hi Natasha, I want to make caramel sauce and pair it up with cheesecake. Do you recommend using dark brown sugar instead of light brown? And if not, why? Please and thank you!
Hi Luda, I have only used a light brown sugar in the recipe.
Natasha, regular brown sugar had much more intense taste, but it was too much for such a tasty caramel. I used light brown sugar for my second batch of caramel (was pairing them up with my second batch of cheesecake cupcakes 🙂 ) and about 3/4 tsp salt instead of 1 tsp, and was much more pleased with results. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing that with us, Luda. That’s useful info – we appreciate it!
I made this sauce 3 times now. It tastes amazing however I cannot get it to thicken. I followed the directions and measurements and this third time I left it on heat for 30 minutes stirring constantly and adding more brown sugar and it’s still runny. Not sure what could be going wrong but it does taste good.
Hi Julia, are you using the same quantities of ingredients and making sure to pack the sugar? Check out our post on how we measure ingredients which may help.
cheese cake was delicious but I could’nt get the carmel sauce to thicken
Hi Debbie, to make it thicker, cook the sauce longer. As more of the liquid evaporates, it will thicken. Was anything changed or altered in the recipe to further troubleshoot?
I have tried your recipes, its so nice and easy. Can I have the whipped cream recipes pl.
Hi Maureen, are you referring to the Half & Half cream we used for this recipe? Half & Half is the name of a cream mixture here in the US. It is a 50/50 mix of milk and cream. I hope that helps.
i don’t care for brown sugar so I caramalise my own! Easy and YUM!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Hi Natasha,
I made the caramel sauce for the mini cheese cakes and I followed your instructions exactly and I used the exact ingredients. While the sauce had a delicious flavour, it was rather runny, dripping over the sides of the little cheese cakes. Perhaps a recipe that is thicker would work better. I cooked my sauce on medium heat for 9 minutes, took it off the burner and poured it into a jar. When it was cool i put it in the fridge overnight. I poured a tablespoon on each mini cheese cake and returned them to the fridge but the sauce remained thin.
Joanie Lee
Hello Joanie, I suggest whisking constantly or until thickened and no longer watery (6-9 minutes). Keep in mind it thickens more as it cools. Also to make it thicker, cook the sauce longer. As more of the liquid evaporates, it will thicken. Was anything changed or altered in the recipe to further troubleshoot?
I made this sauce with the cheese cake recipe last night. They were easy and did not disappoint! The flavor of this sauce is amazing! It turned out perfect, but after cooling in a jar, I noticed a thin layer of crystallize sugar on top. I stirred it, now it’s all grainy. Can this be fixed ?
Hi Erin, I haven’t had it turn grainy on me so I wonder if any substitutions were made. I highly recommend making the recipe as directed before making any modifications or substitutions. Also, make sure to pack the brown sugar – you’ll know it’s packed adequately when you empty it from the cup and it holds its shape.
I had the same think happen to mine after it cooled. The only thing I did different was cook it longer then you suggested to make it thinker. Do you think that could have done it. It was beautiful and silky when I first took it off the heat, but once cooled the top crystalized and went somewhat grainy once reheated. Still tasted good, but just not the nice silky consistency it originally had before cooling.
Hi Stacy, make sure to use the same kind of sugar listed n the recipe. Also, a grainy appearance can be due to overcooking or undercooking. To fix that consistency, try reheating it before serving. Also, it normally does thicken up when it cools and especially when refrigerated so I like to warm it up slightly before serving.
Hi Natasha
Do you think this would work at altitude (I am at 6700 ft elevation), or are there adjustments to make due to the lower boiling point of liquids here?
Thanks,
Laura
Hi Laura, I can’t say that this recipe will be impacted by a higher altitude to advise. I would love to know if you have that experience testing it out however!
I am going to make this to pour over warm gingerbread.
Yum! That sounds amazing! I hope you love this recipe!
Can I use Truvia brown sugar blend instead of regular brown sugar? Watching carbs.
Hi Kathy, I haven’t tested with that to advise. If you happen to experiment I would love to know how you like it!
So easy and SO delicious! I think the brown sugar really adds a great flavor.
Thank you for the wonderful review!
I tried this for the first time and it’s so delicious! I used 1/4c Condensed milk & 1/4c all purpose cream from our leftovers. Tastes like butterscotch 😋
Thank you Ms Natasha!
You are so welcome! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe.
Hi
If i am heating the caramel sauce how do I do it?
Thanks 🙂
Caramel sauce is great served warm, at room temperature, or chilled with refrigeration. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. You can warm it slightly in a saucepan to make it more drizzle-able.
Best caramel sauce ever so smooth and thicker than all the others I’ve tried, we all love it, I used pure cream👌🏼
Perfect! Thanks for sharing your great experience with us.
We stopped using syrup in our latte and started using this – so delicious! Goodness, I could eat a spoonful of this caramel, but I shouldn’t!…but I could.
That’s a great idea! Thank you so much for sharing that idea with me Grace!
Hi natasha! I did this but they ended up bubbling in the oven as they cook and deflated in the middle once done…. What did i do wrong
Just tried making this. I had ice cream and was craving a caramel sauce to spoon on top. Cut the recipe in half and used 1/2 thickened cream and 1/2 milk since we don’t have half and half in Australia.
It is delicious! What a quick and easy recipe. Thank you.
I’m so glad you loved the caramel sauce! Thank you for sharing your great review.
Hi Natasha,
I the Caramel Sauce and it was delicious, first time. Its being use on Baklava. I am wondering since the sauce will be used periodically, should it be refrigerated? Please let me, thank you much
Hi Christine, yes, you can refrigerate up to 2 weeks. It does keep well. You can reheat slightly if you want to drizzle it over your dessert or morning pancakes!
Hello,
I am confuse in cream and milk measurements. Plz explain what is 1/2 cup and half and half???
Thanks
Hi Bushra, Half & Half is the name of a cream mixture here in the US. It is a 50/50 mix of milk and cream. I hope that helps.
I was excited to find such an easy recipe, but it was honestly too good to be true. It was still much too thin after over maybe 15 minutes of stirring and slaving over that pot. After cooling it didn’t thicken much more at all, and didn’t taste much like caramel. It was still somewhat tasty though, hence the three stars. Maybe it was something i did, but i wouldn’t really recommend this recipe.
Hi, did you make sure to measure accurately? Make sure with the brown sugar that you pack it into the cup. When it comes out of the cup, it should keep the form of the measuring cup and that is how you know you have enough. Also, be sure to use half and half and not plain milk.
hii Natasha,
can i use half light brown sugar and half white sugar?
Hi Amirah, I haven’t tested it that way but I imagine it would be lighter in color.
Thanks Natasha
hi Natasha,
made your caramel sauce recipe to go with your mini cheesecake recipe the caramel sauce was so DELICIOUS it was salty and sweet it was so balanced LOVE IT!!!!
Thank you Natasha.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that! This is our go-to and the most favorite caramel sauce!
Hi Natasha! Can we use dark brown sugar? That’s all I have in my pantry 🙁
I haven’t tried that yet but I imagine it should be alright. Please update us and let us know how it goes if you try it!
Hi I was just wondering would I be able to just use regular whipping cream instead of the half and half?
Hi Sage, you can use 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream to replace the 1/2 cup of half and half.
Thank you for clarifying!!! Salted caramel is one of my favorite cheesecakes. I can’t wait to try this!!!
Is there a way to replace the half and half without using heavy whipping cream?
Hi Lucy, you can use regular whipping cream instead of the half and half and you will have a slightly thicker caramel sauce which will still work great
Is it possible to use milk and butter to replace that
I haven’t tested that specifically to advise. If you do test that I recommend trying a small batch first.
Hi Natasha
Thank you so much for the reply. My friend actually made a Youtube video making chocolate cupcakes with a salted Caramel frosting and she also made your caramel sauce. We used milk and butter as a substitute and it turned out great! I’ll comment the video link when it comes out
Sounds good, Lucy! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
This is the best, easiest caramel sauce! I am so happy to have found a caramel sauce recipe with a great ingredient list!
A little patience goes a long way with this. But trust me, keep stirring for a bit until it’s cooled, and it will thicken to a beautiful, silky smooth caramel with a beautiful color!
I layered this over a pumpkin cheesecake, and it was amazing!! Luckily I saved the extra to be able to add to some other goodies here soon.
Thank you so much for sharing this awesome review with us, Kelly! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Have been whisking the carmel sauce on the stove for 20 min and it won’t thicken. Used the exact recipe.
Hi Heather, I suggest whisking constantly or until thickened and no longer watery (6-9 minutes). Keep in mind it thickens more as it cools. Also to make it thicker, cook the sauce longer. As more of the liquid evaporates, it will thicken. Was anything changed or altered in the recipe to further troubleshoot?
Hi natasha que i use the carAmel sauce to filling chocolate cake .
It doesn’t get hard whe is in the fridge.
Thanks
Hi Fanny, This caramel sauce may be a little thin for certain recipes – it won’t fully harden and dry as caramel candies would, although it will if you cooked it longer, but I still think it would be sticky to the touch.
This turned out perfect. Yum! it was hard to tell when it was done. After about 9 min. it seemed quite runny so I turned up the heat and bubbled it for about 1/2 min. Since I recently made another caramel sauce recipe and scorched it I was a little hesitant. it still seemed runny but once it cooled it was perfect. I’m going to drizzle over a slice of gingerbread loaf. Thank you. So easy and now I feel like a pro! P.S. I am not a good cook.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Trish!
Hi Natasha, I tried your sauce and it was both easy and great. Technically it’s not caramel, you just make use of the caramel taste of cane sugar, but that’s what makes it easy breezy. It tastes like caramel + butterscotch and that’s great! Thank you, Didi
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
what’s a substitute for heavy cream???
Hi Amirah, you can use regular whipping cream instead of the half and half and you will have a slightly thicker caramel sauce which will still work great
This is the most DELICIOUS caramel sauce I’ve ever tasted! Caramel is my favorite desert topping, and this is unbelievably easy and tasty. The only problem is how easy it is to eat by the spoonful! Try it in coffee with some milk for a caramel latte!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I loved this! It was absolutely delicious! But the problem with mine was that it was very thick and it basically cooled into a caramel candy instead of a sauce. I was wondering about what I might have done wrong? Thanks!
Hi Sharon, was anything altered in the recipe? I’m curious if it was possibly cooked down too much?
I made the sauce yesterday, it was absolutely perfect, the taste is like no other. Cooled put in fridge, took it out, put on cheesecake, it was grainy. Why? Is there anything I can do to correct this now? It still tastes awesome but I don’t like the graininess.
Hi Stella, I haven’t had it turn grainy on me so I wonder if any substitutions were made. I highly recommend making the recipe as directed before making any modifications or substitutions. Also, make sure to pack the brown sugar – you’ll know it’s packed adequately when you empty it from the cup and it holds its shape.
This happened to me the first time and it was caused by overcooking.
Hey Natasha, can I just use milk instead of using half and half?
Hi McKenna, I haven’t tested it with milk but you can use 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream to replace the 1/2 cup of half and half.
Hi 🙂 Can i use vegetable oil or any flavorless oil instead of butter?
Hi Rahima, I honestly haven’t tried it with oil so I can’t say for sure how it would work. Sorry I wish I could give you more information.
Best sauce ever! It tastes more like butterscotch but is the best sauce in history. I will never use another recipe again!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe, Sophie! That’s so great!
Hi Natasha,
How long does this keep in the fridge?
Hi Jess, you can refrigerate up to 2 weeks.
Ha-ha! About 5 minutes, because you can’t stop dipping a finger in it every time you open the fridge!
The best caramel sauce ever! I love everything caramel and this is by far the best. So tasty!
Also, my 4 year old daughter loves your videos! She wants to be like Natasha:) thank you for recipe.
Aaw she is so sweet! Thank you for trying out this recipe and for giving an excellent review!
Hi Natasha, will this recipe thicken enough to set – so you could have it as a layer on millionaires shortbread say? Thanks
Hi, it does firm up in the refrigerator. It might be slightly soft for layering millionaires shortbread but could still work. Let me know if you experiment.
Thank you and will do!
It was very easy to make but I think I overcooked it a bit because it got quite thick after taking it off the heat. I timed it for 9 minutes after it started to simmer. Is there any way to loosen it now?
Hi Candy, if the caramel sauce is too thick and you want it thinner, while it is on the heat, stir in 1-2 Tbsp of heavy cream to thin it out.
awesome !! can i use this recipe as donut filling?
Hi Miriam, that sounds like a delicious idea! I haven’t tested that but it may work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Love this recipe. So yummy on EVERYTHING. Made this multiple times since discovering it. I end up storing in 2 mason jars so that it doesn’t get too grainy when microwave to drizzle on things like ice cream, cake etc. (It went perfect on top of your medovik cake!) And sometimes (ah-hem, like everyday), I just grab spoonful and go to town. Thank you for all of your fun videos!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Elisabeth!
I LOVE all your cooking! They are SO GREAT! This one tastes just like the caramel candy I love. Can’t wait to put them on the cheesecake! Oh and I’m making Chicken Marsala from your recipe tonight and I’m so excited to share them with people!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Made the caramel sauce this afternoon, it tastes delicious the only problem I have its alot darker then yours, do you know why.
I did leave an earlier review but just wanted to add mine did get grainy after about 2 hours in fridge. I did read tips you gave other readers before I made it and I’m pretty experienced cook so I’m not sure what happened.
Hi Shannon, did you possibly use a course sugar? Could it have over or undercooked? I would check to make sure the sugar is dissolved before turning off the heat.
Hey ! Whisking sugar is not a normal practice when making any sugar based sauce disrupting the caramelization of the sugar causes it to usually form Crystal’s
I tend to leave mine then shock my pan in cold water on the bottom to keep it from further browning .
Also using a alcohol or acid such as lemon juice will stop sugar from getting grainy!
Hi Natasha, first of all wanted to say that i love your videos and you are so funny and adorable
I have a question about the butter. 4tbs how much is it in grams?
Thank you in advance
Hi Karina, quick tip – if you click “Jump to Recipe” at the top of the post and scroll to the printable recipe you will see highlighted in red and option to change the measurement to the metric system. I hope you find that helpful in the future. 4 tbs of butter should be about 14.2g per tablespoon.
Just made this and it’s delicious. Tasted yummy over apple slices. Quick and easy. Would be great over any dessert/ice cream that calls for caramel. Great alternative to making true caramel with thermometer… thanks!
You’re welcome, Shannon! Thank you for stopping by with that awesome feedback.
Have not tried the recipe but in the process. What size jar should I purchase to keep the caramel sauce stored? Thanks
Hi Georgia, we re-used a preserves jar for this recipe. This recipe makes 1 cup of caramel sauce.
How far in advance can I make the caramel sauce? And if I can, should I refrigerate it?
Hi Linda, yes, you can refrigerate up to 2 weeks. It does keep well. You can reheat slightly if you want to drizzle it over your dessert or morning pancakes!
We tried this recipe. I was trying to keep my boyfriend out of the stores for something non essential, like caramel, so I was going to buy some online. Your recipe popped up. Plus, when I saw your comment about high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient in most store bought brands, that got me thinking as well. We can’t believe how easy it is to make and how incredibly YUMMY it is! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!