My Homemade Caramel Sauce tastes perfectly buttery, smooth, and sweet with a hint of salt. It’s irresistibly good, and even better, the recipe is simple with just 5 ingredients and no thermometer required. With my tips below, you’ll be whipping up a batch of salted caramel like a pro!
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Helpful Reader Review
“Never thought I would be able to make it like the picture. It turned out better than I thought it would. Absolutely delicious, creamy, it’s perfect. Thanks for the easy recipe. “ – Rosalind ★★★★★
Homemade Caramel Sauce
I published this recipe years ago, but I have updated it to be more foolproof and authentic. What I love most about this caramel sauce recipe is that it’s a true caramel sauce. If you prefer the original version, I have (more accurately) filed it under Butterscotch Sauce.
If you’ve ever shopped for caramel sauce at the grocery store and had a difficult time finding one without mystery “natural flavors” and corn syrup as the primary ingredient, this recipe is for you! It’s simple to make with only 5 basic ingredients and tastes amazing–better than anything at the store!
It’s so delicious, you’ll want to drizzle it on everything. Use it to dip Apples, and drizzle over countless desserts like my Pumpkin Cheesecake, Apple Pie, hot or Iced Coffee, ice cream… You name it! This is such a versatile sauce, and it keeps well in the refrigerator.
Caramel Sauce Ingredients
I suggest avoiding substitutions, since it’s perfectly balanced to prevent crystallization.
- Granulated sugar – melting white sugar slowly with water makes the base of the caramel sauce.
- Unsalted butter – cut into cubes. Make sure your butter is at room temperature since cold butter can break the sauce! European butter has a higher fat content and less water, which can make the sauce better and easier to make. I love Kerrygold butter.
- Heavy cream – warm before adding to keep the sauce from sputtering and breaking.
- Vanilla extract – Use Homemade Vanilla Extract or store-bought.
- Salt – cuts the sweetness to create an irresistible salted caramel flavor. You can add it to taste.
How to Make Caramel Sauce
The key to a successful homemade caramel sauce is to dissolve the sugar before simmering and not to stir at any point. This can flick sugar granules onto the sides of the pan, which will fall back into the mixture later and cause the whole thing to crystallize.
- Melt the sugar – Add the sugar to the bottom of a heavy-bottomed saucepan and shake the pan to distribute it evenly. Drizzle the water over the sugar and let it sit for a minute to fully moisten the sugar. DO NOT STIR – you don’t want sugar to get splashed on the sides of the pan. Set over medium-low heat and, without stirring, let the sugar dissolve completely until clear, about 5 minutes.
Pro Tip to Prevent Crystalization:
If you do see any sugar crystals at the edges, cover the pan with the lid for 30-60 seconds as it simmers; the steam will help wash the pan walls. If it does crystalize and firm up, add 2-3 Tbsp of hot water and stir until it melts again, then proceed.
- Simmer – Without stirring, bring to a simmer and increase to medium heat. When it starts to take on a little color, swirl the pan occasionally until it’s light amber or honey-colored (it takes about 5-8 minutes on my stove). Don’t let it brown too much, or it will taste bitter. As you swirl towards the end, any stray sugar crystals should dissolve.
Natasha’s Safety Tip:
Be careful not to touch or lick the hot utensils or the pan — melted sugar and caramel is scorching hot! Also, let the pan cool before washing it, then soak it in hot water to easily remove the caramel sauce.
- Add the butter – turn the heat to low, and whisk in half the butter. It will bubble vigorously. Once incorporated, stir in the rest of the butter. If it separates, remove the pan from the heat and stir until it comes together.
- Add the cream – while whisking, drizzle the warm cream into the pan (it will bubble up) and whisk until smooth (or 220°F), then remove the pan from the heat. Make sure you DO NOT add cold cream, or it may splatter.
- Finish with vanilla and salt – Whisk vanilla and salt to taste into the caramel off the heat.
- Cool and store – It will thicken in consistency as it cools, so let the caramel cool for a few minutes before using. Store cooled caramel in jars in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
How to Fix Crystalized Caramel Sauce?
I’ve had my fair share of crystallized caramel batches in developing the perfect recipe, so hopefully my tips above will prevent it for you. If it does look crystallized and seized at any point (see photo below), don’t worry! To fix siezed caramel: Add 2-4 Tbsp hot water to the separated mixture, and then reheat over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and swirl the pan to capture any remaining sugar crystals.
My Caramel is Liquid – is that Normal?
The caramel will be more liquid and drizzling consistency when it is still hot/warm and will thicken as it cools. After refrigeration, it will become very thick and will hold its shape on a spoon. Reheating it on the stovetop or in the microwave will loosen it up again.
How to Serve Caramel Sauce
I wasn’t kidding when I told you this homemade caramel sauce was versatile, so here is a long list of ideas, and I’m just scratching the surface!
- Caramel apples or dip for sliced apples
- Apple Turnovers (inside or out)
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Baked Apples
- Caramel French Toast
- Caramel Corn Pops Treats
- Churros Dip
- Mini Cheesecakes topping
- Crepes
- Apple Crisp Drizzle
- Pumpkin Waffles topping
- Apple Pancakes topping
- Affogato
- Banoffee Pie
- Apple Coffee Cake
- Cheesecake drizzle
- Sourdough Dutch Baby
- Dutch Apple Pie drizzle
My easy homemade caramel sauce recipe tastes amazing on top of so many desserts and dishes! It’s simple to make and tastes so much better than anything at the grocery store. Mix up a batch to keep on hand, and then tell me in the comments how you use your caramel sauce!
P.S. If you preferred my original sauce, check out my Butterscotch Sauce recipe.
Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temperature, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, warm
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp sea salt, or add to taste
Instructions
- Melt the sugar – Add the sugar to the bottom of a heavy-bottomed saucepan and shake the pan to distribute it evenly. Drizzle the water over the sugar and let it sit for a minute to fully moisten the sugar. DO NOT STIR – you don't want sugar to get splashed on the sides of the pan. Set over medium-low heat and, without stirring, let the sugar dissolve completely until clear, about 5 minutes. The mixture should be clear, and the sugar fully dissolved before it simmers.
- Simmer – Without stirring, bring to a simmer and increase to medium heat. If you see crystals on the sides of the pan, cover with lid for 30-60 seconds. When the caramel starts to take on a little color, swirl the pan occasionally until it's light amber or honey-colored (about 5-8 minutes). Don't let it brown too much, or it will taste bitter. As you swirl towards the end, any stray sugar crystals should dissolve.
- Add the butter – Reduce the heat to medium-low and carefully whisk in half of the softened butter cubes, then stir in the rest. The mixture will bubble vigorously — that’s normal. Keep whisking until the butter is fully incorporated. If it separates, remove from the heat and whisk until it comes together.
- Add the cream – Slowly stream in the warm cream while whisking constantly. Again, it will bubble up and steam. Keep whisking until smooth, then remove from heat.
- Finish with vanilla + salt – Turn off the heat and whisk in vanilla and salt. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Cool and store – Let cool slightly before using. It will thicken up quite a bit as it cools. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It firms up when refrigerated. Re-warm gently to drizzle.
Notes
- Do Not Stir – Stirring the sugar and water mixture can cause sugar crystals to stick to the pan walls. If those fall back into the pan later, it can “seed” the whole pan and crystallize your caramel. Also, let the sugar fully dissolve and turn clear before simmering. Be patient.
- Even Heating – use a heavy-bottomed saucepan (avoid non-stick pans) for even heat distribution and avoid temperature swings (add room-temperature or warm ingredients as directed).
- Don’t Rush It – Patience is key at every step. Don’t rush this with higher heat, or it can crystallize.
- Use a Lid – If you see sugar crystals at the edges of the pot at the simmering step, cover with a lid for 30-60 seconds; the steam will help wash the pan’s walls.
- Swirl occasionally – as soon as you start to see some color developing, gentle swirling helps to distribute color evenly and helps clear any remaining sugar flakes from the surface and walls.
- Use warm cream so it doesn’t splatter, separate, or burst, which can happen if you add cold liquid to a blazing-hot caramel sauce.
- European butter has a higher fat content and less water, which can make the sauce better and easier to make. I love Kerrygold butter.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Homemade Dessert Sauces
Dessert toppings, like my homemade caramel sauce, just taste better when made from scratch–and they are easy! Try these next:
Where has this recipe been all my life? Thanks for sharing this Natasha. xoxo
My pleasure Aida! I’m glad you love it!
Hi Natasha,
I made this recipe yesterday and the results is Fantastic! I put it on top of my chocoflan and all my friends said they love it! Thanks a lot for sharing your recipe.
PS: I made caramel sauce twice with different recipe from other famous blog/website, but the results are disaster.
Hello Retha! I’m glad to hear the recipe is such a success! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi there,
It looks delicious. How long does it keep in the fridge if I give it as a gift
Hi Victoria, you can refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.I have a note about that closer to the top of the post.
If I use regular salt instead of sea salt and vanilla extract instead of real vanilla extract will anything change?
Hi Lana, those substitutions will still work. Add the salt to taste since table salt is smaller crystals than sea salt so 1 tsp of table salt will taste saltier than 1 tsp sea salt.
I followed the recipe but my caramel sauce didn’t thikened but overcooked.
Hi Lana, I haven’t had that happen but I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Did you measure the ingredients as stated in the recipe, measuring dry ingredients in dry ingredient cups and wet in liquid measuring cups? Also, when brown sugar is “packed,” it should keep the form of the measuring cup when you empty the measuring cup as shown in the image. If it is not packed, it will take longer to form. Also, it may be that the heat was on too high – it should be cooked over low heat. I hope that helps! 🙂
Yes I did. What if the brown sugar was in the container, does it work?
Hi Lana, I’m not sure what you mean by the container.
Hey, I’m making this at my in laws for thanksgiving to go with that cheesecake, they only have old fashioned brown sugar which I would assume is dark brown sugar ‘cause it’s definitely not light. It would have more molasses in it…would this still work to use in this caramel sauce ?
Hi Stefanie, I have always made this with brown sugar. I haven’t tried it with dark brown, I’m assuming that should work but can’t advise.
Hi Natasha,
Will this set up enough for homemade turtles?
Thanks,
Julie
p.s. I’ve purchased all the items to make/gift your homemade vanilla!
Hi Julie, this caramel sauce may be a little thin for homemade turtles – it won’t fully harden and dry like caramel candies would. I think it might work if you cooked it longer but I still think it would be sticky to the touch.
we made this for my birthday cake it was SO delicious and got to the perfect thickness. Thank a lot
You’re welcome Isla! I’m glad you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Natasha – how would I make the caramel sauce thicker? it is great but sometimes I would like it thicker. Thanks
Hi Richard, to make it thicker, cook the sauce longer. As more of the liquid evaporates, it will thicken 🙂
Natasha – thank you so much
You’re welcome Richard!
For how long can I leave the caramel sauce at the room temperature?
Hi Anastasia, I would refrigerate after a day at room temperature. The sooner you refrigerate, the longer it will last. 🙂
I made this today to go on top of the miniature cheesecakes! I had a good feeling about the recipe, so I made a double batch of the caramel and I’m SO glad — it was absolutely delicious! I am even going to give a jar to my mom for part of her birthday present this week! I will never buy caramel from the store again! The whole family at dinner this evening loved it!
I’m so glad to hear how much everyone loves the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review Morgan!
Will this work well for Carmelo’s apples? Does it set up enough for that purpose?
It would work as a dip but it won’t form up around the apple.
I never even thought of googling how to make a homemade caramel sauce. I made it yesterday and I will never never never buy it in the store again. Even the most natural ones in the store have an odd taste, but this one is the recipe of all recipes. In addition, these simple ingredients are staples in each household. As always, good job Natasha. I don’t follow many cooking blogs, but I like the fact that you reference where you got the recipe originally.
Thanks Galya! I’m so glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
Hi Natasha,
This looks awesome! Can’t wait to try it especially with your pumpkin cheesecake. Thanks so much!
Hello Tammy! It’s my pleasure, I hope you love the recipe! Please let me know what you think!
Amazing! I could never have any store bought caramel sauce since most of them have high fructose corn syrup and I am allergic! And the sugar free versions taste awful… I resigned myself to not having any until now. Just made this last night and can’t get enough of it. My husband loved it too
That’s great! I’m glad to hear you both enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review Julia!
made the recipe and it’s amazing! thank you so much Natasha the taste reminds me of russian caramels. i’ve been trying to limit myself on how much of this i eat:)
You’re welcome Luba! I’m glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
How awesome! Will need to try soon. I’ve made caramel sauce using a different recipe before, and I like to add it to coffee with milk. The result tastes better than the Starbucks coffee I’ve tried! I’m sure this one would add an amazing flavor to coffee as well.
Mmmm that sounds amazing! Wishing I had some leftover from my last recipe to try it on my coffee tomorrow morning. Good thing it’s super easy to make! 😉
Wow! Definitely going to try! I’d really like to see your take on platsindi, with feta or pumpkin.
Hi Diana, I have never heard of those! Is there a great recipe online you could recommend?
Dear Natasha, thank you for this multi functional ingredient. Festive days are getting closer and no one can skip using this one ! Enjoy the day !
Thank you so much! Yes I agree – this one is a perfect topping for so many Autumn and holiday desserts! I hope you love it 🙂
This looks so easy. I’m a little obsessed with homemade caramel sauce. Thanks for sharing, Natasha!
My pleasure! I hope you love it!
Gurl! This is amazing! Yay to home cooking! Thank you Natasha.
You’re welcome Katy! I’m glad you love it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I like the fact that you use brown sugar (so far I have never made caramel sauce with brown sugar successfully) and that all ingredients are combined at once. Sounds perfect. Will report back once I try it!
Hi Jenny, thank you! The color and flavor is wonderful and this recipe is so easy. I hope you love it! 🙂