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:
Natasha sorry but i Don’t understand when you said 1/2 cup half and half. Do you mean 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream for a total of 1 cup of liquid (milk and cream together)? I will wait for your answer, thank you.
Hi Sylvie, it is equal parts of milk and heavy cream. You should have 1/2 cup total so you will need 1/4 cup milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream. I hope you love the caramel sauce!
Delicous!!!!! I had to substitute milk for the half and half and it still turned out great. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
You’re welcome! & thank you for sharing that with us.
Dear Natasha, with the carameI sauce for the mini cheese cakes, I can’t make out if the cream and milk combo together makes up 1 cup or if it is half a cup of cream and half a cup of milk…? Sounds splendiferous! I’m going to bake them for my youngest daughter’s birthday which will be on 12 August. Kind regards Retha
Best caramel ever! Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Julie!
I tried this recipe for making chocolates filled caramel. I made it again this morning. The best and easiest caramel recipe I’ve tried so far. An absolutely no fail recipe. Thanks so much Natasha. From Anita Mumbai
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Caramel is made by cooking sugar until it caramelizes (turns brown). This is butterscotch sauce, which is made with brown sugar and butter. Tastes great, but it’s not caramel sauce.
Thank you for your feedback Willow.
hi natasha,
can i use light brown sugar?
Hi, we did use a light brown sugar in the recipe.
This looks great! Love that you are reusing the Bonne Maman preserves jar! Just be careful if you store chipotle in adobo in one of the jars in the fridge!
Thank you for that tip Michael!
Hi Natasha, the caramel sauce was awesome. However, it is a bit grainy the next day. It is suppose to be this way?
Hi Elise, if the heat was too low that would cause it to be thin and/or grainy.
My results were just so-so. It was simple enough, but I had similar issues that others complained of- not thickening, turning grainy when cooled. Still, fine enough to drizzle on some cupcakes, though I wish the flavor were richer.
Hi Sarah, 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 would like to use this receipt to be mixed into my homemade ice cream. Should I thin it out so it will not become too hard in the ice cream? If so, how should I do that?
Hi Kymme, I haven’t tried that but I think the consistency should work for ice cream without having to thin it out, but I would suggest testing a small batch to make sure it works the way you hope it will. Let me know how that goes. Caramel ice cream sounds awesome!!
I swapped out the vanilla for a tablespoon of maple whiskey. It was amazing! Takes dessert to the next level!
That’s so great, Nicole! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Is salted caramel sauce same as caramel sauce?
Hi Carol, yes that is correct. The little bit of salt balances the sweetness and salt is common in a good caramel sauce. 🙂
Whilst this did come out tasting rather lovely with a nice consistency. Following the recipe precisely resulted in a butterscotch sauce more than a Caramel sauce- likely due to the use of brown sugar and butter. For a more caramely tasting sauce, I’d suggest substituting the brown sugar for white granulated or at least half light brown and half white.
Still lovely though x
Yum yum! Just made this for a choc poke cake recipe. So so good!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Can I use dark brown sugar for the caramel sauce?
Hi Kim, 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.
Yes, i made some yesterday. It turned out fabulous! It just looks a bit darker then the light, but tastes the same.
Can this recipe be used for caramel apples? I am looking to dip apples to use as a party favor.
Hi Patricia, It would work as a dip but it won’t form up around the apple.
I made it today but too thin and watery…it didn’t even have a slight of thickness…i’m a newbie here and confused about the measuring of cream and milk…
What do u mean by 1/2cup half and half?
Thank you
Hi Mercy, 1/2 cup of half and half is the same as 4 oz (in a liquid measuring cup). half and half is the equivalent of equal parts milk and heavy whipping cream. It is sold in stores labeled “half and half” but you can substitute with 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream and 1/4 cup milk to make half and half. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks for the great recipe, Natasha! I made your caramel to pour over and melt chocolate bowls containing ice cream and mixed berries as part of my entry into our family’s “Come Dine With Me” challenge – and it stole the show! I had never made caramel sauce before, and it was absolutely stunning. Thanks from Sunny South Africa 🙂
Wow! That’s amazing! I’m so inspired reading your review. Thank you!
Cheesecakes are delicious and the sauce is so good but it won’t get past the liquid stage even though I’ve been cooking it for 15 minutes.
Hi Lo, 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?
Great recipe! However, the vanilla flavor and salt was too much so I had to add more cream and sugar. Vanilla flavor still a bit strong so I think I will do a teaspon next time. But tastes really good! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for your feedback, Insiya!
I agree.1 tablespoon left too much of a vanilla flavour. I think 1 teaspoon would work. Good recipe.
What does 1/2 cup half and half mean?
Does it mean:
1/4 cup of cream
plus
1/4 cup of milk
I really would like to try this it sounds delicious!!
half and half, also known as ‘half cream’ in Europe. It is equal parts of whole milk and light cream.
I just tried making this recipe and while it has a good flavour I have some questions about the process.
In the cooking stage should it bubble, if so how much? Or keep the heat low enough for no bubbles at all?
Do you start timing once everything is melted?
What fat % is half and half?
I used 10% cream and cooked it 12 min adjusting the heat for no bubbles. Then as it was still really thin I let it bubble on low heat for another 2 min. It’s a bit grainy.
I used store bought pure vanilla extract and the vanilla flavour is a bit strong. Maybe your variety is milder?
Hi Jan, I start the timer once it comes to a simmer so it is at a simmer for that time frame – There should be light bubbling of the mixture while it is simmering. If there were no bubbles, the heat was probably too low which would cause it to be thin and/or grainy. Half and half is basically equal parts milk and heavy whipping cream. You can definitely add vanilla to taste and the quality of the extract will make a difference, but I suspect the vanilla flavor was too strong due to not having it at a simmer long enough. I hope that helps to troubleshoot!
This is the best home made caramel ever. Thank you so much. In my country you cant buy heavy cream… So i could never make my caramel at home… I am so happy… Finally… And its so tasty… Yummmy
I’m so happy you discovered our blog & this recipe! Thank you for the wonderful review!