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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.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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 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!