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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 ;).
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.