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Caramel Sauce
You won't believe how easy it is to make this decadent caramel sauce at home! It's buttery and has an amazingly deep caramel aroma, and it's better than any store-bought caramel topping. Adding a little bit of acid (lemon juice) reduces the chance of crystallization in the wet method for caramel, so don't skip it. Keep in mind that the pot, spoon, and caramel get extremely hot, so be careful.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 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 and lemon juice over the sugar and let it sit for a minute to moisten the sugar. Set over medium heat and stir gently until it comes to a boil to ensure the sugar dissolves completely then stop stirring.
- Boil - Without stirring, boil over 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 6-10 minutes, or until it reaches 340-350˚F). Don't let it brown too much, or it will taste bitter.
- 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.
- 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
Storage: Cool the caramel sauce completely within 2 hours and then pour it into an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 10-14 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and then to serve, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop to thin.
Tips for Success:
- Do Not Stir - Once it comes to a boil, 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. If you see the sugar crystals on the walls of the pan, cover with the lid for 30-60 seconds, and the trapped steam will help clear the walls.
- 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).
- 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.
Nutrition Facts
Caramel Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
89
% Daily Value*
Fat
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
16
mg
5
%
Sodium
119
mg
5
%
Potassium
7
mg
0
%
Carbohydrates
10
g
3
%
Sugar
10
g
11
%
Protein
0.2
g
0
%
Vitamin A
192
IU
4
%
Vitamin C
0.1
mg
0
%
Calcium
5
mg
1
%
Iron
0.01
mg
0
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.