This easy butterscotch sauce uses just 4 ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes to make, and it tastes so much better than store-bought. Velvety smooth and super decadent, this topping pairs well with ice cream, cake, brownies, and more!
This butterscotch sauce recipe is one of my favorite condiments to make in spring and summer, when our family loves making ice cream sundaes for a quick dessert. I can’t even begin to tell you how much more decadent it is than the jarred kind at the grocery store. There is truly no comparison!
The best part is that it uses 4 ingredients (that you probably already have at home) and one pot. Once I make a batch, it usually lasts in the fridge for a couple of weeks, and we use it on all sorts of treats, like chocolate cake or brownies, or even stir it into coffee.
Reader Review: “Very rich & utterly delicious. I might try with dark & light brown sugar just to make the colour more amber, but the flavour is divine.” -Linda
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Skip the butter! No butter in this one, and you won’t miss it! Heavy cream brings ALL the richness (butter is made from cream, after all). The deep butterscotch flavor comes from the brown sugar.
- Easy for any level of cook. You’re only 15 minutes and 4 ingredients away from rich homemade butterscotch! Super easy recipe with impressive results!
- Versatile for serving. Spoon it over vanilla ice cream, waffles, or brownies. Any dessert or breakfast item is fair game!
What is butterscotch sauce?
Butterscotch sauce is a sweet, rich sauce made by cooking brown sugar with dairy fat. The classic version melts brown sugar and butter together, then adds heavy cream to make it pourable, often finished with vanilla and a pinch of salt.
BUTTERSCOTCH VS CARAMEL
Butterscotch and caramel sauces are similar. Both are sweet and rich with caramelized flavors. What sets it apart from caramel is the sugar.
Caramel starts with white sugar cooked until it browns, while butterscotch uses brown sugar, giving it a deeper, toffee-like flavor, whereas caramel has a more intense caramelized flavor.
Reader Review: “I used this sauce for dipping apple slices. We are dairy free so used canned coconut cream instead of cream from a cow. It was lovely!” -Joan
Key Ingredient Notes
No corn syrup, no butter. Just 4 simple ingredients!
- Brown sugar – This is where the butterscotch flavor comes from! The molasses in brown sugar gives the sauce its deep, toffee-like taste. Light brown sugar makes a classic, mellow sauce. Dark brown sugar has more molasses, so you’ll get a bold, rich flavor. TIP: Use soft, fresh brown sugar and pack it into the measuring cup. (Hardened sugar? Here’s how to soften brown sugar.)
- Heavy cream brings ALL the richness here, no butter needed! Look for “heavy cream” or “heavy whipping cream” with at least 36% fat. The higher fat keeps the sauce silky and helps it thicken as it cools. TIP: Skip half-and-half or milk. They’re too thin and will make the sauce watery.
- Vanilla – A splash of vanilla rounds out the sweetness and makes the sauce taste warm and cozy. Pure vanilla extract has the best flavor, so it’s worth it here!
- Salt makes a BIG difference. It balances the sweetness and brings out the caramel notes in the brown sugar. I recommend coarse kosher salt or flaky sea salt. If you only have table salt, cut the amount in half.
How to make homemade butterscotch sauce
- Combine the heavy cream and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
- Once the sugar is melted and no longer grainy, reduce to medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes, whisking frequently.
Use the correct pan
Use a 2.5-quart saucepan or larger. The sauce may bubble up and overflow in a smaller pan.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt. Taste the butterscotch carefully and adjust as needed. Add more vanilla or salt if necessary.
- Pour the sauce into a jar. Let the sauce cool to room temperature and thicken.
Keep the flavor
Stir it in after you take the pan off the heat. High heat cooks off some of that lovely vanilla flavor.
Expert Tips
- For best results, use a heavy-bottomed saucepan. They cook evenly without hot spots. Hot spots can cause burning or curdling, neither of which we want!
- Whisk to prevent burning, but don’t go crazy. If you whisk too much, it can lead to crystallization, and the mixture may get grainy. You want to whisk enough to prevent it from burning, but not too aggressively.
- Butterscotch thickens as it cools! It should be somewhat runny when you remove it from the heat. If it’s too thick, it’ll harden as it cools.
- Don’t step away from the stove while it’s cooking. This is a recipe that you need to keep an eye on so it doesn’t burn! Set a timer to help know when it’s finished cooking.
- Always add the vanilla at the end of cooking. If you add it during simmering, it’ll cook out of the sauce and leave none of its delicious flavor.
Storage
Store homemade butterscotch in a jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks! You won’t regret it, whether you put it on a dessert or not, it’s also delicious by the spoonful.
Freeze the sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
Microwave for about 30 seconds, then drizzle over your favorite desserts. It’s a sauce that is “ice cream shop-worthy” and so much richer in flavor than the brands you get at the grocery store.
To Make-Ahead:
Homemade butterscotch lasts a while in the refrigerator, so if you go through it quickly, make a double batch! It lasts at least three weeks.
Ways to use butterscotch sauce
I honestly can’t think of anything that won’t taste amazing with this sauce! But here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Use it as a dip for sliced Honeycrisp apples!
- Drizzle it onto ice cream for decadent sundaes.
- Stir it into your oatmeal for a caramel flavor.
- Spoon it over buttermilk pancakes and waffles with whipped cream!
- This sauce is also used in my overnight caramel rolls.
- If you have an espresso machine at home, butterscotch makes amazing lattes!
- Spread it over cheesecake.
FAQs:
Brown sugar. It’s a crucial ingredient in butterscotch recipes for that quintessential buttery toffee flavor!
The main two differences between caramel and butterscotch are the type of sugar used and the cooking process.
Butterscotch uses brown sugar for a deep flavor from the molasses, while caramel uses white granulated sugar.
With caramel, the sugar is caramelized first, then the other ingredients are added. And with butterscotch, the ingredients are all cooked together.
No, caramel and butterscotch taste very different! Butterscotch has a distinctly buttery flavor, with deep flavors from the molasses in the brown sugar. It tastes more like toffee than caramel.
More Easy Dessert Sauce Recipes
Homemade Butterscotch Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar Note 1
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Equipment
- medium saucepan
Instructions
- In a medium (at least 2.5 qt) saucepan, combine heavy cream and brown sugar. Bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
- Once the sugar is melted, continue to cook it for about 10 minutes, whisking frequently.
- Add vanilla extract and salt. Taste and make sure you’re happy with the flavor. Add more vanilla extract or salt, if needed. The sauce thickens as it cools.
⭐️ Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a review and let us know how you liked it!
Tips & Notes
– Store homemade butterscotch in a jar sealed with a lid or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks!
– Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or so, then drizzle on your favorite desserts.
Nutrition
I used this sauce for dipping apple slices. We are dairy free so used canned coconut cream instead of cream from a cow. It was lovely!
Hi, Joan! Glad it turned out with your substitution! Thank you for making my recipe and reporting back your results. 🙂
Very rich & utterly delicious. I might try with dark & light brown sugar just to make the colour more amber, but the flavour is divine
Hi, Linda. I’m so glad you tried and loved this recipe. With dark brown sugar, the color will be richer. Thank you for your feedback!