Homemade caramel sauce requires only 4 ingredients and 15 minutes of your uninterrupted attention. Let me show you the fastest method to make this delicious sweet sauce. Plus, 4 incredible flavors to jazz it up!
Caramel sauce is one of the most popular sweet sauces out there. And for a good reason!
- Incredibly indulgent
- Compliments practically anything and everything
- Sweet yet complex
- It’s simply a liquid gold!
And if you’re used to buying it from the store, I think you’ll be surprised just how much better homemade caramel sauce is!
Seriously though, it’s incredibly easy to make, requires only 4 ingredients and 15 minutes of your uninterrupted attention. That’s it!!!
Let me show you the fastest and almost foolproof method to make delicious caramel sauce from scratch. (I don’t want to claim that it’s 100% foolproof, because it’d be a false advertisement and there’s always room for an error, especially if you get distracted!)
And if you keep reading, you’ll also find 4 incredible flavors that will turn your amazing caramel sauce into OMG-is-it-really-homemade kind of sauce! Keep on scrolling…
Oh and these delicious sauces make an awesome edible gift!! These simple, yet practical jars are from Amazon and if you’d like to print the labels, I made this cute template for you to use. More information down below.
Dry vs Wet Methods:
There’re many different ways to make caramel sauce from scratch. But in general, you’ll find 2 types of methods to make caramel: wet and dry.
Wet method uses water to melt the sugar, and dry method means you melt the sugar alone slowly over low heat.
Most recipes I’ve come across online uses wet method, which is a little safer method because this way it’s easier to prevent the sugar from burning. However, it also makes the process longer, as water needs to evaporate first and only then sugar will caramelize.
Dry method is quicker and easier, in my opinion. And instead of melting all the sugar at once, we’ll be melting sugar a little at a time. While it may seem like a tedious work, it’s actually faster and easier method and lets you control the color of the caramel. Plus, with dry method you don’t need to worry about sugar crystalizing, brushing the sides of the pan with wet pastry brush, etc.
Ok, without further ado, let’s cook this caramel sauce. Shall we?
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE
Step 1. Melt sugar
Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Then sprinkle ¼ cup of sugar evenly on the bottom of the pan. Slowly melt the sugar over medium heat. This first stage may seem like taking long time, as you stare at the sugar. But be patient, soon enough you’ll see sugar will start melting around the edges. At this point you may swirl the pan to move the sugar around and encourage it to melt. When sugar is mostly melted, add another ¼ cup of the sugar and continue to melt it over medium heat. You’ll notice the color will start changing to light amber color.
Tip
If you feel like it’s getting too dark, yet sugar isn’t melted fully, take it off the heat and stir the sugar with a heat-resistant silicone spatula, or wooden spoon to slow down the cooking.
Reduce the heat to medium low, if needed, and continue with the remaining sugar, ¼ cup at a time.
NOTE: The sugar will start melting faster as more sugar is melted. Keep swirling the pan to encourage the sugar to move and melt faster, or you can also use a spatula or wooden spoon. See the step by step photos below for visual demonstration.
Step 2. Add cream
When the sugar is melted and it has dark amber color, remove the pan from the stove and slowly pour in hot cream, while whisking it slowly to combat the rising bubbles. Make sure to heat the cream before adding it into the melted sugar, or your caramel will seize up on you. If that happens, return the mixture to a low heat and cook it until the sugar crystals are fully dissolved.
Tip
When you add cream to the caramel, the mixture will bubble up furiously. That’s why it’s important to add cream slowly and use a large enough pan.
Step 3. Add flavorings
And lastly, add butter and coarse sea salt (I love Maldon sea salt flakes or fluer de sel).
Whisk the mixture until butter is fully melted. You can also add vanilla extract, bourbon, or even cider vinegar.
Transfer the sauce into a jar and cool completely.
TIPS TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL CARAMEL SAUCE:
- Use a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heavy-bottomed pan distributed heat evenly, which is important to melt the sugar evenly. And make sure to use a large pan, because the caramel will bubble up when you add cream, and you don’t want it to overflow! I’m using 2.5 quart saucepan for this recipe. Anything smaller and I’d be in trouble!
- Prepare all the ingredients before you start. Once you start melting the sugar, you won’t have time to run around to cut that butter or measure the salt.
- Don’t be afraid to use a heat-resistant silicone spatula, or a wooden spoon to stir the sugar. But it’s better not to stir too much in the beginning, because you’ll just end up with sugar on the spatula. Instead swirl the pan. As you get more liquid sugar, then spatula will come in handy.
- Heat the cream before adding it to melted sugar and add it off heat. Hot liquid minimizes splattering and prevents the caramel from seizing up.
- If the caramel seized up, don’t worry. Simply return the mixture to a low heat and cook it until the sugar crystals are fully dissolved.
HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE
Store the caramel sauce in an airtight container, or a canning jar with a lid in the fridge for up to 1 month. You can also freeze it in an freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
To thaw, transfer the frozen caramel sauce into the fridge and thaw overnight.
To reheat the sauce, microwave it or reheat on stovetop.
Never worry about crystalized sugars, wet pastry brushes, burnt sugar, corn syrup, etc! This easy and quick method of making caramel sauce is truly a winner!
FLAVORED CARAMEL SAUCES:
And now that you’ve mastered the art of caramel sauce, let’s jazz it up with additional flavors!!!
How about chocolate caramel sauce?
Or strawberry caramel sauce?
Apple caramel sauce, anyone? Divine, divine, divine!!! Let’s try them all!
To make a chocolate caramel sauce:
- Make caramel sauce per recipe and stir in chopped chocolate. Mix until chocolate is fully melted. You can use any kind of chocolate. Dark chocolate adds super rich and deep flavors – perfect for serious chocolate lovers! If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, then use milk chocolate instead.
To make a strawberry caramel sauce:
- First, make a strawberry sauce by cooking chopped fresh or frozen strawberries with a little bit of water and lemon juice. Puree until smooth, if desired. Keep it hot, while you make the caramel sauce.
- Then make caramel sauce per recipe until step 6. Once the sugar is fully melted and reached dark amber color, stir in the prepared strawberry puree. Then add butter and salt.
- Now, if desired, add hot cream for creamy strawberry caramel sauce. It’s delicious even without the cream. Step by step photos are included after the recipe card.
To make an apple caramel sauce:
- This is similar process as strawberry caramel sauce.
- Make caramel sauce per recipe through step 6. Stir in hot unsweetened applesauce, lemon juice and Calvados/apple brandy, optional, into the melted sugar. Mix well.
- Stir in hot cream, butter and salt.
- Calvados is an apple brandy and it enhances apple flavor beautifully. But if you don’t have it, don’t worry about it, you can simply omit it.
A GREAT EDIBLE GIFT IDEA
These jarred caramel sauces make an absolutely best edible gifts! Besides just salted caramel sauce, surprise your friends and family with intriguing flavors!
- Apple caramel sauce for an apple pie fanatic.
- Chocolate caramel sauce for a chocoholic.
- And strawberry caramel sauce for a fruit-lover!
And to make your edible gifts extra special, I made these cute labels for you. Simply print it on these matte white labels.
Click to download the PDF: Caramel Sauce Labels
Homemade Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
For Salted Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup (200g) pure cane sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, heated
- 4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt I like Maldon sea salt flakes
For Chocolate Caramel Sauce:
- 4 oz (115g) semi-dark or milk chocolate, chopped
For Strawberry Caramel Sauce:
- 12 oz (350g) strawberries, fresh or frozen, chopped
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
For Apple Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Calvados or apple brandy/liquor, optional
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan, at least 2.5 quarts, over medium heat.
- Then sprinkle ¼ cup of sugar evenly on the bottom of the pan. Slowly melt the sugar over medium heat. (This first stage may seem like taking long time, as you stare at the sugar. But be patient.)
- As sugar starts to melt around the edges, you may swirl the pan gently to move the sugar around and encourage it to melt.
- When sugar is mostly melted, add another ¼ cup of the sugar and continue to melt it over medium heat. You'll notice the color will start changing to light amber color. NOTE: If you feel like it's getting too dark, yet sugar isn't melted fully, take it off the heat and stir the sugar with a heat-resistant silicone spatula, or wooden spoon to slow down the cooking.
- If needed, reduce the heat to medium low.
- Continue with the remaining sugar, ¼ cup at a time, and cook until all the sugar is melted and it's dark amber color. NOTE: The sugar will start melting faster as more sugar is melted. Keep swirling the pan to encourage the sugar to move and melt faster, or you can also use a spatula or wooden spoon. See the step by step photos above for visual demonstration.
- Remove the pan from the stove and slowly pour in hot cream, while whisking it slowly to combat the rising bubbles. Be careful, as the mixture will bubble up furiously. That's why it's important to add cream slowly and use a large enough pan. TIP: Make sure to heat the cream before adding it into the melted sugar, or your caramel will seize up on you. If that happens, return the mixture to a low heat and cook it until the sugar crystals are fully dissolved.
- Add butter and coarse sea salt. Whisk the mixture until butter is fully melted.
- Transfer the sauce into a jar and cool completely.
To make a chocolate caramel sauce:
- Make caramel sauce per recipe and stir in chopped chocolate. Mix until chocolate is fully melted. You can use any kind of chocolate. Dark chocolate adds super rich and deep flavors – perfect for serious chocolate lovers! If you're not a fan of dark chocolate, then use milk chocolate instead.
To make a strawberry caramel sauce:
- First, make a strawberry sauce by cooking chopped fresh or frozen strawberries with a little bit of water and lemon juice. Puree until smooth, if desired. Keep it hot, while you make the caramel sauce.
- Make caramel sauce per recipe until step 6. Once the sugar is fully melted and reached dark amber color, stir in the prepared strawberry puree.
- Then add butter and salt.
- If desired, add hot cream for creamy strawberry caramel sauce. It’s delicious even without the cream. Step by step photos are included after the recipe card.
To make an apple caramel sauce:
- Make caramel sauce per recipe through step 6. Stir in hot unsweetened applesauce, lemon juice and Calvados/apple brandy, optional, into the melted sugar. Mix well.
- Stir in hot cream, butter and salt.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Facts:
SP says
I’ve made salted caramel twenty times, but never like this. I doubled the recipe, and it was a disaster. I thought a rule of thumb for caramel is never stir it (!)?, yet I did that because this recipe calls for it. Also, hot cream immediately seized the melted sugar, so I again don’t understand how/why this is the right approach. Disappointed, sigh. Your pictures are lovely though.
Shinee says
Hi, SP. Thanks for reaching out. Most recipes call for sugar and water to make caramel, where you absolutely don’t want to stir it to prevent sugar to seize. But with this dry method, stirring is ok as long as enough sugar has melted. And as for seizing issue, it’s important that your cream is hot when you pour it into the melted sugar. If the cream is not hot, it will cause the caramel to seize. And even if does seize, return to heat and cook until the sugar melts back. I’ve made caramel this way for many, many times, and for sure know it’s time-tested approach.
Megan Groce says
Made the salted caramel for a cupcake recipe and so far I have made it an additional 4 times!! Each extra time has been to gift it to someone who originally tasted it from the cupcakes and it has been an amazing hit!!!!! I never thought I would be making homemade caramel and would forever be melting down the caramel chews until I came across this recipe. IT IS PURE HEAVEN!!!!!!!
Shinee says
YAY, so happy you tried it and loved it, Megan. Thank you for your feedback!!!
Rosemary Joy says
So easy and yum! Lol, I’m on a spree
Shinee says
Yay, so happy you tried and loved it, Rosemary. Did you make the salted caramel? Thank you for your feedback!
Rosemary says
Yes!