Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
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Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Summary
Silky, buttery homemade caramel with a rich toasted sugar flavor and just the right amount of salt. Drizzle it over ice cream, cookies, cakes, apple desserts, or swirl it into your morning coffee. It also makes the sweetest homemade gift during the fall and holiday season. Pour it into a pretty glass jar, add a ribbon, and you have an easy hostess gift for friends and family.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 to 15 minutes
Total: About 20 minutes
Makes: About 1¼ cups
Ingredients
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and at room temperature
½ cup (120 g) heavy cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
Add the sugar to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently with a heatproof silicone spatula or wooden spoon. The sugar will begin to clump before gradually melting into a smooth, amber colored liquid. This is completely normal. Continue stirring gently and allow the sugar to melt completely.
Once the sugar is fully melted and has reached a deep amber color, carefully add the butter a few pieces at a time, stirring until completely melted and combined. The caramel will bubble vigorously when the butter is added, so take your time.
Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring continuously. The mixture will bubble again as the cream is added. Continue stirring until smooth.
Allow the caramel to bubble for about 1 minute, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
Stir in the vanilla and sea salt. Taste once it has cooled slightly and add another pinch of salt if desired.
Let the caramel cool in the saucepan for about 10 to 15 minutes before transferring it to a glass jar. The sauce will be fairly thin while warm and will thicken considerably as it cools.
Store the salted caramel sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It will become thick when chilled, so gently warm it in the microwave or on the stovetop before serving.
Madeline's Tip
Don't worry if the sugar looks dry and clumpy at first. That's exactly what you want when making a dry caramel. As it continues to heat, the sugar will melt into a smooth liquid. Once it does, keep a close eye on the color because caramel can go from beautifully golden to burnt very quickly.
Gifting Tip
For an easy homemade gift, pour the cooled caramel into a clean glass jar and seal tightly. Tie it with a ribbon and add a little tag with instructions to keep the caramel refrigerated and gently warm it before serving. It makes such a sweet hostess gift for fall gatherings, Thanksgiving, and the holidays. Shop everything you need to package this gift up here
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This recipe is a part of my homemade gifts series! If you love homemade gifts as much as I do, these Bakery Style Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies are for you! They look SO cute all packaged up as a gift.
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This recipe is a part of my homemade edible gifts series! If you are looking for more homemade edible gifts, try these Homemade Marshmallows
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A Recipe by Madeline May
Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
Salted Caramel
Instructions
- Melt the sugarAdd the sugar to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently with a heatproof silicone spatula or wooden spoon. The sugar will begin to clump before gradually melting into a smooth, amber-colored liquid. This is completely normal. Continue stirring gently and allow the sugar to melt completely.
- Add the butterOnce the sugar is fully melted and has reached a deep amber color, carefully add the butter a few pieces at a time, stirring until completely melted and combined. The caramel will bubble vigorously when the butter is added, so take your time.
- Add the creamSlowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring continuously. The mixture will bubble again as the cream is added. Continue stirring until smooth.
- Finish the caramelAllow the caramel to bubble for about 1 minute, then remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and sea salt. Taste once it has cooled slightly and add another pinch of salt if desired.
- CoolLet the caramel cool in the saucepan for about 10 to 15 minutes before transferring it to a glass jar. The sauce will be fairly thin while warm and will thicken considerably as it cools.
Storage
Store the salted caramel sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It will become thick when chilled, so gently warm it in the microwave or on the stovetop before serving.
Gifting Tip
For an easy homemade gift, pour the cooled caramel into a clean glass jar and seal tightly. Tie it with a ribbon and add a little tag with instructions to keep the caramel refrigerated and gently warm it before serving.
Madeline’s Tip
Do not worry if the sugar looks dry and clumpy at first. That is exactly what you want when making a dry caramel. As it continues to heat, the sugar will melt into a smooth liquid. Once it does, keep a close eye on the color because caramel can go from beautifully golden to burnt very quickly.
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