Homemade Caramel Sauce (2024)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Perfect topping. Add it to vanilla ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, apple galette or make caramel frosting for cupcakes!
• Ready in less than 15 minutes. Just a few minutes on the stovetop and
• Only 5 ingredients. They are easy to find and may already be in your kitchen!
• Keeps for 1 month. Store it in an airtight container and you’ll have caramel sauce ready to go whenever you need it!

What to Pair with Caramel Sauce

The options are endless! Here are a few of my favorites.

• Ice cream is an obvious choice. You can make a whole sundae bar with homemade caramel sauce, hot fudge sauce and whipped cream!
• Apple desserts are a good pairing. Add a drizzle on top of a warm slice of apple pie or scoop of apple cobbler.
• Pancakes and waffles always need a topping. Skip the maple syrup and add caramel instead (apple compote is a nice addition too!)
• Brownies taste delicious with caramel sauce too!

Ingredient Notes

• Sugar: Use granulated sugar, which is cooked and caramelized.
• Butter: You can use unsalted butter or salted. If you’re sensitive to salt, I suggest adding it separately so you have more control over the amount.
• Cream: Heavy cream provides a rich taste. Make sure it is at room temperature.
• Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation, for the best flavor!

Refer to the recipe card for ingredient details and measurements.

How to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce

1. Cook sugar and water over medium heat. Do not stir. Wait until sugar is dissolved and mixture is clear.
2. Continue cooking over medium heat occasionally swirling the pan. The mixture will caramelize after about 10 minutes.
3. Add butter pieces and whisk until melted.
4. Remove pan from the heat. Add cream in a steady stream whisking constantly. Stir in vanilla.

Expert Tips

Keep an eye on the caramel while it cooks. Every stove is a little different and timing is key. Swirl the pan gently every so often to make sure the mixture doesn’t burn.

Do not stir. This can agitate the mixture and cause the sugar to crystallize. It’s best to gently swirl the pan in a circular motion.

Be careful when adding butter and cream. First, make sure they’re room temperature so they don’t cause the caramel to seize. When added, the liquid will quickly bubble up so proceed with caution.

If the mixture clumps up, remove from the heat and whisk until the clumps break up. This can take a few minutes of stirring so be patient.

Adjust to taste. Once the caramel has cooled a bit, taste it and see if it needs salt. Add a pinch at a time until it meets your standards.

Storage Tips

Store caramel sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Make sure the sauce is completely cooled before storing.

Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before using. I find it’s best to reheat in the microwave or on low heat on the stovetop.

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