It's really so easy to make Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce! With only four ingredients - and no candy thermometer needed - you can satisfy the craving whenever it hits. It's rich, silky smooth, and perfectly sweet.
There's something about a caramel sauce that doesn't have any crazy, hard-to-pronounce ingredients in it! It tastes so rich and has a silky smooth texture. This caramel is pretty simple to make and freezes well, so make a few batches and store for later. I love to drizzle this over my Brown Sugar Blondies!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving (2 ounces): $0.27
- Total Cost (about 12 ounces): $1.64
- Those Other Guys: $3.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar - The base of homemade caramel is melted white sugar.
- Butter - Part of the creaminess comes from whisking in cubes of butter. I've used salted and unsalted in this recipe with great results.
- Heavy Cream - A splash of heavy cream brings the caramel sauce all together. This gives our sauce the silky smooth texture!
- Sea Salt - Optional if you are starting with salted butter, but a pinch of flaky sea salt at the end is a great flavor contrast to all the sweetness.
Variations and Substitutions
Date Caramel Sauce: This caramel gets its sweetness from Medjool dates. It's a great option for those who are trying to avoid added sugars!
How to Make Salted Caramel
Step 1: To begin, add your sugar to a pot or skillet and let it melt over medium-low heat.
Don't stir yet! Just continue to watch as it begins to melt.
Step 2: Once the sugar is almost completely melted like this photo, go ahead and gently stir just a few times.
Step 3: Add your cubes of butter to the melted sugar.
Step 4: Be very careful - the pot will begin bubbling and the hot sugar could burn you!
If you need to use kitchen gloves, feel free.
Step 5: Once the butter and sugar is mixed well, remove the entire pot from the heat.
Next, whisk in the heavy cream until everything is combined well.
Step 6: Stir in the sea salt, and that's it!
You can immediately transfer this to a glass container to cool. It will thicken slightly as it cools, and will thicken even more in the fridge.
Recipe Pro Tips
- Don't stir too early. Don't stir the sugar until it's almost completely melted and browned; stirring too early or too often can cause the sugar to crystallize and form rock hard pieces that will not melt. You'll have to toss the entire pan and start from the beginning!
- The cooking equipment can make a difference. I recommend using a skillet, especially if it's your first time making salted caramel. A wide, shallow skillet can help the sugar melt more evenly and faster; plus, you can easily see when it's almost time to move on to the next step.
- Don't burn yourself! The melted sugar will bubble vigorously when you add in the butter. Be careful that you don't burn yourself - that sugar is really hot and can be dangerous! You can use kitchen gloves designed to combat splatters.
Recipe FAQs
This usually happens when you stir too early and too often. You don't want the sugars to crystallize and harden to the point of no return - then you have to pour the whole pan out and start over!
Sometimes you can salvage it by adding a tablespoon or so of room temperature water to the pot. If there's a few small pieces of hard sugar in the final product, strain it through a fine mesh strainer.
You actually don't need a candy thermometer for this recipe; but if you're looking, the caramel should get to about 220°F, or 104°C. After that, you're ready to go!
It will thicken up into a thicker sauce after hanging out in the refrigerator. When it's too thick for your liking, gently heat it up in the microwave to thin the texture back out.
As a note, however; it won't thicken up to a soft caramel candy texture. That's an entire different recipe!
You can add this to a freezer-safe bag, remove all of the air, and store for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to eat, simply thaw it out in the fridge or on the counter at room temperature before using.
Other Sauces and Dips You'll Love!
If you tried this Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Equipment
- Large Skillet or saucepot
- Silicone Spatula or wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 6 tablespoons salted butter cubed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet or saucepan, add the sugar and heat over medium-low heat (I use setting 3 on my stovetop.)Do not stir until it begins to melt and brown almost completely.
- As soon as it completely melts, stir a few times and then add cubes of butter while mixing.Be very careful, the sugar will begin to bubble and can burn you!
- Once the sugar and butter are completely combined, take the skillet off of the heat and stir in your heavy cream.The caramel will begin to bubble again due to the temperature change between the hot sugar and the cool cream.
- The caramel should be silky smooth and a beautiful copper color. Toss in ¼ teaspoon of flaky sea salt if you like.
- Store in a glass container with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Enjoy!
ashley c says
I left a comment on the pecan bars, but wanted to make sure I gave a review on here too!! I was a little nervous about making caramel from scratch, but it was SO good! I had a little extra from this batch leftover, and dipped apple slices in it for a snack. So good!
Shani H. says
I love to hear that - it's really so easy to make the caramel at home! Thank you for your review 🙂