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Salted Caramel Sauce is quick, easier than you’d think, and comes together in just 10 minutes with 4 ingredients! It’s the perfect topping your favorite desserts and makes a lovely homemade holiday gift.
Why you’ll love this Salted Caramel Sauce:
- 10 Minute Recipe – This Salted Caramel recipe takes just 10 minutes! Once you’ve made homemade caramel and you see how easy it is, you’ll never go back to store bought.
- Simple Ingredients – This recipe uses just 4 basic ingredients – butter, sugar, heavy cream, and salt.
- No Special Tools – You don’t need a candy thermometer!
- Incredibly Versatile – Add this magic elixir to ice cream sundaes, cakes, cobblers, cookies, and SO many desserts to amp them up! My favorite way to use it is on my Caramel Apple Galette.
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Granulated sugar – Use granulated sugar for best results. I haven’t tried this with other sugars. And, if you use brown sugar, you’ll end up with butterscotch, not caramel. See my Butterscotch Sauce Recipe if you want to make butterscotch!
- Butter – I always use salted butter for the best flavor, and I’ve made my salted caramel sauce with both unsalted and salted butter, and it’s MUCH better with salted. But, you can use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Heavy Cream – Use full fat heavy cream for best results.
- Flaky Sea Salt – I love Maldon sea salt flakes, but you can use any similar brand. You can use a pinch of regular table salt if you can’t find flaky sea salt.
Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
- Dairy-free – I haven’t made this recipe dairy-free, but I think it could work well with your favorite trusted dairy-free butter sticks and dairy-free heavy cream.
- Gluten-free – This recipe is naturally gluten-free!
- Vanilla extract – Feel free to stir in 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract at the end of the recipe, along with the sea salt.
How to Make Salted Caramel Sauce:
Step 1: Cook the Sugar. Add the granulated sugar to a clean, dry saucepan. Cook over medium heat on the stovetop, stirring lazily with a wooden spoon as the sugar melts, until it’s completely broken down into a deep amber-colored liquid.
As the sugar cooks, it will clump & melt (top right photo below). It’s almost ready in the bottom left photo, but there are still some clumps of sugar left that must melt before moving to the next step.
Step 2: Add the Butter. Next, lower the burner to medium-low heat, and whisk the butter into the melted sugar. Some of it will may look a bit separated out from the caramel, but that’s fine. Mix it in the best you can, and move on.
Step 3: Add the Heavy Cream. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream. If the caramel sauce feels a bit clumpy or hard at this point, that’s fine.
It’s just the cold heavy cream solidifying a bit of the caramel – it’ll melt back down in a minute when we return the pan to the heat.
Step 4: Finish the Caramel Sauce. Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium heat, letting the caramel get nice & bubbly, for a minute more. Then, stir in a pinch of flaky sea salt. This mixture will thicken as the caramel cools.
Serving + Storing:
Allow caramel to cool for 10-15 minutes after cooking before using. Allow to cool down to room temperature before storing in a glass jar in the fridge. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Caramel will become more solid in the fridge, and you’ll need to microwave it for 30 seconds or so before using.
This is truly the best salted caramel sauce! Use it to top any and all desserts (may I suggest my Caramel Apple Cider Cookies or Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake?) to take them up a notch.
It’s one of my favorite recipes to gift – pop it into a little jar with a ribbon for a beautiful homemade holiday gift. It’s better than any store-bought caramel, and it’s not sickly sweet like some caramel can be.
Expert Success Tips:
- Don’t Crank the Heat – Don’t be tempted to turn the heat higher to speed up the sugar melting. You’ll end up burning the liquid sugar before all the small lumps are out, which will result in a burnt tasting caramel. If this does happen, pour the hot molten sugar into a container you can toss and start again.
- Recipe Yield – When it comes to candy making, it’s typically not recommended that you double a recipe. I haven’t ever made a double batch of this, so I would err on the side of caution and say to make a few separate batches if you want more than 1 and 1/4 cups yield.
- Read the Recipe First – Salted caramel sauce is simple to make, but it helps to familiarize yourself with what to expect at each step before beginning, especially if this is your first time making it.
FAQs:
When you pour the cold heavy cream into the hot mixture, it can solidify the sugar. Don’t fret – it will melt back to a smooth consistency as you gently continue to heat and stir the mixture.
When you whisk in the butter, it may not all seem 100% incorporated – this is normal. Just do the best you can, and continue on.
I haven’t tried doubling it, and most bakers advise against halving or doubling candy recipes like this as it can mess things up. I recommend making two separate batches to avoid any issues. If I ever get around to trying a double batch, I’ll report back!
Special Tools:
- Mason Jars – A small mason jar with a ribbon tied on is the perfect way to gift this caramel. Affiliate link.
Recipes to Use Salted Caramel Sauce with:
- Dutch Caramel Apple Pie
- Best Ever 5-Ingredient Brownies
- Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
- Caramel Apple Turnovers
- Salted Caramel Pretzel Brownies
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with Rum Caramel
- Salted Caramel Apple Galette
- Homemade Apple Cider Donuts
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
Click the little stars in the header of the recipe card below to leave a comment & star rating, letting me know how you liked the recipe. I take all feedback seriously, & leaving a rating helps my small business immensely!
10-Minute Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar, 210 grams
- 6 tbsp salted butter, cubed, 85 grams
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream, 135 grams
- pinch of sea salt, optional but recommended
Instructions
- Prep: Set out all your ingredients before you begin. They don't need to come to room temperature first, but if they sit out for a few minutes before you start, that's ok too.
- Melt the Sugar: Add the sugar to a medium saucepan (a nonstick works great). Cook the sugar on medium heat, stirring lazily. For the first few minutes, it will seem like nothing is happening but eventually the sugar will begin to break down. After a few minutes, the sugar will melt into a coppery-caramely-colored liquid. (See photos above). Make sure all the little chunks of sugar are gone! If the sugar isn't completely liquified, the caramel sauce won't turn out.1 cup granulated sugar
- Add the Butter: Once the sugar has completely melted, immediately add the butter and reduce the heat slightly. Whisk or stir constantly until the butter is completely melted. If the butter separates a little from the caramel, don't worry. Whisk it in as best you can, and continue to the next step.6 tbsp salted butter, cubed
- Add Heavy Cream: Remove pan from the heat and slowly add the heavy cream, whisking as you add it. The caramel will bubble up here and some of it may harden from coming into contact with the cold cream – this is ok! (See note)1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream
- Finish: Set the pot back on the heat for about a minute more, stirring constantly, to let any hardened bits melt back down, and to let it thicken a bit. Remove from the heat, and add a pinch of flaky sea salt, to taste. Let cool 10-15 minutes before using.pinch of sea salt
- Serve & Store Store: Store cooled caramel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month. When using it out of the fridge, microwave it for about 30 seconds to soften it back up, so it's pourable.Yield: This recipe yields 1 and 1/4 cups of caramel sauce. The yield field above won't let me add a fraction, but I estimate you could get about 8 servings if you were to divide it up for people to dip apple slices in, as an example.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This one is the best!!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Kim!
Delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, Megan!
I have made this recipe several times, the first few times it turned out perfect, we loved it! However the last two times I made it has been very runny, any ideas why that might be?
Hi Grace! That’s odd – it probably just needs a few extra minutes on the heat at the end – that’s the stage where you can really control how thick the caramel gets. My guess is maybe you unintentionally left it on longer the first few times or took it off sooner the last two times so it didn’t thicken the same. Did you let it cool the last two times? It also thickens/stiffens up as it cools.
I have a question! Just made this caramel sauce with the added apple cider in it. I just tasted it. Kinda tastes burnt is that possible? Before I go forward. Should I redo it? Or is that the apple cider taste? I’m unsure what to do
Hi Cheryl! Unfortunately if it tastes kinda burnt, it probably is burnt. This likely happened because you let the sugar cook just a few seconds too long when it was melting down in the first step. You want to add the butter as soon as the last clumps of sugar are gone. Did you have the heat turned up too high to speed things along? I have done that before and it caused me to burn the sugar. Happy to help further if you have more questions!
Hi! Can you jar this? Like can it to preserve it like jelly?
Thank you!
Hi Ren! I have no experience with preserves or canning, I’m sorry! I’d google around to see if anyone else has canned homeamde caramel.
My first time making any kind of caramel, and it came out perfectly. I followed the recipe exactly. I used unsalted butter which is specified is OK to use. I didn’t add any extra salt. If you’re low salt people just follow the recipe, add a little at a time and you will be fine! Will absolutely make again.
So glad to hear this, Erica!
Made this for Stephanies Carmel apple pie. I loved it so much, this will be my go to recipe for any homemade Carmel sauce. Very tasty and easy to make with Stephanies detailed instructions, with pictures, thank you for that!! I took her suggestion and made these for Christmas gifts. I made a Carmel gift basket, with the sauce, Carmel coffee syrup, a bag of Starbucks coffee, and a bag of toffee bits. I never buy store bought Carmel sauce in any baking recipes.
I love the idea of a caramel gift basket! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Happy baking! And be sure to leave a review on the apple pie, if you haven’t already. 🙂