Homemade caramel sauce is so easy to make! With just 6 ingredients and a few minutes of time you can make the best caramel sauce recipe at home! This caramel recipe is perfect for all of your baking needs and is amazing on top of desserts!
Best Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe
If you love making homemade sauces, like homemade hot fudge then you are going to love making homemade caramel sauce. Homemade sauces are so easy to make, they always taste better and you know what ingredients are in them.
This sauce is thick and sweet and perfect for all your desserts! Yes, you can buy it in the store but I can tell you that once you make it at home you will never buy the store bought again!
For a while, I had completely given up on making my own caramel sauce. It is not that making it is hard, it is actually quite easy.
The biggest hurdle for me was going back to basics. I went to school for baking and cooking, so normally I try to take my skills to the next level to help you guys. I like to get creative and change things up. It wasn’t until I went back to the fundamentals I was taught at school for caramel making that I was able to get a simple recipe done for you guys to be able to make as well.
If you are looking for the best caramel sauce recipe then you totally need to try this one. It is my favorite caramel sauce to use when I am baking things like my Salted Caramel Cupcakes, chocolate Caramel turtle cupcakes, Turtle Cake and Caramel buttercream. If you are making an ice cream sundae, this is the best caramel sauce to drizzle on top! Easy Caramel sauce also goes perfect with so many different drinks too!
Looking for tasty drink recipes with caramel? Check these out!
- Salted Caramel Pumpkin Latte
- Caramel Hot Chocolate
- Starbucks Caramel Macchiato Recipe
- Caramel Milkshake
- Starbucks Copy Cat Caramel Apple Spice
How to prevent Crystals when making caramel sauce
The most important thing about making caramel sauce is making sure that no bad crystals can form when you are making it. To make sure you don’t have crystals form you prevent this right from the get go.
To prevent crystals from forming when making caramel sauce you need to make sure that in the beginning you only stir it with a rubber spatula before you turn on the heat.
Once you turn on the heat you need to make sure you do not stir it because that will make the bad crystals form.
If you see any crystals forming you need to wipe down the sides of the pot.
You will want to make sure you wash down the sides of the pot anytime you see crystals forming.
Uses for Caramel Sauce
While caramel sauce is most well used for ice cream and sundaes, including Chocolate Banana Ice Cream, Ice Cream Cupcakes, ice cream in a bag, and Easy Ice Cream Cake.
There are also many other uses for hot fudge aside from ice cream. It is great for drizzling on top of apple nachos, cookies, brownies, and cakes.
Caramel sauce is also great to use when making coffee drinks like Caramel Apple Spice, Salted caramel Frappuccino, Carmel macchiatos, and Pumpkin Spice Caramel Latte.
I like using this easy caramel sauce recipe when I am making my salted caramel cupcakes, turtle cupcakes, and Caramel Turtle cupcakes.
Do I need a Candy Thermometor?
No. For this recipe, you do not need a candy thermometer. We have made it simple enough that anyone can make this recipe.
Tips for Making this Recipe
Never leave your pot of sugar alone, it can be clear one minute that burnt the next. You need to make sure that you are watching your caramel cooking the whole time you are making it.
Make sure the pot is clean. It is very important that the pot you are using to make caramel sauce is clean and dry.
Whisk where directions say to. It is important to follow when to stir and when not to when you are making it.
Do you need to refrigerate homemade caramel sauce?
Yes. Homemade caramel sauce needs to be kept in the fridge. When you want to use it for a drizzle you can warm some up in a bowl in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or on the stove.
How to Store Homemade Caramel Sauce
Store it in the fridge for up to one month, just let it cool and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze Caramel Sauce
You can also freeze caramel sauce for up to 3 months.
Can I use Caramel Sauce to make Caramel apples?
No. This caramel sauce is too thin to make caramel apples however it is the perfect dip for dipping apples.
Homemade Caramel Sauce Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter – salted butter will have a saltier flavor, unsalted is best to use if you don’t want to make salted caramel
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
How to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce
Place the heavy cream and butter next to the stove already.
Place a small cup of water with a pastry brush next to the stove so you will be able to wash down the inside of the pot as needed.
In a very clean sauce pan combine add sugar and water and mix with a rubber spatula.
Place your pan with the water and sugar over medium-high heat. Making sure you wash the side of the pot if you see any crystals forming. Cook your sugar until it reaches a caramel color.
Remove the pot from the stove and add in all of the butter at once making sure you whisk it well while you add it.
The caramel will boil up but make sure you keep an eye on it. Add in the heavy cream being careful of the bubbling and whisk it all together.
Whisk in the vanilla and salt until well combined.
Let it cool then store in an airtight container.
Looking for more dessert recipes? Check these out!
- Boston Cream Pie
- How to Make Chocolate Ganache
- S’Mores Cupcakes
- Royal Icing Recipe
- Meringue Cookies
- Homemade Brownie
Caramel Sauce
Tools
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter cubed, room temperature
- 3/4 cup heavy cream room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a very clean sauce pan combine your sugar and water with a rubber spatula.
- Have your heavy cream and butter next to the stove already.
- Place a small cup of water with a pastry brush next to the stove so you will be able to wash down the inside of the pot.
- Place your pan with the water and sugar over medium-high heat. Making sure you wash the side of the pot if you see any crystals forming. Cook your sugar until it reaches a caramel color.
- Remove the pot from the stove and add in all of the butter at once making sure you whisk it well while you add it. The caramel will boil up but make sure you keep an eye on it. Add in the heavy cream being careful of the bubbling and whisk it all together.
- Whisk in the vanilla and salt until well combined.
- Let it cool then store in an airtight container.
Comments & Reviews
Daisy faleiro says
Thanks for sharing
Jo says
Hello, we don’t use sticks of butter where I come from. How many grams is in a stick? 🙂
Stephanie says
113 grams
Sandee Thornton says
in the caramel instructions it says 1/4 water, so is that 1/4 cup or Tablespoon, teaspoon or what? Can’t make it until we know.
Stephanie says
Sorry, it is 1/4 cup. The recipe is fixed now.
Sena says
You say over and over to “wash the sides of the pot” but there is no explanation of what that means. Does the water go on the inside of the pot? The outside? How much do you use? What exactly is going on here? This doesn’t sound like a simple recipe at all.
Stephanie says
You just brush some water as needed to brush the inside sides of the pot to remove any sugar that splashes onto the sides.
Victoria Wood says
Hi Stephanie!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was really simple to make and the caramel sauce turned out perfectly. I think I’ll make some more!