Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe (2024)

It is so easy to learn how to make caramel sauce. This is seriously so decadent and creamy. Spoon this over ice cream, apple pie, fruit and anything you like.

Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe (1)

Homemade caramel sauce recipe

This caramel sauce is heavenly. I have to stop myself from just eating it from the jar. It is that good.

I look for any excuse to make this recipe and it never disappoints. You are going to love it too.

It is so easy to make and ready in minutes. Skip the store bought jars and taste the difference with this homemade sauce. You will not be disappointed. You might also like our Homemade Butterscotch Sauce or the The Best Blueberry Sauce.

Let’s make this easy caramel sauce!

Once you give it a try, you will never go back to store bought. It’s so yummy and easy to make.

However you decide to enjoy it, I promise it will be amazing. It is so delicious.

Everyone will think you spent all this time in the kitchen when really it took minutes. Just minutes. Can you believe you can enjoy something so fabulous with so little time?

It is just the best.

Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe (2)

Ingredients for homemade caramel sauce:

  • light brown sugar, packed
  • heavy cream
  • unsalted butter
  • salt
  • vanilla extract

With only a few simple ingredients, you can have this amazing homemade sauce in minutes. It is so good.

How to make caramel sauce:

  • First, you will need a saucepan. Add the butter, brown sugar, salt and heavy whipping cream to the pan.
Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe (3)
  • Next, bring this mixture to a boil and allow the sugar to dissolve. Let it cook for about 5 to 7 minutes and make sure to stir it constantly. Watch the time carefully because you want to cook it just until it has thickened.
  • Finally, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. It will be amber colored. Let it cool slightly to room temperature.
Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe (4)

How to Store Caramel Sauce

Give the caramel enough time to cool a little and pour it into a jar or container with lid. We like to use mason jars to store the homemade caramel.

These jars are spill proof and reusable. Such a budget friendly idea.

Do you need to refrigerate homemade caramel sauce?

Yes, it needs to be refrigerated. It will keep up to 2 weeks as long as you store it inside an airtight container.

Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in airtight sealed container.

Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe (5)

How to reheat:

To reheat, cook for 30 seconds in a microwave safe bowl. Stir and heat in 10 second intervals until it is heated through and the desired consistency.

You will definitely need to reheat the sauce when ready to enjoy. It can become quite thick once cool.

Make sure to reheat the sauce in increments stirring in between so it does not burn.

Do I need a Candy Thermometer?

You don’t need a candy thermometer to make this homemade caramel recipe. Just make sure to follow the instructions and pay careful attention to the cooking time as it boils.

How to use caramel sauce

  • Caramel Apple Dump Cake – This is even better with homemade caramel sauce drizzled on top.
  • Apple Slices – I often just cup up apples and let the kids dip the slices into the yummy sauce. Such an easy but tasty treat.
  • Top on Ice cream – This is delicious on ice cream. See all our Ice Cream Sundae Toppings.

Truly the ideas are endless for using this homemade sauce.

Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe (6)

Can I use this caramel sauce for caramel apples?

No, this sauce is not thick enough to coat caramel apples. However, it is perfect for dipping apple slices or drizzling over apple nachos.

Why isn’t my caramel sauce thickening?

You may need to simmer the sauce longer over medium heat. Just remember that the sauce will continue to thicken significantly as it cools.

Often it will appear thin and you may think it isn’t going to be the right consistency. However, once it sits awhile and cools, it thickens a lot.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming it will stay thin and over cooking the sauce. You will really see a big change in the consistency once it has cooled.

Now you know how to make caramel sauce.

I told you it was so easy. Anyone can make this and it will turn out amazing.

From apples and apple pie to ice cream and more, this delicious and easy homemade sauce is always a hit. It is amazing what a few simple ingredients can combine to make.

This is one of our favorite sauces and we all just love it.

Save money and make homemade caramel sauce recipe.

I used to buy the store bought caramel sauce and the cost adds up. Plus, the jars are pretty small. If you have a large family, it does not take long to use a jar like that.

It is a much better value to make your own at home and it tastes far better. This is the perfect example of enjoying delicious recipes at home and saving money as well.

Your grocery budget will thank you and your family gets to enjoy fabulous treats. It is truly a win all around.

Let us know how it turns out for you and what you use the homemade caramel sauce for. I know it will be delicious.

It is such an easy recipe for salted caramel sauce without any corn syrup needed. The results are delicious.

Print thebest caramel sauce recipe below:

Review

Pin Print

Homemade Caramel Sauce

4.29 from 46 votes

It is so easy to learn how to make caramel sauce. This is seriously so decadent and creamy. Spoon this over ice cream, apple pie, fruit and more!

Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 12 minutes mins

Servings 16 (makes 2.5 cups)

Cuisine American

Course Dessert

Calories 211

Author Carrie Barnard

Ingredients

  • 2 cups light brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, salt and heavy whipping cream

  • Bring to boil and cook stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes or until thickened

  • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract

  • Let cool slightly

  • Add to jar or container with lid

  • Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in airtight sealed container

  • To reheat, cook for 30 seconds in a microwave safe bowl. Stir and heat for an additional 10 seconds or longer if necessary

Nutrition Facts

Calories 211kcal, Carbohydrates 28g, Protein 1g, Fat 11g, Saturated Fat 7g, Cholesterol 36mg, Sodium 51mg, Potassium 50mg, Sugar 27g, Vitamin A 396IU, Vitamin C 1mg, Calcium 34mg, Iron 1mg

Pin This Now to Remember It Later

Pin Recipe

More Caramel recipes to try:

  • Caramel Chocolate Poke Cake
  • Caramel Dip Recipe
  • Homemade Caramel Popcorn
  • Salted Caramel Fudge
  • Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Try these other recipes

All Recipes Dessert

Homemade Cherry Pie Filling

Sauces and Spices

Cream Cheese Glaze

Sauces and Spices

Brown Sugar Syrup

Sauces and Spices

Easy Apple Pie Spice Recipe

Cakes

Cool Whip Cream Cheese Frosting

Sauces and Spices

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe

All Recipes Dessert

34 Easy Strawberry Desserts

Sauces and Spices

Homemade Butterscotch Sauce

About the Author

Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe (16)

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Desserts on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you create delicious desserts on a budget and do not require a ton of time. Together, we are going to make something sweet that the entire family will love!

About Carrie
Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How is caramel sauce made from scratch? ›

You'll add sugar and water to a heavy bottomed saucepan, allow it to dissolve and gently bubble for about 9 minutes until it caramelizes and turns a beautiful amber color. Then butter, cream, vanilla, and salt get blended in. The mixture is set aside to cool and then poured into a glass jar to cool completely.

What are the two methods for making caramel? ›

Wet caramel is made by combining sugar and a liquid and cooking them together, while dry caramel is made from just sugar, heated in a dry pan until it liquefies and browns.

What not to do when making caramel? ›

Avoid these, and it'll be sweet—er, smooth—sailing.
  1. Using the Wrong Pot. You can't make a caramel sauce with a thin or flimsy pot. ...
  2. Dumping in All of the Sugar at Once. Adding all of your sugar in one go means that it won't liquefy uniformly. ...
  3. Not Setting up Your Mise en Place.
Nov 11, 2015

What is homemade caramel made of? ›

Heat sugar and water in a heavy-bottom, high-walled, light-colored skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is a deep golden amber color (caramel-colored) (this could take around 10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in butter. Whisk in heavy cream, stirring until smooth.

Is caramel just sugar and water? ›

Just to recap: dry caramel is made with just sugar. This makes dry caramel more difficult to make because it burns quite easily and the sugar crystals can clump together, resulting in grainy caramel. Wet caramel is made by first dissolving the sugar in a little water and then allowing it to caramelize.

Which method is quickest in caramel making? ›

For the "dry" caramel method, you simply heat the sugar in an empty pan until melted and caramelized. It's quick and direct, but the risk is that some parts of the sugar melt faster than others, and can burn before the rest had made it even to light amber.

Why do you put vinegar in caramel? ›

Add acid. Acid ingredients (like vinegar or lemon juice) can help prevent re-crystallization which causes caramel to become grainy. Acid physically breaks the bonds between the glucose and fructose molecules that form sucrose and ensure that it stays apart.

Do you stir caramel or not stir? ›

Before placing on the stove on a medium heat, it should start to bubble and when it does you can swirl the pan around gently every 20 seconds or so. But DON'T STIR as this might crystallize the sugar. Be patient and keep an eye on it to make sure it does not burn.

Is white or brown sugar better for caramel? ›

Sugar Note: Most chefs say that only granulated sugar can be successfully caramelized; other sugars — such as brown sugar and unrefined sugar such as cane sugar — contain impurities that can inhibit caramelization. It's those impurities that can burn before the sugar has time to caramelize.

How to make sugar caramel at home? ›

Step-by-Step: How to Make Caramel Sauce
  1. Pour the sugar into a dry, medium-sized stainless steel saucepan, and cook the sugar over medium heat.
  2. Swirl the pan occasionally, until the sugar melts and begins to caramelize and turn a deep amber color. ...
  3. Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter until melted.
Nov 1, 2023

How many parts of sugar and water to make caramel? ›

The main ingredient for making a caramel is sugar. A liquid caramel can be made using any quantity of sugar or water just as long as it follows the ratio of 2 parts sugar: 1 part water.

Why does my homemade caramel taste bad? ›

Overheating the mixture

Follow the recipe carefully, and never melt your caramel on your stove's highest setting—it will cause the caramel to scorch and taste burnt. Once it gets a burnt or bitter flavor, it can't be saved. Luckily, sugar is inexpensive, so you can always start over!

Why does my homemade caramel taste bitter? ›

The temperature of the caramel can rise so rapidly that it is hard to keep it in the desired temperature range, shown above. As a result, the caramel could burn and taste bitter.

Why does my homemade caramel taste burnt? ›

Once the sugar has melted, continue cooking it until it turns into a rich amber color. It should be removed from the heat source when it begins to smoke and foam a little around the edges. Burning most commonly occurs when the caramel is left for too long on the heat source or when the temperature is too high.

Does melting sugar turn into caramel? ›

The sugar will begin to caramelize very quickly once it melts. You can turn the heat down to slow the process down.

Does homemade caramel get hard? ›

If it registers 212°F or 100°C, you are good to go. If not, it is time to replace it. If caramels are too hard, you can try placing them back in a saucepan, adding a couple tablespoons of water and stirring until the thermometer reads 242°F. Pour back into a prepared buttered pan.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Annamae Dooley

Last Updated:

Views: 5710

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Annamae Dooley

Birthday: 2001-07-26

Address: 9687 Tambra Meadow, Bradleyhaven, TN 53219

Phone: +9316045904039

Job: Future Coordinator

Hobby: Archery, Couponing, Poi, Kite flying, Knitting, Rappelling, Baseball

Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.