How to Make Caramel Sauce, Step by Step

Rich and creamy homemade salted caramel sauce is delicious straight from the jar and perfect for drizzling over ice cream or cheesecake! Made in less than 10 minutes with just 5 ingredients, this foolproof stovetop method makes perfect caramel sauce every time, no candy thermometer required. Recipe yields 1 cup sauce.

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There’s nothing more satisfying than homemade caramel sauce! It’s buttery, creamy, sweet, and one of my favorite dessert toppers.

This recipe uses the dry method, meaning the sugar is caramelized in a saucepan without adding any water or corn syrup. Step-by-step photos to walk you through it below!

Love homemade caramel? Don’t miss my collection of caramel dessert recipes!

Caramel Sauce Success Tips

1. Prep ahead. Read through the entire recipe before you start, and have all the ingredients ready to go so that you can work quickly.
2. Bring ingredients to room temp. Make sure your butter and heavy cream are at room temperature. If they’re too cold, the mixture can seize up.
3. Pick the right pan. Use a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan (around 2 quarts is perfect). A light-colored pan is ideal so that you can easily see the sugar melting.
4. Handle with care. Caramel is extremely hot, so wear oven mitts while handling the saucepan and whisking to prevent burns.
5. Stick to one batch at a time. Don’t try to double or triple this recipe for a larger batch of caramel. Instead, make a few batches if you need additional sauce.

Visual Step-by-Step Guide

Measure out granulated sugar, butter, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Cut butter into small cubes so that it melts quickly, and bring heavy cream to room temperature.

Place granulated sugar in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat.

Continue cooking, stirring constantly with a spatula, until sugar forms clumps, caramelizes, and then melts into a light colored amber liquid. I don’t recommend cooking to a deep amber color as the finished sauce may taste bitter.

Once all of the sugar crystals have fully dissolved, whisk in cubed unsalted butter a few pieces at a time until completely melted and incorporated.

Drizzle in heavy cream while whisking constantly. Let mixture boil for 1 minute (the mixture will bubble up rapidly).

Remove pan from the heat and pour caramel sauce into a glass bowl. Stir in vanilla extract and salt until combined (salt balances out the flavor and keeps the caramel from tasting too sweet). The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Favorite salted caramel recipes:

• Salted Caramel Cheesecake
• Caramel Pear Crisp
• Caramel Fudge Layer Cake
• Caramel Apple Puff Pastry Tarts
• Fudgy Caramel Turtle Brownies
• Salted Caramel Apple Pie
• Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

How to Make Caramel Sauce, Step by Step

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• Author: Laura Kasavan
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 1 cup caramel sauce
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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Description

The best salted caramel sauce made in less than 10 minutes with 5 ingredients! This foolproof stovetop method makes perfect caramel sauce at home without a candy thermometer. Recipe yields 1 cup caramel sauce.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cubed
• 1/2 cup (120 g) heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp (2 g) vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

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Instructions

1. Cook sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula. Continue cooking until sugar forms clumps and melts into a light amber colored liquid, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Once the sugar is completely melted, carefully add butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly until incorporated. (The caramel mixture will boil rapidly at this point, so watch for splatter. Caramel is extremely hot, so wear oven mitts while handling the saucepan and whisking to prevent burns.)
3. Slowly drizzle in heavy cream while whisking constantly. (The mixture will bubble up rapidly.) Let mixture boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and pour into a glass bowl. Stir in vanilla and salt. Let caramel sauce cool slightly before using – sauce thickens as it cools.

Notes

Salt: You can use regular salt or sea salt (I like Maldon).

Larger Batches: Do not double or triple this recipe for a larger batch of caramel. Instead, make a few batches if you need additional sauce.

Storage: Store leftover caramel sauce covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Salted caramel sauce can also be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat in 10-second bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth before using. If you plan to use the sauce as a cake filling or in a frosting, it’s easiest to use straight from the refrigerator when the caramel sauce is cool and thickened.

Freeze Caramel Sauce: Freeze homemade salted caramel sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Be sure to use an airtight plastic storage container if you’re freezing the sauce (glass jars or containers may shatter). When you’re ready to use the sauce again, remove from the freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.