Description
The BEST homemade caramel sauce made in less than 10 minutes with 5 ingredients! Learn how to make caramel at home without a candy thermometer. This easy step-by-step recipe makes 1 cup caramel sauce.
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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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.