Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe

A step by step photo tutorial for making your own homemade salted caramel sauce that can be drizzled over ice-cream or stirred into desserts!

I remember the first time I made homemade salted caramel.  I was so nervous. I carefully watched my caramel and tried to follow each step exactly according to the recipe. So what happened? Oh yea, I burnt it. Burnt it good.

Caramel goes from perfect, to you kicking screaming and throwing pots and pans in the sink. Yes, it can be that temperamental.

I have come a long way since that first batch!  It doesn’t even scare me now. So I am hoping I can get you over the fear by showing you how to make your own homemade salted caramel sauce. This recipe I used from Cook’s Illustrated and it seriously is just the best dang stuff ever. Hands down. Lick the spoon and walk away.

So let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients Needed

• Sugar – You want to use just regular granulated sugar.
• Water
• Heavy cream: You want to use heavy cream, or whipping cream, but not milk. Make sure the cream isn’t cold, right from the fridge. You can bring it to room temperature or heat it so it’s warm (but not boiling).
• Butter – Unsalted or salted work fine.
• Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Salt – I love a coarse sea salt, and for a splurge I go with a good fleur de sel!

Tools Needed

• Candy Thermometer
• Heavy duty saucepan (use a pan with TALL sides because when you add the cream it will bubble up vigorously). Cheap metal pots can heat unevenly. And do not use non-stick pans as high heat can damage them.
• Fleur de sel (this is a bit pricey, but I bought a small bag years ago and still haven’t used it up!)
• Mason Jars for storage (this stuff makes a crazy good gift for people, if you can stand giving it away)

How To Make Homemade Caramel Sauce

Combine sugar and water.

First, pour your water into the sauce pan and pour your sugar into the middle of the pan. Try and not have the sugar touch the sides of the pan.

Give it a whisk to combine. And then do not touch the mixture again.

Step 2: Let it boil.

You need to cover the pan and put the heat on high. Then once it begins to boil, take the cover off, and let it continue to boil and let it cook for about 15 minutes until the mixture reaches a straw colored, and reaches a temperature of 300^oF.

You will see some bubbles and the mixture starting to darken in color. This is called caramelization and it’s what we want to happen. Do NOT stir it at this point, simply let it boil. You can tilt the saucepan from side to side, so it’s cooking evenly but avoid stirring it as this can cause sugar crystals to form.

Heather’s Baking Tip: Every stove is different, and what kind of saucepan you use can change the time it takes to get to 300^oF. So don’t rely just on the timer, watch the temperature and color!

Step 3: Warm the cream.

While you are watching, go ahead and gently heat your cream in another saucepan. You want to heat the cream until it’s steaming BUT NOT BOILING. We want the cream to be warmed when it finally goes into the sugar mixture because warm cream = No clumps. No clumps is good. No one likes a clumpy caramel.

If your cream is warmed through, before your syrup is ready, then take it off the heat and set it aside. It will be fine.

Step 4: Reduce heat and watch that temperature.

When the temperature reaches 300^oF, reduce the heat to medium. You want to continue to cook the sugar until it is a deep amber color and your candy thermometer reads 350^oF degrees.

This whole process takes about 5 minutes (but again it’s worth saying it: time can vary as all stovetops are different so keep an eye on color and temperature). Keep a close eye! Now is not the time to start laundry or load the dishwasher.

HEATHER’S BAKING TIP: It’s VERY easy to burn your caramel – so when the caramel reaches 340^oF I is when I start to watch very closely. It can increase in color and temperature very quickly and go from perfect to burnt in seconds!!

Step 5: Add cream.

When your syrup is ready, remove it form the heat and carefully pour about 1/4 cup of the cream into the mixture. Just watch out! The whole things is going to bubble up on you like crazy.

Once the bubbles have gone down, then go ahead and pour in the rest of your cream.

Step 6: Add butter and vanilla.

Now add in the butter and vanilla and whisk it until it’s smooth. The caramel will be thin at this point, but will thicken ads it cools.

Step 7: Add salt.

And of course last but not least, stir in your salt. A pinch of salt goes a long way.  I like to use a fleur de sel. A good kosher salt will do just fine as well.

Recipe Tips

1.  Use a thermometer: Unless you’re a caramel making expert, I always use a thermometer. You definitely need a good candy thermometer.  The better you get at making caramel,  you might be able to do this by look, but trust me the first few times you are going to want a candy thermometer!  Having a candy thermometer is definitely recommended.
2. Times can vary. All stovetops and saucepans are different so do not rely on your timer alone. Watch for colors and watch that temperature changing. Caramel can go from perfect to burnt in seconds!
3. Use warm cream. Do not use cream straight from the fridge. Make sure it’s been warmed a little on the stove, or at least room temperature. But do not let it boil.
4. Use a quality saucepan. Non-stick can be damaged with high heat. And cheaper cookware will heat caramel unevenly.
5. Do not stir the sugar mixture. Stirring the sugar mixture while it’s boiling can cause sugar crystals to form. Instead I just tilt the pan from side to side to help make sure it’s cooking evenly.
6. Add the warm cream right away. Once you’ve taken the saucepan off the stove, add the cream right away. But start with just a small amount as it will bubble up quite a bit. Then add the rest slowly as the bubbles subside.
7. Caramel goes from perfect to burnt in seconds. When the temperature reaches 340^oF, and the color is darkening that’s what I pay super close attention as the temperature and color change drastically and your caramel can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.

Recipes To Use Your Caramel Sauce With

Now how to use this delicious homemade caramel sauce…

• Salted Caramel Apple Cake
• 3-Ingredient Pecan Turtles
• Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
• Milky Way Rice Krispie Treats
• Caramel Apple Crisp
• Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes
• Caramel Apple Snickerdoodles

Happy baking everyone! If you liked this step by step photo tutorial or have any questions on making caramel then let me know below in the comment section!

Salted Caramel Sauce

A homemade salted caramel sauce that can be drizzled over ice-cream or added to all kinds of desserts. Makes about 2 cups and can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

3.60 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 cups

Calories: 1285kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup (240 mL) water
• ▢ 2 cups (394 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 cup (240 mL) heavy cream room temperature
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter chilled
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon fleur de sel any larger flaky salt will do

Instructions

• Heat sugar and water. Pour water into a heavy-duty saucepan (see note below about the saucepan). Pour your sugar into the center of the pan. Be careful not to let the sugar crystals touch the side of the pan. Give it a stir and then do not stir it again.
• Boil sugar mixture. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture is boiling, uncover and continue to boil until the syrup is thick and straw colored and your thermometer registers 300°F, about 15 minutes (every stovetop and saucepan is different so this time can vary depending so keep an eye on the temperature first and also watch for the color change – yours may be ready in less time)
• Heat to 350°F. Reduce your heat to medium and continue to cook until the sugar is deep amber and registers 350°F degrees, about 5 minutes. (Time can vary as each stovetop is different- so keep an eye on the color. When it gets close to 340°F I keep a very close eye as it can change color and temperature quickly at this point and go from perfect to burnt in seconds!). While the mixture is heating up, I get started on heating my cream.
• Heat the cream. Over medium heat, heat the cream until it's steaming but NOT simmering/boiling. You want to add warm cream to the caramel mixture. Once the cream is steaming, I remove it from the stove and set it aside to use in the next step.
• Add the warm cream. Remove the sugar syrup from heat IMMEDIATELY. Carefully pour about 1/4 of your cream into your sugar syrup. The mixture will bubble vigorously. Let the bubbling subside, and add in the remaining cream.
• Add remaining ingredients. Whisk gently until smooth, then whisk in your butter, vanilla, and salt. The caramel will be thin at this point but will thicken up as it cools.
• Store. Let cool until warm and serve. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Notes

• Storage: Keep in a container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• Saucepan: Use a pan with TALL sides because when you add the cream it will bubble up vigorously. Cheap metal pots can heat unevenly. And do not use non-stick pans as high heat can damage them. 
• Thermometer: I recommend using a thermometer and not just relying on a t timer and color change. 
• Timing: All stovetops and saucepans are different so timing can vary – keep an eye on the temperature, and color. 
• Heavy cream: You want to use heavy cream, or whipping cream, but not milk. Make sure the cream isn’t cold, right from the fridge. You can bring it to room temperature or heat it so it’s warm (but not boiling).

Nutrition

Calories: 1285kcal | Carbohydrates: 203g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 35g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 3543mg | Potassium: 97mg | Sugar: 200g | Vitamin A: 2099IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg

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