This is the best salted caramel sauce! It's great in coffee, over ice cream, cheesecake, cake, pie and any other dessert! It's easy to make and I'm excited to share it with you!
Why You'll Love This Salted Caramel Sauce
It's pretty easy to make. Just follow my step by step instructions and you should have no troubles!
It's delicious. No seriously. I could eat this with a spoon!
It's the perfect topping for all your fall desserts. We're talking cheesecake, brownies, pies, cakes, and anything else you can think of!
If you're looking for recipes to use this salted caramel sauce with check out my white chocolate salted caramel cheesecake or salted caramel apple pie bars.
Ingredients for Salted Caramel Sauce
- Sugar- granulated white sugar gets heated, toasted and melted and is the base for this caramel sauce
- Butter- we're using salted butter in this caramel sauce
- Heavy cream- together with the butter makes this salted caramel sauce super silky
- Vanilla- as always, I recommend vanilla bean paste for the best flavor, it really makes this salted caramel sauce taste so delicious!
- Salt- sea salt is used to make this salted caramel sauce, well, salty!
Step by Step Instructions
STEP ONE: Add the sugar to a large sauce pan and heat it over medium low heat. As the sugar is heating it will crystalize and then eventually all melt down and turn golden in color. When most of the sugar has melted, but there are still a few crystalized clumps, turn the heat down to low so the melted sugar doesn't burn. (Melting all the sugar takes around 20 minutes.)
STEP TWO: Once all the sugar has melted and turned golden in color, add in the butter right away. Stir quickly until the butter is incorporated.
STEP THREE: Then add in the heavy cream and stir quickly again to incorporate everything together. (At this point if you see the butter and cream start to separate from the sugar turn the heat up to medium low and stir vigorously to combine everything together. This can happen if your butter and cream aren't room temperature.)
STEP FOUR: Add in salt and vanilla and stir to combine. At this point remove the caramel from the heat if you are wanting a thinner caramel sauce for coffee. If you are wanting a slightly thicker caramel sauce to use on cakes or in desserts let it simmer on low for 2-3 minutes, then remove it from the heat.
See recipe below for complete measurements.
Storing the Salted Caramel Sauce
This recipe makes around 1 ½ cups of salted caramel sauce. I like to store my caramel sauce in a mason jar with an airtight lid. Store it in the fridge for up to a week. Let it come to room temperature, or warm it, before using it for the best consistency.
FAQs
Can this be made as regular caramel instead of salted caramel? Yes absolutely! Just leave out the salt, or use les salt, and use unsalted butter.
Why did my butter or cream not mix into the melted sugar? Your butter and cream probably weren't room temperature. If this happens turn the heat up to medium low and mix vigorously until it all mixes together.
Why did my sugar burn? You either had the heat up too high, or were using an incorrect kind of sugar. (See below).
Pro Tips
Make sure the heavy cream and butter are room temperature, if they're not the sugar can seize up and not incorporate properly.
Use fine sea salt to make sure it all dissolves into the caramel.
I have found that you MUST use granulated white sugar to make this caramel sauce. Organic or unbleached sugar just does not work the same. It tends to burn before all the sugar is melted down.
If you make this salted caramel sauce, please tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see! Also follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 5 tablespoon salted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (¼ tsp-½ teaspoon depending on your preference)
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of granulated white sugar to a large sauce pan and heat it over medium low heat. As the sugar is heating it will crystalize and then eventually all melt down and turn golden in color. When most of the sugar has melted, but there are still a few crystalized clumps, turn the heat down to low so the melted sugar doesn't burn. (Melting all the sugar takes around 20 minutes.)
- Once all the sugar has melted and turned golden in color, add in 5 tablespoon of room temperature salted butter right away. Stir quickly until the butter is incorporated.
- Then add in ½ cup of room temperature heavy cream and stir quickly again to incorporate everything together. (At this point if you see the butter and cream start to separate from the sugar turn the heat up to medium low and stir vigorously to combine everything together. This can happen if your butter and cream aren't room temperature.)
- Lastly, add in ¼ tsp-½ teaspoon of sea salt (depending on your preference) and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and stir to combine.
- At this point remove the caramel from the heat if you are wanting a thinner caramel sauce for coffee. If you are wanting a slightly thicker caramel sauce to use on cakes or in desserts let it simmer on low for 2-3 minutes, then remove it from the heat and allow to cool slightly before using.
- Transfer leftover caramel sauce to a mason jar with an airtight lid. Store it in the fridge for up to a week. Let it come to room temperature, or warm it, before using it for the best consistency.
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