Caramel Sauce
User Reviews
4.9
513 reviews
Excellent
Caramel Sauce
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Homemade Caramel Sauce is made in less than 10 minutes with just 4 simple ingredients! It’s smooth, rich, sweet, and drizzles like a dream. Bring the butter and cream to room temperature and check out my pro-tips section above before starting for delicious and foolproof caramel every time!
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Ingredients
- 1½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter room temp and cubed
- 1 cup heavy cream room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the sugar to a medium heavy-bottom saucepan (at least 3-quart capacity). Place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and starts to boil, 3 to 5 minutes. Brush the sides of the pot with water and a pastry brush occasionally so crystals do not form. (The sugar may start to turn light brown during this stage.)
- Once boiling, do not stir, and continue boiling until the sugar turns a dark amber color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and carefully whisk in the butter until melted and combined. The sugar will bubble vigorously when the butter is added so use caution.
- Once the butter is combined, slowly whisk in the cream. (The mixture will bubble up again.)
- Return to medium heat and continue boiling for 1 minute or until a candy thermometer reaches 220°F. (Depending on your stove, this could take up to 3 minutes.) Remove from the heat and stir in the salt.
- Allow the caramel sauce to cool in the pot for a few minutes, then transfer to a heat-proof bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature before using. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Caramel can be made in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Use a heavy-bottomed 3-quart or larger pot. A sturdy pot with a heavy bottom will allow the heat to conduct through the pan evenly, ensuring that the caramel doesn’t develop hot spots as it burns. If possible, use a light-colored pot as it will make it easier to evaluate when the caramel has reached the amber color. Finally, using a pot with high sides will prevent the caramel from bubbling up over the sides when whisking in the butter and cream.
- Warm the butter and cream to room temperature. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, you will want to leave the butter and cream at room temperature for 1-2 hours before starting on the recipe. Or, run the butter in the microwave in 5-second intervals for 10 to 15 seconds, just until soft. Though the caramel bubbling up is inevitable, whisking in room temperature ingredients will help to minimize it.
- Brush the sugar crystals off of the pot. Sugar crystals are prone to stick to the sides of the pot as you bring the sugar to a boil. Brushing them off with a pastry brush dipped in water will prevent crystallization and a grainy caramel. If you do not have a pastry brush, you can also cook the caramel with a lid on it. The lid will catch the evaporating moisture, causing it to run down the sides of the pot and to clean off any sugar crystals. If cooking with the lid on, check the caramel regularly and reduce the temperature to medium-low heat if necessary.
- Use a candy thermometer. Cook the caramel to 220 degrees Fahrenheit after whisking in the butter and cream to get the best texture and flavor.
- Don’t walk away from the stove. Caramel can burn faster than you may think if you step away to make something else or check your phone. Pay close attention to the caramel throughout the cooking process, checking for the color of the sugar as it melts, sugar accumulating on the sides of the pot, and the mixture reaching the appropriate temperature. Because this recipe uses the dry method (meaning no water is added to the sugar), the cooking time is faster, so you must stay close.
- Flavor it! When stirring in the salt, add other flavorings to make your own caramel sauce flavored how you like. Some flavorings I like to add are 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, 2 tablespoons of liquor like amaretto, coffee liqueur, bourbon, or spiced rum, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, or even a powdered dried herb like rosemary for a deeply delicious and slightly savory sauce.
- Thin out the sauce. Caramel sauce is thicker when it is cold, and thinner when it is warm, so think about the application. If you want a much thinner sauce to use cold, warm the sauce and add more cream to reach the desired consistency. For a thicker caramel to start, reduce the cream by up to 4 tablespoons.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
247kcal
(12%)
Carbohydrates
31g
(10%)
Protein
1g
(2%)
Fat
14g
(22%)
Saturated Fat
9g
(45%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
4g
Trans Fat
0.2g
Cholesterol
42mg
(14%)
Sodium
124mg
(5%)
Potassium
25mg
(1%)
Sugar
31g
(62%)
Vitamin A
525IU
(11%)
Vitamin C
0.1mg
(0%)
Calcium
18mg
(2%)
Iron
0.04mg
(0%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 10servings (1 cup)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 247 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 247kcal | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 31g | 10% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 42mg | 14% |
| Sodium | 124mg | 5% |
| Potassium | 25mg | 1% |
| Sugar | 31g | 62% |
| Vitamin A | 525IU | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 0.1mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 18mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0.04mg | 0% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
513 reviews
Excellent
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