Salted Caramel Sauce
User Reviews
4.6
Salted Caramel Sauce
Description
Salted Caramel Sauce is made by melting sugar with water and corn syrup until it reaches a deep amber caramel color, then incorporating heavy cream to create a velvety, smooth sauce with a subtle saltiness. The corn syrup helps prevent crystallization, ensuring a glossy finish. Careful temperature control and timing are crucial to avoid burning, as caramel darkens quickly once the sugar starts to color.
The sauce can be flavored with vanilla extract or substituted with spirits like bourbon or rum for added complexity. Its balanced salty-sweet taste and creamy texture make it suitable for topping ice cream, cakes, or fruit desserts, enhancing the overall richness.
Because the sauce involves boiling sugar, it is essential to proceed with caution and full attention. Work with all ingredients and utensils prepared in advance, and use a pan larger than anticipated to accommodate vigorous bubbling when cream is added. Salt amount can be adjusted to preference.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon corn syrup can be omitted but helps reduce crystallization, light-colored
- ½ cup heavy cream aka whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract optional (or substitute with bourbon, rum, Grand Marnier, or a favorite liqueur)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt optional and to taste (for a true ‘salted caramel’ sauce, I use 1 teaspoon)
Instructions
- In a medium to large saucepan (use a pan much larger than you think you’ll need because the sauce will bubble very vigorously at the end), add the sugar, water, corn syrup and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking until sugar has dissolved.
- Allow the mixture to boil for 5 to 12 minutes, or as necessary, for it to turn caramel-colored, at which point it will likely be smoking slightly. The final stage where the mixture turns from pale amber to that perfect shade of caramel can go quickly, in less than 30 seconds, so keep a watchful eye and don’t let it burn. Super stinky and you’ll have to start over. Throughout the boiling time, you can swirl the pan gently every minute or two if necessary, but the less the sugary mixture gets on the sides of the pan, the better in preventing crystallization in the final sauce.
- As soon as the sauce has turned caramel-colored, reduce the heat to low.
- Very carefully and slowly, add the cream. Stand back because mixture will bubble up considerably.
- Optionally, and very carefully, add the vanilla and salt, to taste. Stand back because mixture will bubble up again.
- Whisk until sauce is smooth and combined, and let it boil another 1 minute, which helps thicken it up.
- Transfer sauce to glass jar or heat-safe container (easiest to pour into a 2-cup measuring cup and then easily pour into glass jar). Allow sauce to cool uncovered to room temperature; sauce thickens considerably as it cools.
- Sauce will keep airtight at room temp for at least 1 month, although will likely last much longer; use common sense if giving as gifts with storage considerations.
Notes
- Have all ingredients and tools ready before starting to safely manage boiling sugar.
- Use a pan larger than expected as the mixture bubbles vigorously when cream is added.
- Adjust salt quantity to control the level of saltiness in the sauce.
- Adding corn syrup helps prevent sugar crystallizing during cooking.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 11/4 cups
Amount Per Serving
Calories 62 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 62kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 11g | 4% |
| Fat | 2g | 3% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Cholesterol | 7mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 108mg | 5% |
| Sugar | 11g | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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