I love this homemade caramel sauce so much! Our recipe is super simple a short list of ingredients. You can even turn it into salted caramel sauce! Plus, it lasts 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge (although my family finishes it before then).
Caramel sauce is ridiculously easy to make at home. You only need a few simple ingredients, a saucepan, and a candy thermometer. In about 30 minutes, you can whip up a batch yourself. There is no need for pricey store-bought jars!
We love caramel around here (who doesn’t?). For more caramel recipes, see these incredible homemade caramels or our chocolate covered caramels.
Key Ingredients and Equipment
- Sugar: Plain granulated sugar is best for this recipe.
- Heavy Cream: When it comes to cream, the richer, the better! I use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream with at least 36% butterfat. If you’re in the UK or Australia, double cream or thickened cream with at least 35% fat content will work wonderfully.
- Vanilla: This enhances the caramel flavor, so don’t skip it!
- Salt: To make salted caramel sauce, stir in a bit of flaked or grey sea salt after cooking.
- Equipment: You can make this caramel sauce without a candy thermometer, but it definitely helps to guarantee consistent results. Also, a medium-sized saucepan with a heavy bottom will prevent scorching and uneven cooking. I love my 2-quart All-Clad saucepan for this.
How to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce
This homemade caramel sauce is addictive, especially when drizzled over ice cream, homemade brownies, baked apples, apple pie, and so much more!
You’ll start by cooking sugar with water until this dark golden color. I highly recommend using a candy thermometer. It makes it so easy to tell when you are ready to move to the next step. If you don’t have one, use the following photo as a guide for what you are looking for.
When making caramel sauce, stay close and watch the color and temperature of the sugar mixture. It can go from perfect to burnt quickly!
When it hits 350°F, I turn off the heat (take the pan off the burner if you’re using an electric stove) and slowly pour in a mixture of cream and vanilla. As you do this, the caramel will bubble violently. Don’t let that scare you; just be cautious as you pour the cream.
Finally, cook the caramel sauce over low heat for a few minutes while stirring it so it smooths out. Then, let it cool and season with salt (if you make salted caramel sauce).
Perfect Caramel Sauce
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Making your own caramel sauce is surprisingly easy and tastes much better than store-bought! For the best results, use a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom, as this will ensure even heating and prevent scorching. While you can rely on intuition and the color of the caramel to gauge its readiness, a candy thermometer removes the guesswork and provides more consistent results. I love turning this into salted caramel sauce and adding the sea salt at the end.
You Will Need
1 ¼ cups (295ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (78ml) water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for salted caramel sauce, see tips
Directions
1In a measuring jug, combine the cream and vanilla extract. Set this mixture aside.
2Combine the sugar and water in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is clear. Do not stir.
3Cover the saucepan with a lid for 1 minute. This creates steam, which helps prevent sugar crystals from forming on the sides of the pan.
4Remove the lid and clip a clean candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan.
5Increase the heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until the sugar mixture reaches 350°F (177°C) and turns a rich golden color (see photo in article for reference). This usually takes 5 to 8 minutes. You can gently tilt the pan to distribute heat, but avoid stirring.
6Once the caramel reaches 350°F (177°C), immediately remove the saucepan from the heat. Slowly and carefully pour in the vanilla cream mixture. Be cautious, as the caramel will bubble and splatter. If the caramel hardens, don’t worry, it will melt back into a smooth sauce as you continue.
7Return the saucepan to low heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the hardened caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth and silky. Stir in the salt.
8Allow the caramel sauce to cool completely to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools. Once cooled, taste the caramel and add more salt if desired. Be sure to let it cool enough to taste safely, as it may be very hot.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Transfer the cooled caramel sauce to an airtight container like a glass jar. Store it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. The caramel sauce will thicken in the fridge, but you can gently reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop to make it pourable again.
- Salted caramel sauce: I love adding a bit more salt to this recipe to turn it into a salted caramel sauce. Use high-quality sea salt and add to taste (once the sauce cools down). Start with 1/4 teaspoon, but expect you’ll add closer to 1/2 teaspoon, possibly more if you have large sea salt flakes.
- Vegan caramel sauce: Substitute the cream for full-fat canned coconut milk (use the thickest, white part of the can).
- This recipe is inspired by Ina Garten.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Was looking for a recipe to use the apples left from apple-picking and your Baked Apple recipe is perfect! Of course, it led me to the Salted Caramel sauce, yum. Not sure if it is too late to ask a question (possibly an odd question, but have never made this before!), but what type of spoon works best for the stirring part of the recipe for this sauce? Would a rubber spatula or wooden spoon be ok? Or metal spoon–won’t be using nonstick. Looking forward to making both, they look amazing! Thanks in advance
Hi Cat, Either a wooden spoon or rubber spatula will be fine. If they are hard to clean after making the caramel, you can add them to a pot of boiling water, which will quickly dissolve any caramel stuck to them.
I made this yesterday to make my own caramel frappes, and it’s delicious!! It true your patience waiting for the sugar to dissolve without stirring it but it’s so worth the wait! As it cooled down I kept going back for another taste lol. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
This is my absolute favorite caramel recipe. I was wanting to use it to make some chocolate caramel tartlets, but it’s not thick enough. Is there anyway I can make this caramel a tiny bit thicker so it will hold up in the tart shells?
Hi there, I’m so happy you enjoy the recipe! This is the texture of sauce. For a thicker caramel, we’d need to do some more experimenting.
So I was looking for something to make for my grandmothers 61st birthday and she LOVES salted caramel and bread pudding so I made the bread pudding and then the salted caramel she is super ready to eat it now add I won’t let her till the party tonight!
I just wondered if you’ve heard of anyone making this with coconut cream, or other non dairy product? In search of a good non dairy caramel sauce. 🙂
Hi kay, We have never tried this, although it is a great idea to try out!
Are you sure the temperature is supposed to be 350F?
When using a candy thermometer 350F is way past hard candy stage.
I’ve made this before using the same ingredients somewhere else but can’t recall the cooking temperature.
Yes, 350 is correct.
Does this freeze well, and if so, for how long?
While we have not done this ourselves, the sauce should freeze well. Freeze it in an airtight container (not glass). When you want to use it, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator then gently warm it up.
OMG! I have never made caramel sauce before and really wanted to try. I had my sister and her husband over for dinner and decided to give it a go. There was none left!! I did exactly as you instructed. I poured it warm over home churned vanilla bean ice cream and fudgy pecan brownies. It was so delicious that my sister (who has a sweet tooth)suspiciously volunteered to clear some of the dishes from the table. When I entered the kitchen, she ate what was left of the caramel with large spoon!!! I have laminated this recipe into my personal (and private) cook book where it shall remain for the rest of my cooking days. Thank you so much for this recipe!
So glad you loved it!!