Easy Caramel Sauce ~ Stove top, 15-minute, no corn syrup caramel sauce with just a few simple ingredients.
I’m a little late to the salted caramel craze. In fact, I am really late to the whole loving caramel game. If it was in chocolate, it was fine. But it was never something I sought out. During my formative years, caramel was basically those square brown bricks. You know what I mean by bricks…so stale that if you try to bite into them, they will break your teeth and once they begin to soften, they will pull your fillings out.
Occasionally caramel was found on the ice cream buffet, and that stuff was good, but if I was limited to toppings, hot fudge won out each and every time.
Then one day, in a hot and humid kitchen in a small Texas town, my world changed. One sauce pan, butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla were whisked together to form a luscious, thick, and gooey sauce to compliment Texas’ best ice cream from Brenham, a small town near College Station.
No more square brown bricks. No more high fructose corn syrup concoctions. Simple ingredients. Big taste. Just an easy caramel sauce you can enjoy knowing you are getting pure ingredients, plus I’m sure dentists would prefer this easy caramel sauce over those bricks.
I have written a few (upcoming) recipes that require caramel, so I made a big ole batch. Plus I knew I’d be dipping my spoon in it quite frequently, therefore having a more than enough was necessary. And of course with Elizabeth around, she’d need some to dip her apples or her fingers into.
This recipe does make a big batch, close to three cups, enough to fill a jar and toss in the fridge to get you through a carton or two of your favorite ice cream. In this recipe I used kosher salt, it’s thicker than table salt and will really punch up the salted caramel taste. Table salt will work, add a bit at a time as taste as you go, allowing it to return to a simmer between saltings. The salt can be omitted if you don’t want the salty taste, but I’d still add at least a pinch. 
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)
- 2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream; to desired thickness.
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- 1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt; to taste
Instructions
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In a heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter.
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Add the brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla, whisk together.
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Whisk constantly for 8 minutes, to bubbling, and add a quarter of the salt, whisk and cook for an additional minute. Take care to not let it burn.
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Stop and scrap down the sides.
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Taste for salt, add more, an additional quarter portion and resume whisking for another minute or two. Taste again. Repeat adding salt and returning to a simmer until it has reached the desired saltiness.
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Once the salt is right, allow to simmer and thicken for an additional 2-3 minutes.
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Remove from heat, scrape down the sides and allow to cool enough serve or jar and place in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
Can decrease the brown sugar to 2 cups and the cream to 3/4 cup. It's all about the desired thickness. It will thicken upon standing.
32 Comments
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
June 15, 2016 at 4:54 amSo many delicious possibilities for this sweet sauce!
Cooking with Crystal
June 15, 2016 at 7:25 amOh how i love caramel sauce! This looks mouth watering!
Meg @ With Salt and Wit
June 15, 2016 at 9:19 amThis would be delicious with some apples!
Arthur in the Garden!
June 15, 2016 at 12:02 pmOH! That does seem easy!
Krista
June 15, 2016 at 12:05 pmThere are so many uses for this Caramel Sauce!
Adriana Lopez-Martin
June 15, 2016 at 3:17 pmOMG I am salivating I need caramel in my life thanks for sharing yoru secrets on how to make it =)
Michelle De La Cerda
June 20, 2016 at 11:13 amThank you Adriana, It’s a quick and easy sauce that works when you need caramel in a hurry.
Amy Stafford
June 15, 2016 at 5:27 pmI love caramel sauce, it is such a wonderful treat. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
Michelle De La Cerda
June 20, 2016 at 11:13 amHope you enjoy it Amy.
Debra C.
June 15, 2016 at 6:10 pmI absolutely adore caramel sauce – hubby too, love how easy your recipe is!!
Michelle De La Cerda
June 20, 2016 at 11:12 amIt’s a quick sauce, but still delish.
Cathy | Lemon Tree Dwelling
June 16, 2016 at 12:04 amOh my goodness – I want this caramel on EVERYTHING!!!
Michelle De La Cerda
June 20, 2016 at 11:11 amPersonally, I can’t blame you for that…I do too.
carrie @ frugal foodie mama
June 16, 2016 at 8:22 amOh, you just can’t go wrong with a good homemade caramel sauce! And this one looks fabulous. 🙂
Michelle De La Cerda
June 20, 2016 at 11:11 amThank you Carrie.
Renee - Kudos Kitchen
June 16, 2016 at 1:37 pmIs there anything in the world that wouldn’t be a little bit better when drizzled with caramel sauce? Looks silky and delicious.
Michelle De La Cerda
June 20, 2016 at 11:11 amPretty much anything with caramel drizzled over it is wonderful.
Cakespy
June 17, 2016 at 12:45 pmI wish I spoke Caramel so I could say “You’re speaking my language” and be literal right now. But in a figurative way, yes, you are speaking my language 😉
Michelle De La Cerda
June 20, 2016 at 11:11 amHahahaha
Caramel Butterscotch Cookie Bars - The Complete Savorist
June 17, 2016 at 2:57 pm[…] tbsp caramel sauce; divided […]
Shazinoz
June 19, 2016 at 2:04 amHow long will the Caramel last in the fridge???
I am thinking of making some to give away as Christmas gifts, but I want to know how long in advance I can make it and how long the recipients can keep it.
Thanks in advance…
Michelle De La Cerda
June 19, 2016 at 11:36 amI’d say with the amount of sugar, and if properly stored, you could keep it in the fridge for up to a month. This is my guess, no food science degree to back that up.
Shazinoz
June 20, 2016 at 2:20 amThank you, that gives me an idea.
No food science degree needed just a rough guess :o)
I made lemon curd one year but that is hard because it has raw egg it only last about a week (I put notes on it telling the recipients this, but saw one of them 3 months later and it was still in their fridge, I threw it out).
I usually just make jams, but thought I might try something different this year.
Thanks for your help
Michelle De La Cerda
June 20, 2016 at 11:09 amYou can really make a huge batch of this and keep your costs relatively low. I’ve had it in the fridge for 2 weeks now and it’s still perfectly fine. It’s harder of course, so I microwave a bit I’ve scooped out each time I use it, to make is softer again.
Deb Weaver
October 20, 2016 at 5:18 pmHi, I made this recipe tonight but tried it using the decreased amounts of cream and sugar but as it is cooling, it is getting real thick and is very grainy. What did I do wrong? I cooked it like the recipe said and never walked away from it and whisked it the entire time. It tastes good but not sure why it turned out like it did. Thanks! Deb
Michelle De La Cerda
October 20, 2016 at 11:16 pmDo you remember what your exact ratios were? Did you adjust the amount of butter as well?. I’ve made this at least 15 times, and I have had it come out grainy before. It could be the butter or the cream, not enough “liquid” to fully dissolve the sugar or the heat level. I am sorry it was grainy for you though.
Caramel Apple Whiskey Toddy - Wet Whistle
January 30, 2019 at 6:00 pm[…] It doesn’t use corn syrup. Michelle De La Cerda from The Complete Savorist has this great Easy Caramel Sauce recipe. I keep it on hand at all […]
Katie
November 24, 2020 at 12:05 pmThis is now officially dubbed “the DANGEROUSLY easy caramel sauce” in our house 🙂 I definitely recommend using a full sized sauce pot rather than a smaller pot (like I initially grabbed) since the contents will end up expanding significantly upon bubbling – I almost had a mishap there but luckily was able to transfer to a larger pot in time to recover all the bubbling caramel magic! Used the decreased ratio of brown sugar and cream as recommended and it turned out perfectly. Thanks for the recipe!!!
Michelle De La Cerda
December 17, 2020 at 10:34 pmI will note in the recipe about the saucepan size.
Thank you for sharing your experience and feedback. ?
Bill
December 10, 2020 at 11:52 amAWESOME …. ? I have several recipes and this one is by far THE BEST.
Michelle De La Cerda
December 17, 2020 at 10:33 pmThank you for sharing that with me! So glad you enjoy it.
Skillet Snickerdoodle Cookie - Dutch Oven Daddy
March 27, 2021 at 3:23 pm[…] Cookie with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and caramel drizzled over the top. We love the Easy Caramel Sauce from The Complete […]