Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce (Under 20 Minutes)
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Make rich, buttery homemade caramel sauce with just 5 simple ingredients in under 20 minutes. This easy salted caramel sauce is perfect for drizzling on coffee, waffles, coffee cake, pancakes, and more!
I recently bought some salted caramel from a local farmer’s market and it was absolutely delicious. I found myself waking up every morning and drizzling some in my coffee, so I decided I needed to make my own version for the blog, and I’m so glad I did. Now I use this caramel sauce in my favorite coffee cake recipe, or even to top some salted caramel brownies.
Made with just 5 ingredients, ready in under 20 minutes, and enough to keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, this homemade caramel sauce is one of my favorite recipes to make again and again.
Using High Quality Butter & Cream
This recipe uses minimal ingredients, most of which are simple pantry staples. Because butter and cream are two of the main ingredients in any caramel sauce, using high-quality, full-fat dairy will give your caramel a richer flavor and extra-smooth, creamy texture.
My favorite sea salt is flaky Maldon sea salt– I use this all the time in both savory and sweet dishes I make.
Easier Than You Think
Caramel sauce can feel like a daunting recipe to try to make, but it really isn’t hard at all. If you’ve ever avoided making caramel because you thought it was too complicated or easy to mess up, I’m here to tell you- it’s surprisingly simple! With just a few ingredients and a little patience, you can have a rich, buttery, silky-smooth caramel sauce ready in no time.
My 2 biggest tips from testing this recipe over and over again are:
- Keep on eye on the sauce- don’t start the recipe and get distracted or walk away from the stove. This is one of those recipes that you have to watch or the sugar could burn!
- Pay attention to the color of the sugar as it’s melting. Once it becomes that amber color, all you have to do is add the butter and cream.
Using Caramel Sauce
There are so many ways to use caramel sauce, from topping waffles to pancakes, to french toasts and muffins, and drizzling over many overnight oatmeal recipes too! Here are a few of my favorite things to top with this luscious caramel sauce:
- Pancakes and waffles
- French toast
- Crepes
- Oatmeal or baked oatmeal
- Overnight oats
- Banana bread
- Muffins
- Cinnamon rolls
- Yogurt or Greek yogurt
- Granola
- Coffee Cake
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Homemade Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp (84 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) sea salt
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar on medium-high. Use a heat-proof rubber spatula to stir the sugar to make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom. The sugar will get lumpy at first, then turn liquid and a golden brown color. This can take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes.1 cup granulated sugar
- After the sugar has completely melted, there are no more clumps, and it’s a nice dark amber color, remove from the heat and add in the butter. Be careful because it should rapidly bubble at first. Use your spatula to stir the mixture for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar and butter come together. If they seem like they are separating, just continue to mix & it will eventually come together!6 tbsp unsalted butter
- Put the mixture back on the heat and slowly add in the heavy cream while stirring, this should bubble as well. Let it boil/bubble for about 1 minute and then remove from heat. Add in the salt and vanilla, mixing to combine everything together.½ cup heavy cream, 1 tsp sea salt, ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Allow the sauce to cool completely before transferring to a container.
Notes
- After the sauce has completely cool, it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. Caramel sauce will get thicker in the fridge, so warm it up slightly in the microwave or stovetop to bring it back to a pourable consistency.
- Can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and gently reheat before using.
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