Salted Caramel Sauce

Professional Tips for Making Caramel Sauce

• The #1 Rule of Caramel is remembering that you are in control. You control the heat of the stove; thus you control how fast the caramel is cooking.
• Sugar caramelizes at different rates in the same pot. Don’t freak out when you see that parts are already a dark amber and you have a bunch of unmelted sugar. This happens every time. Embrace it. Stir or swirl the sugar crystals into those pockets. This will melt the granules and also lower the temperature of those pockets.
• Bring the butter, cream, vanilla and salt to a boil in the beginning. This way it’s already hot when you add it to the hot caramel and it won’t seize.
• Don’t fear the caramel. Take precautions but don’t have fear. Fear makes people do dumb stuff or act erratically. Never act erratically around 340°F sugar. The worst thing that can happen is your sugar gets too dark and you have to start over.
• Use a whisk to add your wet ingredients at the end and don’t stop whisking. Add them slowly to control the ferocity of the caramel but also don’t stop whisking! The whisking calms the caramel down. Choose the longest handled whisk you own. This is no time for a mini-whisk.
• After incorporating your cream/butter mixture pour the caramel into a heat proof glass, ceramic or metal bowl. This will stop the cooking process or your caramel will continue to get darker especially in a larger batch.
• Practice makes perfect. Sometimes you don’t know what “too dark” is until you take it there. Then you know and next time you can add your cream/butter mixture earlier. When training new cooks, this is the best way for them to learn. I’m like Goldie Locks: too light, too dark, waaaay too dark, just right.

Ingredients Needed

• Butter: This recipe calls for unsalted butter because of the additional salt that is added. You could roll the dice with salted butter and omit the salt.
• Heavy Cream: The heavy cream is here for flavor, texture and also to loosen the caramel into a sauce consistency.
• Vanilla Extract: I love the added vanilla extract in the sauce, but you could certainly omit it for a pure salted caramel version.
• Kosher Salt: A lot of recipes call for fleur de sel, and while flaked sea salt is delightful, I find it harder to ensure it dissolves in the final caramel sauce. I also find the “sea salt” flavor to be overpowering unlike kosher salt, but these are just my opinions.
• Granulated Sugar

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Possible Variations

• Change the consistency: For a looser sauce, add more heavy cream to the recipe as written. I don’t suggest adding more than an additional ¼ cup.  
• Change the flavor: While technically a gastrique, you can use lemon juice, orange juice or apple cider in place of the heavy cream. This will make a bright caramel sauce that will temper some of the sweetness. I usually finish the gastrique with a touch of butter just for the added silkiness and to round out the flavor. Be sure to reduce the salt if changing out the dairy.
• Infuse the caramel sauce: This is ideal for adding flavors like whole cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean pods (spent), or other unexpected spices. I usually make the sauce, add the spice or vanilla bean, reheat both together, and then remove from the heat and cover to infuse. Taste as you go because some spices can be more overpowering than others.

How to use Salted Caramel Sauce

• Baked into cookies, cakes & more! The thickness of this sauce makes it ideal for baking into desserts like these chocolate caramel cupcakes, caramelitas, caramel butter bars, caramel apple tart or these caramel chocolate chip blondies! It won’t loosen the batter too much or change the texture.  
• Uses it as a topping for cakes, tarts, & ice cream. Pour this salted caramel sauce over just about anything like I did with this caramel molasses pound cake.  
• Mix it in to change the flavor of buttercreams or custards. Use it to flavor buttercream like this caramel Swiss meringue buttercream or the easy caramel buttercream from these caramel apple cupcakes. Then move beyond buttercream and try it in this caramel pastry cream or caramel pudding.
• It makes a delicious filling or swirl.  Use it to fill cupcakes like these caramel cupcakes, or swirl into ice cream like the chocolate caramel ice cream! Make an easy dessert by making salted caramel tartlets.

How to Make Salted Caramel Sauce

Use these instructions to make the perfect caramel sauce every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: In a small pot combine cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Bring just to a boil and set aside.

Step 2: Heat a heavy bottomed pot with high sides over medium high heat. Begin by sprinkling the granulated sugar over the bottom in a thin layer, when that begins to melt, sprinkle some more. Keep sprinkling until all the sugar is in the pot. As parts begin to melt, gently stir with a wooden spoon and break up any clumps that form.

Step 3: Continue to stir to distribute the sugar into any hot spots and use the already melted sugar to melt the rest. Once the sugar has melted stop stirring and swirl until a dark amber color is achieved.

Step 4: Remove from the heat and place on a trivet or folded towel. Slowly pour in your cream/butter mixture while constantly whisking. You don’t want to add the cream too fast or it will bubble up aggressively and could burn you. Don’t fear, just keep whisking.
Step 5: Once all the liquid is incorporated, pour into a heat safe bowl (glass, ceramic, pyrex, metal are all fine). Allow to cool to room temperature then pour into the storage container of your choice.