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A thick, easy Salted Caramel Sauce recipe that you can make in under 15 minutes! Just 5 ingredients for the best caramel sauce you’ve ever tried! Use in bars, tarts, and cakes, or use it as a topping!
A versatile salted caramel sauce recipe made using the dry caramel method. It makes a thicker sauce, which is ideal for using in baked goods like these caramel chocolate chip blondies, buttercreams like this caramel swiss meringue buttercream, or custards, as well as topping desserts!
I give you all my professional tips and tricks to help you get the perfect caramel every time, and to teach you how to fix it the next time, because bad caramel days happen to everyone.
Table of Contents
- Why This is the Best Salted Caramel Recipe
- Professional Tips for Making Caramel Sauce
- Ingredients Needed
- Possible Variations
- How to use Homemade Caramel Sauce
- How to Make Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
- How to Make a Wet Caramel
- Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe
- Before You Go
Why This is the Best Salted Caramel Recipe
- It is thick and pourable. This makes a thicker caramel sauce, which makes it ideal not only for topping ice cream, cakes or other desserts, but also perfect for baking into recipes!
- Developed in a professional kitchen. This is the recipe that Chef Lindsey used in the restaurants. It is adaptable and can be made in very large batches.
- Perfectly balanced flavors. This sauce is rich but does not rely on too much butter or heavy cream for the flavor. The salt, caramel and cream flavors are in balance.
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, and therefore 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 flaky 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 or even regular table 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 Homemade 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. Drizzle it on cheesecake or to add extra pizzazz to vanilla 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 Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: In a small saucepan combine cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Bring just to a boil over medium heat 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.
If, despite your best efforts, you still have undissolved sugar pieces when your caramel reaches dark amber, don’t fret, just strain them out with a sieve. Worse things have happened in pastry.
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.
If you have a hard time telling the color of the caramel, tilt the pot towards you so that there is only a thin layer. I find it easier to see that way. A medium amber is a perfectly acceptable color but I like to take mine to deep amber color, which is right when it starts to smoke but before it smells burnt.
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.
How to Make a Wet Caramel
You can make this recipe using the wet caramel method by adding ¼ water and ¼ cup light corn syrup. The corn syrup is optional but really helps avoid crystallization.
- Step 1: In a small pot combine cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Bring just to a boil and set aside.
- Step 2: Pour the sugar into a heavy bottomed pot with high sides. Shake to distribute sugar in an even layer over the bottom. Pour the water around the edges and stir to hydrate the sugar. Stir carefully so that no sugar gets on the sides of the pot. If you did get sugar on the sides, don’t worry. Dip a clean pastry brush (or folded paper towel) in water and wash the sugar off. Don’t be concerned with the amount of water because it will all evaporate anyways.
- Step 3: Pour the corn syrup into the sugar water mixture and turn on the burner to medium high. Allow the sugar to come to a boil before you disturb it. Gently swirl the pot but do not stir! This will allow you to redistribute the caramel around the pot and control the hot spots.
- Step 4: Continue to cook and occasionally swirl until a dark amber color is achieved.
- Step 5: Remove from the heat and place on a trivet or folded towel. Slowly pour in your cream/butter mixture while constantly whisking.
Step 6: Once all the liquid is incorporated, pour into a heat safe bowl.
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
There is a sliding scale of acceptable caramel flavor. From the very light in color and light on taste to the almost burnt, dark, sultry caramel that I prefer. I add the butter when the sugar turns a deeper, rich amber color and there is just the slightest hint of burning scent when you waft the vapors (just like they taught in middle school chemistry).
Frequently Asked Questions
Cool completely then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month, refrigerated for up to 2 months or frozen forever. It will gradually lose its fresh taste, so try to use it within a few months.
If storing frozen, simply thaw at room temperature or in the fridge. You can also microwave at 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring between with a silicone spatula.
Yes, you can absolutely make a larger batch. You are limited by the size of your pot. Be sure to account for the caramel bubbling up when the cream and butter are added. I don’t need to tell you what happens if you don’t. That being said, I prefer to make large batches of caramel with the wet caramel method because it is more consistent.
Lastly, you must account for carryover cooking when making large batches of caramel. It will continue to caramelize as it cools. I suggest pouring it into a long, flatter container like a baking dish that will increase the surface area and thus allow it to cool faster.
The only critical difference between the wet and dry caramel method is the addition of water and sometimes light corn syrup or glucose to the sugar before caramelization in the wet method. It is imperative to swirl, never stir, a wet caramel.
Using the wet caramel method allows you to make large batches with more control, and it allows you to do other things while the sugar syrup cooks. This is critical in a professional kitchen!
There are 3 reasons to put butter in caramel sauce: it makes the sauce looser, adds flavor and creates a silky mouthfeel.
Caramel sauce can be grainy if the sugar mixture seized while caramelizing, if the sugar wasn’t cooked long enough (it was too light), or if the butter/cream mixture was added to cooled sugar syrup.
You do not need a candy thermometer for caramel sauce. A thermometer will tell you when you’ve reached the caramel stage but it is better to make caramel sauce by sight. The color of the cooking sugar will tell you everything you need to know.
If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
Instructions
Dry Caramel Method
- In a small pot combine cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Bring just to a boil and set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- If you have a hard time telling the color of the caramel, tilt the pot towards you so that there is only a thin layer. I find it easier to see that way. A medium amber is a perfectly acceptable color but I like to take mine to dark amber which is right when it starts to smoke but before it smells burnt.
- 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.
- 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.
Wet Caramel Method
- You can make this recipe using the wet caramel method by adding ¼ water and ¼ cup light corn syrup. The corn syrup is optional but really helps avoid crystallization.
- In a small pot combine cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Bring just to a boil and set aside.
- Pour the sugar into a heavy bottomed pot with high sides. Shake to distribute sugar in an even layer over the bottom. Pour the water around the edges and stir to hydrate the sugar. Stir carefully so that no sugar gets on the sides of the pot. If you did get sugar on the sides, don’t worry. Dip a clean pastry brush (or folded paper towel) in water and wash the sugar off. Don’t be concerned with the amount of water because it will all evaporate anyways.
- Pour the corn syrup into the sugar water mixture and turn on the burner to medium high. Allow the sugar to come to a boil before you disturb it. Gently swirl the pot but do not stir! This will allow you to redistribute the caramel around the pot and control the hot spots.
- Continue to cook and occasionally swirl until a dark amber color is achieved.
- 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.
- Once all the liquid is incorporated, pour into a heat safe bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature then pour into the storage container of your choice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed dessert topping and sauce recipes!
Is this shelf stable or does it *need* to be refrigerated?
Hi Heather! It should be refrigerated.
I have a question: since i am not american all the cupmeasurings confuse the hell out of me. But if i calculate correctly it would be: 240g sugar
230g heavy cream
170g butter
5,6g salt (although i will just use a spoon for this one)
Am i right? I just don´t wanna mess this up 😀
So i couldn´t wait and tried it with my estimated amounts of ingredients. Although it was a little bit too salty at the beginning (i only made about half the portion and i messed up the salt a little bit) but i saved it by adding decorating powder sugar into the hot caramell. And all i can say now is: oh my god, my taste buds are in heaven <3 <3 <3
Great save, Ellione!
Obviously you already tried! Sorry for the delay, I was on vacation.
i hope you enjoyed your vacation 🙂 And oh yes i made this and i am happy with it. This is also going to be a part of a birthday present. The person has already tried it and also fell in love. So all i can say is: thank you for sharing this lovely recipe :*
I just came across your salted caramel recipe. I am very intrigued. I am thinking a bit along the lines of a salted caramel bourbon sauce to give for christmas to my coworkers, any thoughts on how to go about this with your recipe?
Hi Ashleigh! Sure! Just add some bourbon after the butter!
Might be a dumb question, but what temp should the cream and butter be? I have had them out on my counter for a couple hours and they are about 60 degrees. I can’t seem to find an easy answer anywhere online.
Hi Jen! Great question! Room temperature is just fine. You just don’t want them cold or they will seize the hot caramel. You can warm the cream a little in the microwave if you want but it’s not necessary. If the butter is soft, it’s warm enough.
Thank you for such a killer recipe and all of the tips! I tried it yesterday, Thanksgiving, to go with an espresso cheesecake. It was my first time making caramel and it turned out great!
You are so welcome, Nikki! I am so glad you enjoyed it! Your espresso cheesecake sounds fantastic!!
Well, I’m salted-caramel-challenged 🙁 — I swear it sounds soooo easy to make, but I tried 3 times this evening and it all went down the drain. I had all kinds of trouble…the first time I tried a different recipe that called for corn syrup and no butter…yeah, I know. By the time I added the cream it became liquid and it never set. The second time I tried you recipe and the sugar did not melt all the way when it started burning. So, I thought it was the brand of sugar so I switched to a different brand and one more time it started getting dark before the sugar melted all the way. However this time I was able to add the butter and the cream quickly and it came out okay, but with a slight burn-taste….ahhhh, what is it? I have an electric stove and maybe is gets too hot.
Also, quick question. Is there a reason to not add water to the sugar before melting it? someone told me I should melt the sugar with a bit of water to avoid burning it…
**(in Charlie Brown voice)** I don’t wanna give up on salted caramel!!!
Hi Rosie! Don’t give up! I’ve totally been there. Promise. Let’s start with your last question and go from there. There are two different methods for making caramel. One is the dry caramel method (this recipe) and one is the wet caramel method. One is not any better than the other. Some find the wet caramel method easier but you absolutely cannot stir it after the sugar has dissolved because the agitation combined with the hydration will cause it to crystallize. Also once the sugar has dissolved into the water, you should wash the sugar crystals from the side of the pot with a clean pastry brush dipped in water or I have even used a wet papertowel. If you leave crystals on the side of the pot then they can fall into the caramel and cause it to crystallize. Once you hydrate the water and wash the sides, don’t touch it! You can swirl a few times but don’t stir! There is no wrong amount of water to add but the more you add, the longer it will take too cook because the water needs to boil off before the sugar will caramelize. No big deal. You can change this recipe into a wet caramel if you want to try it.
Take heart: The problem is not you and your caramel making skills; the problem is your electric cooktop. The heat is uneven and the burner turns off and on to maintain a “consistent” heat, which is never consistent. Don’t fret. I made the caramel in this post on an electric stove. If your caramel starts to melt unevenly, which it always will, just stir it gently with a wooden spoon (bonus points for one with a flat bottom). Then allow it to continue to melt. Think of corn syrup as cheap insurance against crystallization. I only use corn syrup with wet caramel though. If you want to try that add about 1/2 cup of water to the sugar in this recipe and stir to hydrate the sugar then add about 1 tablespoon of corn syrup, stir to combine; wash down the sides of the pot and don’t touch it! There are scientific reasons why I do not add the corn syrup to the sugar before it is hydrated but I’ll spare you!
The other recipe you tried – the one with the cream that never set – you just need to put it back on the heat and keep cooking it to thicken it. That is how you make caramel candies.
Lastly, just remember that caramel *is* burned sugar. The key is just to figure out how “burned” you like it. I like really dark, rich caramel so I let mine get a dark amber before I add my butter and cream. If you like it lighter, add the cream and butter when it reaches a lighter amber color. The darker the caramel, the less sweet it is. There is about 2 seconds between dark amber and black-burned. You may have to burn a few before you figure it out. I know I did! I hope that helped! Don’t give up. Let me know what you try and if it worked!
Lindsey,
Omg, thank you soooo much for writing such a through response—you’re an angel !!!! Thanks a million!!!
Now I realize how little I know about ‘salted caramel’ — there’s a whole science behind it lol !!! — and all this time I kept thinking my life is full of mishaps (just like Charlie Brown) so add salted caramel to the list, ha!! —
And, you are so right! my electric stove does create uneven heat and the sugar doesn’t know whether to boil or just be hot.
Ahhhh, I didn’t know I could had salvage the batch that never set…unfortunately that one went down the drain already…oh well. Okay, off to buy more sugar and try the recipe one more time. –if Charlie Brown never gives up why should I????–…who cares if I never achieve perfect salted caramel but I’m learning so many things about the process and properties of delicious Salted Caramel!!! #unstoppable #nevergiveup #keeptrying #practicemakesperfect
You are most welcome, Rosie! #unstoppable is right! You’ll nail it soon! It is difficult on an electric burner but totally possible! I know that feeling of throwing out something I later realized that I could salvage – that’s the worst. I threw out so many Italian and Swiss buttercreams before I went to culinary school where I learned that they were all completely fixable! 🙁 You’ve got this! Let me know how it goes!
I always appreciate reading review so I just figured that I’d put in my two cents. I made this today, and it turned out just beautifully. The biggest problem for people seems to be in the melting of sugar, so here’s what I did: I let the sugar melt without stirring (just swirling) until about 2/3 of the sugar was melted. At that point, I used a wooden spoon to slowly incorporate the rest of the sugar, and then I stirred fairly vigorously once there were just little floating chunks of sugar until it was all melted. Yes, the melted sugar was golden brown while some of the sugar hadn’t even melted yet, but in the end it worked. I did put the caramel back on the stove for about 2 minutes after I had added the cream and butter just to thicken it up a tad. It’s delicious…thank you!
I read some of the replies after stuffing up my sugar.. sugar bits remain and hard as rock too.. ladies.. im gonna put it in thw spice grinder! Its the sugar or me tonight! Sauce is heavenly btw.. those sugar bits are gonna keep me up if I dont do something.
Hi Nishi- The sugar bits will eventually melt into the caramel if you keep cooking it but the sauce will be thicker and will eventually become candy. You can also strain the sugar bits out. The sugar bits happen when the sugar crystallizes which can happen from too much agitation or even if you have sugar crystals on the side of the pan and they fall back in.