Butterscotch Sauce

This Butterscotch Sauce has all the brown sugar and buttery flavor of butterscotch candies! It is rich, flavorful, and perfectly thick. With only 5 ingredients and 15 minutes needed,  you can have the perfect sauce to pour on pies, tarts, ice cream, or even blondies!

Look no further for your new favorite dessert sauce! This easy homemade butterscotch sauce is silky smooth, perfectly sweet, and easy to make! The sauce is cooked to 234°F (soft ball stage), giving it a delightful thickness and beautiful color. You can make large batches and jar the sauce for the perfect holiday or birthday gift! 

The butterscotch sauce will last months in the fridge. Giving you plenty of time to pour it over chocolate ice cream, brown butter brownies, hazelnut pear tarts, or use it as a filling for an apple butterscotch pie! Once you fall in love with the butterscotch flavor, try my butterscotch pudding or butterscotch brownies!

Professional Tips for Making Butterscotch Sauce

• Test your candy thermometer before cooking the caramel. When using any thermometer, it is best to test it before use to ensure a proper reading. I prefer the ice bath method. You will place the thermometer in ice water for at least 10 seconds, and you want it to read 32°F/0°C.
• Use a heavy bottom pot that is tall enough. A heavy bottom pot will help the sauce cook evenly and give you more control. Once the butter and heavy cream are added, the caramel will bubble up, so make sure you have a tall pot to keep from spillage. 
• Use a whisk with a long enough handle. Adding cream and butter to hot sugar syrup will create a lot of steam. This steam will be scalding, so you want to ensure your hand isn’t over the top of the pot.

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Ingredients

• Light Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar gives this butterscotch sauce its flavor and texture. Dark brown sugar can be substituted for a more deep molasses flavor. 
• Light Corn Syrup: The corn syrup stabilizes the wet caramel. You can substitute the light corn syrup with glucose or omit it altogether.
• Butter: Using unsalted butter helps control the amount of salt added to the sauce and keeps the texture creamy and silky. 
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds flavor and fat to the butterscotch sauce. It also helps loosen the sauce for the perfect pouring consistency. 
• Sea Salt: Flaky sea salt adds perfect saltiness and enhances the molasses and butter flavor, creating the perfect butterscotch flavor. You can also use kosher salt.

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

Variations

• Add alcohol or vanilla extract. Try the sauce with scotch, brandy, bourbon, or dark rum! After the butter and cream have been added to the caramel, add 1 Tablespoon of desired alcohol. 
• Infuse the butterscotch sauce. Infuse the sauce with vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, or nutmeg.  Heat the finished sauce with your desired spice, remove from the heat, cover, and infuse. Depending on your choice of spice, it might take longer or shorter. Some spices are stronger than others. 
• Try with some lemon. Believe it or not, lemon and butterscotch go very well together! Add lemon juice to the finished product or cook lemon peel in the caramel and remove before adding the butter.

How to use Butterscotch Sauce

• Use it as you would caramel sauce. Use this easy sauce as an alternative topping for chocolate cheesecake, vanilla cake, or buttermilk panna cotta.
• Pour it over or in a pie! You can pour it on easy apple pie or buttermilk pie, or you can add it to the filling like I did in this butterscotch apple pie! 
• Make a homemade sundae bar! Set out an array of toppings like hot fudge, salted caramel sauce, sliced bananas, toasted walnuts or pecans and your favorite candies alongside homemade vanilla ice cream, of course! 
• Use it to flavor buttercreams and frostings! Try adding it to Swiss meringue buttercream, vanilla buttercream frosting, or cream cheese frosting.

How to Make Butterscotch Sauce

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

Step 1: Prepare a landing zone for the sauce. Cover a sheet tray with plastic wrap or have mason jars ready. 

Step 2: In a medium saucepan with high sides, combine light brown sugar and water. Stir to hydrate all the sugar. Then, add the light corn syrup. 

Step 3: Cook the sugar mixture on a medium heat. Allow the caramel to come to a boil before you disturb it. Once it has come to a boil, place the candy thermometer in the caramel. 

Step 4: Continue to cook until soft ball stage 234°F or 112°C. 

Step 5: Once it has reached the soft ball stage, place the pot on a kitchen towel. Whisk in the butter until completely combined, followed by the heavy whipping cream and salt. Stir until the salt is dissolved and simmer until a cohesive sauce is formed. 

Step 6: Continue to simmer the sauce for 1-2 more minutes to achieve a thicker consistency and ensure it is emulsified. 

Step 7: Pour into the prepared sheet tray or heat-safe bowl. Allow to cool at room temperature before moving to the refrigerator. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed dessert topping and sauce recipes, or if you like butterscotch, you’ll also love this caramel pudding!