The easiest ever salted caramel sauce is made from scratch on the stove-top in five minutes, no candy thermometer required. Pour it over your favorite brownie recipe, ice cream, or just about anything! Includes a video tutorial!
Salted caramel sauce is my preferred condiment of the dessert world. It’s not really meant to be eaten on its own (though I can’t keep my spoon out of it, ever), but it tastes good drizzled on just about everything.
Confession: I’ve even dipped my caramel popcorn in this before… sooo good!
This stuff is liquid gold, and unlike traditional caramel, it’s simple to make and there’s no candy thermometer needed. Let’s get to it.
What You Need
Today’s recipe uses only a handful of pantry staples. Please note that this is simply an overview of the ingredients used (and why they are used, for my fellow food nerds!). Detailed amounts are listed in the recipe card below!
- Butter. I use unsalted butter and then add salt to have the most control over the flavor.
- Brown sugar. Technically, caramel sauce is traditionally made with granulated sugar (which is what I use in my more conventional, slightly more advanced caramel sauce) but the process is more complex and often necessitates a candy thermometer. By using brown sugar, we simplify and expedite the process without compromising flavor!
- Heavy cream. Makes the sauce creamy and gives it a full body.
- Corn syrup. Light corn syrup is necessary to keep this recipe from being too runny. I know many people balk at corn syrup (which I use in several of my recipes like my pecan pie), but it is not the same thing as high fructose corn syrup.
- Vanilla extract. For flavor, of course.I use pure vanilla but have had success using Baker’s brand imitation (just in case your store is perpetually out of stock of the real stuff, like mine often is!). It’s the only imitation vanilla I like.
- Salt! I prefer to use flaky sea salt in this recipe for the best flavor, but if you don’t have any you can use regular table salt instead. If you’re using table salt you’ll need a bit less as the granules are much finer (I indicate amounts for each in the printable recipe below).
Six ingredients that you probably already have on hand. No candy thermometer (but do use a timer to make sure that you boil the ingredients for no more and no less than two minutes, as the recipe specifies), just simple instructions that yield perfect homemade salted caramel sauce every single time.
How to Use Caramel Sauce
- Serve warm over vanilla ice cream!
- Drizzle it over a hot batch of homemade brownies (or flourless brownies!).
- Use it for dipping apple slices! While this caramel won’t harden properly for traditional caramel apples, it makes a great dip for slices! Try pears, too, they’re delicious with caramel!
- Dip pretzels (regular crunchy pretzels or soft pretzels!) in warm sauce! A sweet and salty snack!
- For a decadent breakfast, drizzle over waffles or crepes!
- A caramel glaze over tres leches cake.
- After it cools, stir a spoonful into your cream cheese frosting for caramel cream cheese icing!
- Eat by the spoonful 😉
Tips
What I love most about this caramel sauce recipe is how easy it is, but here are a few tips to make the process even smoother for you:
- There is no candy thermometer needed for this recipe but you should use a timer to make sure you boil the ingredients for precisely the right amount of time.
- Keep your heat on medium-low. Do not crank up the heat to speed up the cooking process or your caramel will not turn out (if your butter separates, this is most likely the reason). This is a common problem when making candy (like my toffee recipe) and applies here, as well.
- Stir constantly while cooking to keep the caramel from burning.
Storing
Let your caramel sauce cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container for up to a week (I’ve never been able to get it to stay around that long 😅). I recommend warming before re-using.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Be sure to check out my video in the recipe where I’ll show you exactly how I make this in my own kitchen!
Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar tightly packed
- 8 Tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter cut into 8-10 pieces
- ½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon finely crushed sea salt (or substitute ¼ heaping teaspoon table salt)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Combine brown sugar, butter, heavy cream and corn syrup in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat.1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 8 Tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- Stir frequently until butter is completely melted.
- Increase heat to medium-high and stir constantly until mixture comes to a full boil.
- Boil for two minutes (use a timer) stirring constantly and then remove mixture from heat.
- Continue to stir so that the caramel doesn’t burn and add in your sea salt. Stir until the bubbling stops and the mixture is smooth.¾ teaspoon finely crushed sea salt
- Allow caramel to cool for 5 minutes, then add vanilla extract. Stir well.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Allow caramel to cool for about 20-30 minutes, it’s best served when still warm, but you can store it in your refrigerator in a heatproof container and reheat as needed. Enjoy!
Notes
Storing:
Allow caramel to cool completely then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week. I recommend reheating the caramel before using.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally published this recipe on 10/31/2016, re-published with text and photos updated 08/18/2020
Original photo:
Margaret Kuhn
I made this today and IT IS DELICIOUS! I will definitely be making it again and am planning to give as gifts at Christmas to my neighbors and family. Thanks so much for the simplicity and SO glad I didn’t need a candy thermometer.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you enjoyed it, Margaret! 🩷
Loren Ozanne
This is beyond incredible. I’m never buying fake storebought carmel again.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you gave it a try, Loren! It’s sooo much better 😋
Melissa
So delicious! It tastes like werthers. After it cooled it still had a grainy texture, I followed the recipe. Should I have kept it longer on the heat? I was afraid of burning the caramel.
Sam
Hi Melissa! If it’s still grainy, it could have needed to cook just a little bit longer or the sugar may have been added a bit too quickly. I’m glad you still enjoyed it! 🙂
Tim
Would this caramel sauce work as a topping for a drip cake or is it too thin? I’m wanting to make a vanilla cake with caramel buttercream and have a salted caramel sauce on top and dripping down the sides.
Sam
Hi Tim! This caramel sauce is going to be too thin. 🙁
Elizabeth C.
Made this the other day as a filling for Sam’s new Chocolate Macaron recipe and it was amazing!! And I couldn’t believe my caramel turned out perfect on the first try!! Sam must say magic words in her recipes because I swear every recipe of hers that I try for the first time turns out perfect! Even my Mom who has not been a fan of salted caramel in the past LOVES it! Love this recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We love that combination, Elizabeth! So glad you are enjoying everything 😍
Maggie
Hi Sam! I was wanting to make this recipe (again) and use it as a filling in your chocolate cupcake recipe. I’m thinking that if it’s cold, and I pipe it directly into the cupcake without coring it, it would be a great filling. Do you think it would be too runny, or should I give it a shot?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Maggie! I think if it’s cold it could work to core the cupcake and pipe it in, but I’m not sure how it would work without coring.
Maggie
Thanks for the tip! I previously filled cupcakes without coring them when using your recipe for lemon curd and it worked perfectly. After seeing the consistency of the caramel at room temperature (a bit thicker than I remembered) I decided to take your advice and core the cupcakes first. They turned out perfectly. Chocolate cupcakes filled with salted caramel sauce and topped with your chocolate swiss meringue buttercream recipe was the hit of the night at the Halloween party! Thanks for always having such amazing recipes and videos to go along with them!
(One thing I would LOVE to have if your website would support it would be the option of changing the serving size. Often times I need to reduce or double your recipes and always have to do it by hand.)
Thanks!
Maggie
Sam
I’m so glad it worked out so well, Maggie! Thank you for commenting! And yes, I would love there to be an option to reduce or double the serving size, too. It’s something I am looking into but right now with the way that I write my recipes and offer cup measurements and weight measurements there is no program that converts them accurately, unfortunately 🙁
Ashley Bickham
Hi, love your recipies, could i use this as a bon bon filling?
Sam
Hi Ashley! It’s very thin so I’m not sure it would work. 🙁
Crystal
Hello! Love your recipe, look so easy, can’t wait to try. Quick question, can I replace corn syrup with honey? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Crystal! I haven’t tried it. I’m not sure how well it would thicken. If you try it I’d love to know how it goes. 🙂
Crystal
I just made the caramel sauce with honey, it turned out perfect! I have not made it with corn syrup so I can’t compare the texture in person, but by looking at the pictures here and your video I’d say it’s very close if not the same thickness once cooled. I can’t wait to drizzle this on the pumpkin cheesecake (also yours) I’ll make tomorrow! Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!
Sam
Oh wonderful! I’m so happy to hear this, Crystal, thank you for letting me know how it turned out! 🙂
Abbey
This has become our go-to sauce for dessert! Thank you so much! Have you had any luck making a large batch? I’d love to make some for friends and family for Christmas. I tried tripling the batch, and it tastes fine but is a little pale. I’m wondering if I should have let it boil a little longer?
Thank you! ❤️
Sam
Hi Abbey! I honestly haven’t tried making it that way. You may have to cook it longer but I can’t be sure. I would probably recommend doing it in separate batches. 🙂
Vonna Rae Anderson
The grittiness may be from using beet sugar not cane sugar.
Stella
I made this last week and it was great!! But the day after I made it it got really gritty. Any idea what I did wrong? Thanks for your time. – Stella
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened, Stella! My best guess would be from humidity in the environment. Is it really warm or wet where you are?
virginia vanderbilt
Haven’t tried this yet due to confusion. In description of recipe you say “medium low” heat but in recipe itself you say “medium high” heat. Which should it be? Thanks.
Sam
Hi Virginia! You will want to start at medium low and then turn it up to medium high. Sorry for any confusion. 🙂
Jackie
How long will this sauce last in these heat proof jars?
Sam
Hi Jackie! As noted in the recipe it will keep for up at least a week 🙂
Netta
You are the reason I have to workout everyday! This is so delicious I eat it with a spoon, while watching your videos…
Sam
🤣 I am so glad you enjoy it so much! 🙂
Michelle
Made this evening, it sure us liquid gold! It is delicious!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Michelle! 🙂