This Salted Caramel Sauce is easy to make, quick, thick, smooth and sweet with a hint of salt. Spoon it over ice cream, cakes, pies or eat it by the spoonful like I do!!
I must admit that before attending culinary school I was terrified at the thought of making any type of caramel sauce, mostly because I grew up boiling cans of condensed milk to make caramel. The truth is if you keep a close eye on it, homemade caramel sauce is quick and easy to make and so much better than any store bought sauce.
How To Make Salted Caramel Sauce
- Mix sugar and water in a pot. A 3 to 4 qt. pot will do.
- After mixing the sugar and water, do not stir it again – yes, it is hard not to, but refrain from doing it. Stirring can cause the sauce to become grainy.
- Over high heat, let the mixture come to a boil. You will see changes in color. From clear to yellow to amber.
- When you see amber streaks forming, give the pot a gentle swirl. You want to make sure the entire mixture is at the same temperature.
- We are not using a candy thermometer to make this Salted Caramel Sauce so when the mixture turns a nice deep amber color you are ready to add the cream.
- In case you are wondering, if you were to use a thermometer the temperature at this point should be between 325 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the cream slowly. The cream should be warm – I usually microwave it so I don’t dirty up more pots.
- When whisking in the cream, expect sudden “crazy bubble-up chaos”. It’s going to be scary! It’s going to be crazy! Almost as crazy as seeing bubbles coming out of a dish washer because you added dish soap to it!! Just breathe and whisk away!
- When the bubbles subside, simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and salt.
- If you add cold cream to the sauce and your caramel seizes up, just keep whisking. You may need to put a little extra effort, but your sauce will become smooth again.
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Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, warm
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and water in a small pot over medium-high heat.
- Cook without stirring until the mixtures turns a deep amber color, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- When the caramel is ready (deep amber) slowly whisk in the warm cream. Simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and salt until well combined. Let it cool for a few minutes before transferring to a bowl or jar. Serve warm.
Ashton says
Absolutely delicious! I wish I could give it a million stars!
Monica says
What is the best way to store this and how long can it be stored? I’m thinking about Christmas gifts…
Kathy says
Hi Monica, Caramel sauce will keep refrigerated up to a month, When cool, caramel gets thick so you will need to reheat it gently (water bath or microwave in small time increments).
You can also freeze it in an airtight container (not glass) up to 3 months. To thaw out, leave it in the fridge overnight. I have kept mine at room temperature for up to 3 days. Honestly it never lasts that long!!
Hope this helps!! Thanks!