This homemade salted caramel sauce is made with just five simple ingredients. It's sweet, buttery, and perfectly balanced with a hint of salt, delicious over ice cream, cheesecakes, cakes, or simply by the spoonful.
It's one of those recipes that never fails to impress, even though it takes just minutes to prepare. This easy salted caramel sauce adds instant warmth and richness to any dessert, from classic brownies to baked apples or bread pudding.
I also love how long it keeps, stored in the fridge, it's ready whenever you need a quick finishing touch. Pour a little over pancakes, swirl it into your coffee, or use it as a dip for fruit. No matter how you serve it, this salted caramel sauce recipe always brings that perfect mix of comfort and sweetness.
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⭐Why You'll Love My Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Just sugar, water, cream, sea salt, and vanilla are all you need for a classy caramel sauce.
- Irresistible Flavor: The blend of sweet caramel and a touch of sea salt creates a deliciously balanced flavor that's hard to resist.
- Creamy Texture: Heavy cream gives the sauce a smooth, silky texture that's perfect for drizzling without being too thick.
🧾Ingredients
You'll find the exact measurements in the recipe card, but here's a closer look at a few of the ingredients and why I use them.
- Sugar & Water: These two are where it all begins. I love watching the sugar slowly melt and turn into that golden, glossy syrup.
- Heavy Cream: This is what makes the caramel silky and smooth. Pouring it in feels a little dramatic, but it's what transforms the syrup into that rich sauce.
- Sea Salt: I always add just enough to balance the sweetness, it gives the caramel depth and makes each bite more rounded.
- Vanilla Extract: A small touch that brings warmth and ties all the flavors together beautifully.
👩🏻🍳How to Make Caramel Sauce
You can find the complete printable recipe with measurements below, but for now, here's a quick overview of how it goes:
1. In a medium saucepan, mix sugar and water, then heat on medium-high, Let the mixture boil without stirring. Occasionally, gently swirl the pan for even heating.
2. Watch the sugar carefully. When it turns deep amber, take it off the heat right away. This takes about 10-15 minutes.
3. Slowly pour 240 ml of heavy cream into the caramelized sugar. Be careful; it will bubble and steam, stir until the mixture is smooth and the cream is fully mixed in.
4. Stir in sea salt and vanilla extract until combined. Let the caramel sauce cool in the pan for a few minutes, then pour it into a heatproof jar.
🍽 What to Serve With Salted Caramel Sauce
You'll totally love homemade salted caramel! It's perfect for recipes like Waffles, Pumpkin Cheesecake, brownies, and Apple Fritters. You can use it as a dip for apples, drizzle it over ice cream.
💭My Tips for Recipe Success
Keep Your Eye on the Sugar: I've learned not to step away, it can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.
Cream Temperature: I find room-temperature cream mixes in more smoothly and causes less splattering.
Storage: I keep mine in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, then warm it gently before using.
❓Commonly Asked Questions
Caramel is a sweet, golden-brown substance made by heating sugar until it melts and caramelizes, developing a rich, complex flavor and a smooth, syrupy texture. It can be used as a sauce, candy, or flavoring in various desserts and confections.
Caramel is made by heating sugar until it melts and turns into a deep amber-colored syrup, which can be further enhanced with ingredients like butter, cream, and salt.
🍰More Dessert Recipes!
Here are more of my favorite dessert recipes! Try these:
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Recipe
Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 200 g Sugar
- 6 tablespoon Water
- 240 ml Heavy Cream
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water and heat over medium-high heat, stirring gently until just combined.
- Let the mixture boil without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, until it turns a deep amber color, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream, whisking carefully as the mixture bubbles vigorously.
- Stir until smooth, then add the sea salt and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
- Let the caramel cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a heatproof jar. The sauce will thicken as it cools; reheat gently with a splash of cream if needed.
Notes
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.
Sandra says
This salted caramel sauce recipe is a keeper, I always run out of caramel sauce when I need it, now I can make my own whenever needed, thanks for the recipe.