Salted Caramel Sauce
This easy salted caramel sauce comes together in under 15 minutes, and it’s a deliciously sweet topping for cakes, cupcakes, and ice cream! With only six ingredients, it is one of the easiest desserts on my page.
Just recently, I used this delicious sauce for a recipe I’m developing: iced coffee cupcakes. Inspired by my best friend’s love for Dunkin, these had a coffee cake base, oozing caramel center, and were topped with coffee vanilla whipped cream. So good (hint hint: coming soon).
This sauce’s uses are endless. Ice cream, cakes, cupcakes, cheesecake, pies, pudding, and yes, as your homemade “caramel drizzle”. It’s so easy to make, too; not fussy like most caramel recipes.
You essentially just add the sugar and water to a saucepan, swirling the ingredients together without stirring. Once it’s a beautiful amber color (about 10 minutes), add heavy cream and cook for another 2 minutes. It tends to splatter, so make sure to stand back and be careful (it’s very hot). Then, add your butter, vanilla, and salt to taste.
Here are some more of the desserts on my page, including my strawberry mango tart, indulgent chocolate cheesecake, banana bread, brown butter chocolate chip cookies, double chocolate chunk cookies, and classic tiramisu.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add your sugar and water. Swirl it to combine (hold onto the handle of the pot and move the pot in circular motions). Don’t stir, as the caramel can crystallize. You will know it has crystallized if the sugar stays white and forms dry clumps after more than 5 minutes on the heat. If this happens, don’t worry: add 2 tbsp water and don’t stir it (let it cook until it becomes fluid)! If needed, add more water.
- Cook the sugar and water for 10-12 minutes, swirling every few minutes, until a deep amber color. Meanwhile, microwave your cream for 20-30 seconds until warm to the touch.
- Standing back (it can splatter!), add the cream and stir. Let simmer on low heat for 2-3 more minutes.
- Add the butter, vanilla, and salt. Taste, then add more salt if you want. Enjoy!
Salted Caramel Sauce
Equipment
- small saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add your sugar and water. Swirl it to combine (hold onto the handle of the pot and move the pot in circular motions). Don't stir, as the caramel can crystallize. You will know it has crystallized if the sugar stays white and forms dry clumps after more than 5 minutes on the heat. If this happens, don't worry: add 2 tbsp water and don't stir it (let it cook until it becomes fluid)! If needed, add more water.
- Cook the sugar and water for 10-12 minutes, swirling every few minutes, until deep amber color. Meanwhile, microwave your cream for 20-30 seconds until warm to the touch.
- Standing back (it can splatter!), add the cream and stir. Let simmer on low heat for 2-3 more minutes. Add the butter, vanilla, and salt. Taste, then add more salt if you want. Enjoy!