Homemade Caramel Sauce!
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Easy and delicious homemade caramel sauce made with six ingredients, and better than any shop bought!
Homemade caramel sauce
So after posing endless amounts of caramel recipes on my blog, I thought it was high time to post a homemade caramel recipe that you could use in all of them. Yes, its still going to be easier to buy some, but you know… homemade is best! No additives, and you know exactly whats in it. Also, its much easier to make compared to what you might think!
I tried several before settling on this being my favourite recipe. It wields about 375ml of caramel, which I put into two 125ml clip top kilner jars, and a ramekin as I miiiiiight have broken one of my kilner jars. Its basically enough to use in a few recipes, or to drizzle on ice creams and such. Or, as much as I hate to admit it… dip a chunk of apple in to and devour.
Caramel
There are various different types of caramel in the world, and I just love it. I am more in love with salted caramel in comparison to regular caramel, but thats just a personal thing. I love to add sea salt chunks to my caramel, as they taste much better than fine table salt you tend to have at home. Maldon Sea Salt is my favourite, but thats also personal choice.
If you don’t want your caramel to be salty, then you can leave out the salt entirely. Or, you can just add in a smidge of it to take away the over powering sweetness of the caramel in general. However, this caramel isn’t the sweetest already, which is partly why I adore it so much! I could devour it with a spoon to be honest.
Method
Making caramel can be a bit of battle for some people, but its worth the try. Luckily, you don’t waste all the ingredients if it goes wrong, only the sugar part. If its your very first time of making caramel, don’t be too disheartened if its too runny because you under did it, or if you burn it. I would definitely say burning is worse, and you’ll know it when it happens
You add the sugar and water to a pan and heat on a low heat to dissolve the sugar, and once this has happened you turn up the heat to a rolling boil, where you DO NOT STIR. I know it seems aline to not stir it, but you really don’t want to.
The caramel will take what feels like an age to turn to the amber colour you want, to be able to add the cream and the other ingredients. It will just be a clear bubbly liquid for god knows how long, and then suddenly start turning into a golden delicious amber caramel. Keep an eye on it, and don’t walk away… its kinda magical to watch it to be honest. Also, it smells utterly delicious.
Mixing
After the caramel turns into the delicious amber colour, you have to add in the cream, and watch it bubble up whilst you whisk. Add in the butter, the vanilla, and then the salt, whisking in-between each one.
You can add the butter first, and then add the cream as well, but either way both my butter and cream are more towards room temperature at this stage as fridge cold ingredients could cause the ingredients to seize and create a lumpy caramel.
When following this recipe, you end up with a gorgeous, silky smooth caramel that you can use in all sorts of treats. You can see the vanilla speckles in mine, amongst the gorgeous golden colour, and now you’re salivating? Right?
Tips and Tricks
- This caramel will last for 2+ weeks in your refrigerator, if stored in a clean and sterile container.
- The sea salt is optional, and so is the vanilla
- You can use this caramel in soooo many recipes in my blog and I really recommend it! My favourite recipe to use it with it my salted caramel pretzel cupcakes – YUM!
Homemade Caramel Sauce!
Ingredients
- 250 g white granulated sugar
- 75 ml water
- 200 ml double cream
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a large heavy based saucepan, add the water and sugar.
- Heat on a low-medium heat, and stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved into the water. The water will still look a touch cloudy when dissolved, but there will be no sugar granules any more.
- Once the mixture has dissolved together, and it starts to bubble slightly, turn the heat up higher and STOP STIRING.
- Leave the mixture alone, and do not touch it. Wait for the mixture to boil away to an amber colour. This often takes between 5-10 minutes, depending on your pan, and hob etc.
- Once the mixture has turned to the correct colour, take it off the heat and pour in the cream and whisk in, and add the butter and whisk again (Or, add the butter and then the cream). The mixture will bubble quite a lot but whisk well.
- Add in the vanilla, and again whisk. Finally, add in the salt and whisk again.
- Once all combined, pour into some clean, and appropriate containers such as jars, and leave to cool on the side. Once completely cool, refrigerate.
Notes
- You really need to keep an eye on the caramel when its turning to the amber colour. There are seconds between it turning from a delicious amber colour, to burnt.
- It can take ages for it to turn to a different colour, but thats just the process it takes. It's basically heating up, and once it reaches a certain point, it'll turn to the caramel.
- The caramel should be kept in the fridge, but it will get harder in the fridge.Microwave to soften what you need.
- It'll last in the fridge for up to two weeks as long as the container its put into is spotlessly clean.
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J x
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Hi just made this for the first time and worked really well but I need to make double would it work if I doubled up this recipe?
Yes you can double the recipe
Absolutely! Just be patient….. it will take longer to caramelise
Hi Jane,
I just made (1st time ever making caramel sauce 😂) your salted caramel sauce and it’s absolutely luscious in flavour and consistency. It’s in the fridge waiting for it to cool slightly so I can swirl Somme in to home banana ice cream. I also saw your salted chocolate caramel tart and was wondering if I could use this sauce for it because that it next on my list and it will go down a treat at my S-I-L 40th birthday. Thank you
Yes, you can use this sauce for that! x
I have been so worried about making caramel for so many years having watched so many horror attempts on YouTube. Your recipe made it so easy and clear. I paired it up with a gingerbread cheesecake for Christmas this year, and it was a huge success.
This recipe is so lovely 🤩
When I add the cream I tend to get sugar crystals or even a large hard lump of sugar caught in the whisk, they are removed with a sieve but I wonder what am I doing that causes it when I’m adding the cream? I feel if I’m removing big lumps it may be altering the texture a lot from the recipe.
Ah no! Try heating the cream before you add it to the sauce as it may be that the cream is too hot – also, add in 2-3 sections rather than all at once! x
This happened to me on my first attempt. I used a stainless steel hand whisk…. it was clogged to the hilt…..
However, next time, just put the pan back on the lowest of heats on the hob (mine is gas) and just keep whisking….. after a couple of minutes it all melts back into a lovely soft and silky constituency. It worked for me anyways…. my cream was room temperature. It bubbled like making cinder toffee. But it did meld really well after whisking over a very low heat. Xxx
Can you make this sauce with plant cream & dairy free butter to make this dairy free as our granddaughter is dairy free & I would love to try this sauce for her. Thank you
Hiya! Unfortunately I have not tried this, however it is definitely worth a go! Let me know how it goes! x
Hi how can I thicken my caramel
Storing it in the fridge tends to naturally thicken it! x
I am so buzzed, I made this yesterday and it worked first time, it set perfectly and tastes really good. I had tried to make caramel twice before but the sugar crystallised both times, so I had given up, neither recipe was from your blog. So pleased I built up the nerve to try again thanks to your clear and detailed instructions. It’s like you hold our hand and walk us through.
Hi i found a cheesecake recipe that calls for 300g Dulce De Leche (mainly on top). Could i use this instead
Hiya! Which recipe would this be for? x
Hi Jane
I always follow your recipes, they are great and delicious, I am looking to make a peanut caramel mousse tart, would this sauce be okay for that? My tart will be made in a 9” round tin, would the measurements still be the same
Hi Jane I’m using this as a gift for people for Christmas however can I use fresh double cream? Or do I need to use something like elmlea cream? Also if I use fresh cream how long can this last in a jar in the fridge?
Thanks!
Hiya! Jane always recommends using real cream! And it will last for up to 2 weeks! x
Just made this and I have to say , not being a lover of caramel usually, that this is delicious..
My first attempt at making it and its turned out perfect .
Jane I love all your recipes so much , have made sooo many of them and all turn out amazing ! THANK YOU .😊You have given me the confidence to make my dream a reality and I now have a page on Instagram selling my bakes .
THANK YOU AGAIN
Wow! Amazing recipe. I have tried many caramel recipes in the past and they’ve never quite turned out right.
This one did- I used caster sugar (as I didn’t check what I had) and whilst it was a lot quicker it worked perfectly.
I didn’t use salt as I have used it as the caramel element of your caramel apple crumble pie.
Aww thank you very much!xx
Obsessed with your recipes, they are awesome.
Just wondering if I froze teaspoons of this caramel sauce could they be used in cookies to give a runny caramel middle? I’ve tried your caramel cups but really looking for a salted caramel traditional cookie shape. Thanks x
Hey, unfortunately caramel does not freeze in the same way as spreads such as nutella, so it doesn’t really work xx
Hello this is my first time making caramel from scratch so I’m really nervous haha I don’t want to waste my double cream if it goes wrong (always preparing for the worst lol) so would it be okay to half the recipe so I’m only using 100ml of double cream, as I just want this to be a taste taster x
Hey, the risk of changing the quantities is that it will not work the same, have faith in yourself I am sure you will smash it!xx
Hey jane,
Is it okay to use Stork instead of butter? Thanks xx
I wouldn’t recommend it – you want actual butter! x