Make your own homemade caramel sauce in minutes! This recipe offers two delicious variations of caramel sauce:
Classic (made with granulated sugar) and our family favorite (made with light brown sugar). Both options bring rich and decadent flavors to
ice creams, pies, and cakes. It's perfect for topping warm apple pie, making ice cream sundaes extra special, or even mixed into your favorite frappuccino.
How to Make Caramel Sauce
Note: The full instruction is provided in the recipe card below.
- Granulated Sugar: Heat cream separately. Dissolve the sugar mixture, then caramelize. Stop cooking with ice bath, whisk in butter, salt, vanilla, and cream. Cool and store.
- Brown Sugar: Combine all ingredients, simmer until thickened, remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Cool and store.
Camila's Tips and Advice
- Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to prevent the caramel from burning.
- Don't stir the caramel too much while it's cooking, or it will become grainy.
- Be careful when adding the heavy cream, as it will cause the mixture to bubble up.
- If the caramel becomes too thick, you can thin it out by adding a little bit of hot cream.
- Store the caramel sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Caramel Sauce
Make your own homemade caramel sauce in minutes! This recipe offers two delicious variations of caramel sauce: Classic (made with granulated sugar) and our family favorite (made with light brown sugar). Both options bring rich and decadent flavors to ice creams, pies, and cakes. It's perfect for topping warm apple pie, making ice cream sundaes extra special, or even mixed into your favorite frappuccino.
Ingredients
- 1-¼ cups granulated sugar or light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup , optional
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 5 pieces
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Fleur de Sel salt or kosher salt , or to taste
Instructions
Caramel Sauce with Granulated Sugar:
- Place the heavy cream in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Keep warm over very low heat. Prepare an ice water bath; set aside.
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, light corn syrup, and water. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until all the sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring and continue to cook until golden caramel.
- Remove from heat and shock the saucepan in the ice bath to stop cooking. Remove from the ice bath and stir in the butter, salt, and vanilla.
- Carefully stir in the hot cream, mixing until fully blended. Let cool. The sauce is ready to be used or served or may be covered and stored in the refrigerator for later use. Note: The caramel sauce will thicken as it cools.
Caramel Sauce with Light Brown Sugar:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, cream, light corn syrup, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens slightly, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Note: Let the sauce cool slightly before using, or store it in the fridge for later use.
Notes
How to Store & Make Ahead
Caramel sauce can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To reheat the sauce, microwave it for 30 seconds or until it reaches the desired consistency.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Caramel Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
39
% Daily Value*
Fat
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
9
mg
3
%
Sodium
39
mg
2
%
Potassium
7
mg
0
%
Carbohydrates
3
g
1
%
Sugar
3
g
3
%
Protein
0.1
g
0
%
Vitamin A
109
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
0.02
mg
0
%
Calcium
5
mg
1
%
Iron
0.02
mg
0
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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