Once you make this super easy homemade caramel sauce with only 4 ingredients, you’ll never buy store bought again! In about 20 minutes you can enjoy a delicious homemade caramel sauce made from ingredients that you most likely already have on hand!
Why Make Caramel Sauce
There’s no need to use a store bought caramel sauce with a long list of artificial ingredients when it’s so easy to make right in your own kitchen.
Homemade caramel sauce is a really simple recipe. It takes 4 ingredients and 20 minutes, that’s it! It is made by cooking a mixture of sugar and water until it turns to a dark amber color, then whisking in some cream and some butter.
Getting Prepped
It’s best to have the cream and butter measured out before getting started. Once the sugar is caramelized, the cooking process moves rather quickly.
How to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce
In a saucepan, warm 3/4 cup heavy cream over low to medium heat. The cream should be warmed but not come to a boil. Adding cold cream to the caramelized sugar will cause the sugar to seize, and create lumps in your sauce.
For the sugar mixture, it is important to use a much larger pan than appears necessary. The sauce will bubble up to at least twice its size when the cream is added.
In a large pan, over high heat, combine 1 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup water. Stir until the sugar and water are mixed.
Once the mixture has come to a boil, do not stir. It’s hard to resist the urge to stir but, stirring the sugar will result in a grainy sauce.
Let the sugar cook, without stirring, for about 15 minutes until it turns to a dark amber color.
The sugar will go from opaque to translucent, then there will be streaks of yellow which will quickly turn to a dark amber color. When there are dark streaks, swirl the pan to make sure the sugar is cooked evenly.
The longer you cook the sugar, the darker the color and the deeper the flavor. A shorter amount of cooking time will result in a lighter colored, sweeter caramel sauce.
Once the sugar has caramelized, or turned to a dark amber color, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cream. The sauce will quickly bubble up and double in size. Continue whisking until all the cream is added and the bubbles subside.
Once the bubbling stops, whisk in 2 Tbsp butter until it has melted and the mixture is smooth. For a thicker caramel sauce, return the pan to medium heat and continue simmering the sauce for another 5-10 minutes.
The longer the sauce is cooked, the thicker it will become. The sauce will thicken as it cools, so stop cooking just before it reaches your desired thickness.
Storage
Allow the sauce to cool, transfer to a jar, and seal. Your homemade caramel sauce will last 3 days at room temperature and up to 3 months in the refrigerator.
Homemade caramel sauce is great for topping ice cream, brownies, pie, apple crisp or for a dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Subscribe to Artzy Foodie to get all the latest tasty goodness straight to your inbox! And, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates!
Homemade Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- In a saucepan, over medium heat, warm the heavy cream. Do not let the cream come to a boil.
- In a large pan, over high heat, combine the sugar and water and stir until mixed. Once the mixture has come to a boil, do not stir.
- Cook the sugar mixture, without stirring, about 15 minutes or until it turns a dark amber color.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream.
- Once the mixture stops bubbling, add the butter and whisk until it is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- For an even thicker sauce, put the pan over medium heat and simmer another 5-10 minutes. Stop cooking prior to your desired consistency as the sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Allow the caramel sauce to cool, transfer to a jar, and seal. The sauce will last 3 days at room temperature and 3 months in the refrigerator.
4 Responses
Could I use brown sugar instead of white?
Great question, Lynette! Yes, you can substitute brown sugar for white. Enjoy!
Very good and super easy!!! Never ever buying store bought again!!!
Thanks so much, Marcia! I’m glad you liked it. All of my recipes are simple and delicious. I hope you’ll try some others and let me know what you think.