How to make homemade salted caramel sauce! Step-by-step photos and instructions to make it two ways. Rich classic caramel sauce is made with heavy cream and sugar. Vegan or paleo caramel sauce is made with coconut milk and coconut sugar. Both are amazingly delicious!
❤️Why you'll love this recipe
One tiny taste and you'll be hooked! This rich caramel sauce, either classic or vegan, is rich and delicious!
- Homemade salted caramel sauce has so many uses! Drizzle it on apple cake or apple crisp, or serve it with fresh apple slices or dried apple chips.
- Use it as a topping for Apple Cheesecake Crumble Bars or Dutch Apple Pie.
- It's delicious on this Gluten-Free Cinnamon Pear Tart or Pumpkin Pecan Caramel Coffee Cake!
- Drizzle it over gelato when you make an Italian affogato.
And now you have to decide. Will you go for salted caramel sauce made with cream, or vegan (paleo) salted caramel sauce made with coconut milk? Both are amazing!
Ingredients
Classic Caramel Sauce
- butter
- heavy cream: also called whipping cream
- granulated sugar
- water helps the sugar dissolve, reduces the risk of burning, and heat more evenly.
- sea salt: optional, but turns caramel sauce into salted caramel sauce!
Paleo Coconut Milk Caramel Sauce (vegan)
- a can of coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
- coconut sugar
- sea salt
- pure vanilla extract
🥄Instructions
How to Make Classic Caramel Sauce with butter and cream
- Heat sugar and water in a 2 or 3-quart (liter) saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar but stop stirring once the mixture boils.
- Continue to boil until the edges start to turn an amber colour. At this point, you can swirl the pan to distribute the heat. Continue to boil until the mixture has turned a dark amber colour. If you are using a dark or stainless steel saucepan, it may appear darker than it actually is, so let it boil a little longer to be sure you have caramelized the sugar. However, be careful not to let it get too dark!
- Add the butter all at once and whisk it into the liquid sugar. It will immediately foam up. Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat.
- Whisk in the whipping cream. It will foam up again. Continue whisking until it is well incorporated.
- Stir in the salt until dissolved.
- The caramel sauce may seem too thin, but it will thicken as it cools. Pour it into sterile jars. It will freeze well or will keep in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 weeks.
- Gently warm it before serving if you'd like or simply drizzle it on your favourite desserts.
You'll find complete instructions for paleo coconut milk caramel sauce in the recipe card below.
Tips and FAQ's
Don't worry! You don't have to start over. Just add a little cool water to the pan, stir to completely dissolve the crystals and continue. Bring it to a boil to redissolve all the crystallized sugar.
As the temperature rises, the sugar crystals will start dissolving and eventually turn into sugar syrup. Now you can start the process of caramelizing the sugar once again.
You can usually save a split caramel sauce by gently reheating it and stirring continuously until it is smooth again.
What's the difference between traditional caramel sauce and vegan caramel sauce?
Classic Salted Caramel Sauce tastes just like traditional caramel candies and is a light caramel colour. It's thick, rich and creamy and it makes any dessert, well . . . better!
The Vegan Coconut Milk Caramel Sauce, however, is a little darker in colour because of the coconut sugar, but it still tastes like caramel. It's a perfect alternative for those who are avoiding dairy in their diets but still want that caramel flavour. When you use coconut milk and coconut sugar, this caramel sauce is paleo-friendly.
Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than refined sugar, so if you are also cutting back on refined sugar, this may be an option for you.
Having one of these recipes in your collection means you'll never have to buy it pre-made again! Most varieties of store-bought caramel sauce, even the higher-priced gourmet brands, contain high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient you'll want to avoid.
Make jars to share!
Make a batch to share! Pour it into small jars, seal with a lid, attach a label (see below) and give it to your friends and family. One batch will make three ½ cup jars.
When you make this salted caramel sauce, please leave a comment and a star rating below. Thanks in advance! Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
This recipe was originally published in 2015. It has been updated with new photos and extra information to make it more helpful.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Classic Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, like Fleur de Sel or Maldon
Paleo Coconut Milk Caramel Sauce
- 1 13.5 oz (400ml) can full fat coconut milk, solid part only
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt like fleur de Sel or Maldon
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Classic Caramel Sauce
- Heat sugar and water in a 2 or 3-liter saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar but stop stirring once the mixture boils. You can swirl the pan occasionally to distribute the heat.
- Continue to boil until it reaches a dark amber colour. This will take a few minutes, so be patient. Add the butter all at once and whisk it into the liquid sugar. It will immediately foam up. Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat.
- Whisk in the whipping cream. It will foam up again. Continue whisking until it is well incorporated.
- Stir in the salt until dissolved. Cool a little. It may seem too thin, but it will thicken as it cools.
- Pour into sterile jars. It will freeze well or will keep in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 weeks.
- Bring to room temperature before serving, or gently reheat it in the microwave.
Paleo or Vegan Coconut Milk Caramel Sauce
- Refrigerate a can of coconut milk overnight or until the liquid and solid portions have separated. Scoop the hardened cream into a small saucepan. Save the liquid for a smoothie or another use.
- Stir in 1 cup coconut sugar and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a rapid simmer. Bubbles will completely cover the surface.
- Continue to cook, stirring frequently until the sauce begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 10 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon thinly when it's done.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. It will thicken as it cools.
- Use immediately, or store in a glass jar. It will last for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator, or for several months in the freezer. Bring to room temperature to serve, or gently reheat it in the microwave.
Leila
Simply the best!
Laura Nessman
THE BEST! And I'm usually not a caramel fan ...
Elaine
Thanks for the 5 stars! So glad you like this recipe, too.
Flavour & Savour
Thanks so much Cathy! I love making (and receiving) homemade gifts too. You get to put your heart in it when you make something for someone else. Merry Christmas to you and your family, too.
Cathy Bhandar
Thanks Elaine, you have inspired me to get cooking and make some Christmas gifts. My daughter loves caramel so that's a good start. I think "consumable" (sp) gifts are the way to go. My family all have so much stuff, it's nice to just give a little something different. Love your posts. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Redawna
Oh my!!! What a great option to make caramel.
I need to find some coconut sugar and then give this a try.
I will let you know how it turns out.
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Redawna,
Hope you like it as much as we do!