The best salted caramel sauce! Perfect on pancakes or over ice cream, there are endless ways to enjoy this easy homemade salted caramel sauce!
*Please note* this post was originally published in 2017. I’ve updated the photos and added headings but the original post and recipe remains the same
Yay! I’m finally posting one of my FAVORITE things in the whole world. I have a LOT of favorites in life, but salted caramel sauce is really, really up there. It makes all things better! Plus it goes with everything. Ice cream, brownies, scones, oatmeal – yes – even oatmeal!! It is really easy to make and keeps for quite a while so you can always have some handy to put on top of, well, everything.
I have always loved the combo of salty and sweet. I have a hard time passing up anything that has salted caramel in the name. It is also really hard for me to pass by a Purdy’s without stopping in for one or two (or five) of their Himalayan pink salted caramel chocolates. SO good!
I had long dreamed of making the best salted caramel sauce, and finally my dream came true. This sauce nails it!! It’s made of very simple ingredients; sugar, unsalted butter, and heavy cream (sorry but not sorry to my friends on a diet), a dash of vanilla and sea salt (duh). This sauce is truly easy, anyone can do it! Follow my steps below!
How do you make salted caramel sauce?
You start by combining the sugar with 1/4 cup of water and placing it in a saucepan over medium high heat for about 12 – 15 minutes. Do not stir it, as tempted as you might be! The mixture will eventually turn a deep amber.
While the sugar and water is heating up, place the heavy cream into another small pot over low heat to warm it up; you do not want it to start boiling. Once the sauce has turned into a deep amber shade, turn the heat to low, and slowly pour in the warm cream, whisking as you do so. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla and the salt, to taste. I used 1 tsp.
This sauce is best served warm, over ice cream, cake, pancakes, or just right out of the pot with a spoon. We also like to dip apple slices in ours – the calories don’t count when you eat it with fruit, right? You can also use this sauce as a decorative drizzle over bars or cookies as it will harden when it cools.
Can salted caramel sauce be kept at room temperature?
The salted caramel sauce will keep for 3 days at room temperature in a sealed jar, or for 2 -3 weeks in the fridge; but it definitely won’t last that long.
If you LOOOOVE salted caramel as much as I do, you MUST check out these dishes featuring the liquid gold!!
- salted caramel apple rose pie
- rolo no-churn ice cream
- gluten-free skillet brownie
- salted caramel chocolate almond clusters
- mini egg skillet cookie
Best Salted Caramel Sauce
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Description
The best salted caramel sauce! Perfect on pancakes or over ice cream, there are endless ways to enjoy this easy homemade salted caramel sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream*
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 – 1 1/4 tsp sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and water until thoroughly mixed in a medium sized saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Without stirring, allow the mixture to simmer for about 12-15 minutes, or until it has turned a deep amber hue.
- While the sugar and water is simmering, place the heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat and allow to warm. Do not allow the cream to boil.
- When the sugar and water mixture has turned into a deep amber hue, turn the heat to low and slowly whisk in the warm cream.
- Allow the sauce to simmer on low for a couple of minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla and salt, to taste. Start with 3/4 tsp and add more as necessary.
- Serve the sauce warm, or allow to cool and place into a glass jar. Sealed sauce will keep at room temperature for 3 days and in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
*I use 35% whipping cream; I would not recommend using half and half or anything much less than 35% milk fat.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
Keywords: easy salted caramel sauce // homemade salted caramel // best salted caramel sauce
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This looks so delicious! My husband would absolutely devour the whole jar in a weekend haha 🙂
Hahah! My husband gets mad when I use it in a recipe, he just wants to eat it with a spoon!
Katherine, YUM!!! Salted caramel is such an underrated flavor in Fall – but for me, it’s one of the BEST!! Anything salty and sweet and you can pretty much guarantee I’m going to love it! Love how quick and easy this recipe is! I want to eat it with sliced apples!
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DEFINITELY one of the best during the fall!! Sliced apples is actually one of my fave ways to eat it! So good as a dip…decadent!!! Thanks Haylie! XO
Just give me that jar and a spoon! Caramel sauce (especially salted, especially especially homemade) is THE BEST! This looks so good, Katherine!
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Gaaah it is absolutely the best, Kelsie!!! My favourite thing in the whole world! Thanks girlie!
Respect dear ! I did not understand how difficult it is to make a photo of caramel until I made Dulce de leche few days ago…. Beautiful 🙂
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Hahah, thank you! It is SO hard!!! I was so unhappy with my old photos, I had to try and try again! XO
Love the updated photos! Salted caramel is a favorite of mine too!! Just that jar and a spoon is all I need.😉
Thanks Tasia!!! It was loooong overdue. I am one happy duck with a jar of caramel in front of me!
Every time I make caramel sauce, I go completely out of control. Every now and then I will dip a spoon in the jar and lick in clean LOL
Hahah I completely understand!! It’s irresistible!
I’d want to slather everything with this sauce Katherine. It’s one of our favorite things to put on ice cream and apple pie! Can’t wait to try your recipe!
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It’s soooo good on ice cream, right!? Thanks Mary Ann! It’s such an easy recipe!! XO
Oh does this caramel sauce ever look heavenly, I can’t wait to try it!! I want it on ice cream and pancakes at the same time-I can put a scoop of ice cream on pancakes, right? 😉
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Oh my goodness, I think you’ve planned out my entire breakfast. Pancakes, ice cream and caramel sauce!!! XO
Salted caramel is one my guilty pleasures. I have to try this recipe – looks to creamy and the salt just takes it to new heights!!
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Mine too, Maria! I absolutely adore it. I hope you give it a try!! XO
Yes!!! Love caramel sauce and this would be perfect on ANYTHING!!! I would drizzle it over a warm brownie 🙂
Oooh Kelly I’m responding to this late at night and now all I want is a brownie and caramel!!
Seriously though, how awesome is salted caramel! Give me that on ice cream any day!
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Heck yes!! It’s the best thing ever. Caramel sauce with vanilla ice cream!!!
Oh how heavenly, Katherine! Homemade caramel sauce is the best! No way it would last long in our house – I’d be sneaking down to the kitchen and eating it with a spoon!
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Absolutely, Kelly!!! It’s always vanishing around here haha I have to keep it in the back of the fridge 😉 Cheers!
This caramel sauce looks incredible Katherine! I just want to eat it by the spoonful! At the very least, it should go on every dessert I make this fall! 😉
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It’s very hard not to eat it by the spoonful, Leanne! So yummy! And yes – it’s a mandatory fall condiment haha
I could eat so much of this caramel sauce, Katherine! Just hand me a spoon!
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I DO eat it by the spoonful, Marissa!!! Just so good!
Salted caramel is the best! Great photos!
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It’s the absolute best!! Thank you!
I would definitely be eating this by the spoonful!
It’s impossible not to!!
The only problem with this recipe is that I’d want to eat it all straight out of the jar with a spoon! lol Looks amazing!
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Haha that is the problem with it, you’re absolutely right!!