This Salted Caramel recipe is about as simple as caramel sauce gets! It only uses 6 ingredients, and it’s perfect for topping ice cream, brownies or any other dessert!
Looking for unsalted caramel sauce? Try my traditional homemade caramel recipe!
Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
Caramel is among one of my very favorite things. Whether eating it as part of a cake or straight from a spoon, it’s hard to restrain myself. And there’s no doubt that homemade caramel sauce is better than anything you’d buy in a store. The flavor is just…more. So good!
Being such a fan of caramel sauce, I’ve shared a few versions with you in the past. I have a super duper easy caramel sauce, which is really more of a toffee sauce than a true caramel, and a homemade caramel sauce that is made with the dry method. Today I’m sharing a caramel sauce that is made with the wet method. I’d say this one is kind of the compromise between the previous two. Allow me to elaborate.
The Difference Between Wet and Dry Method Caramel
As far as making the caramel sauce goes, the difference between the wet and dry method is very simple. The wet method combines water and sugar in the first step, and the dry method uses just sugar. When using just sugar, you heat the sugar and allow it to melt before proceeding with adding the butter and cream. It can be a little bit of a trickier process, sometimes leading to caramel that tastes a little burnt (if the sugar cooks for too long) and can seize up when you add the butter and sugar (if the are too cool). I’ve been making this caramel sauce for years and love it, but it can trip people up a little bit.
The wet method is more straight forward and – as far as caramel sauce goes – easy. Unless you walk off and don’t pay attention to it, it shouldn’t burn. The added water prevents the likelihood of a burning it and getting a burnt taste, and allows you to add butter and cream that are cooler without it seizing up. So that’s what we’re using in this caramel sauce.
Other than the difference in method, there’s not a big difference in taste between the methods. Both produce a delicious caramel sauce with a nice, deep flavor that’s perfect for any and all things.
How to Make Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
To get started, you’ll need a medium to large sized saucepan. Be sure there’s plenty of room, because things will bubble up quite a bit and you don’t want it to overflow.
Combine the sugar and water in your saucepan and cook over medium low heat until the sugar has dissolved, stirring as needed. Add the butter and let it melt, then bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
At this point, stop stirring. Allow the mixture to boil and turn a golden copper color. It’ll take about 10-15 minutes, depending your stove. The deeper the color, the deeper the caramel flavor. You just don’t want to walk away and let it burn.
When the caramel sauce turns copper colored, remove it from the heat and immediately add the heavy whipping cream. Be careful – this is where the bubbling occurs! Whisk everything together well until comes together, then stir in the vanilla extract and some salt.
How much salt you add will largely depend on how salty you want your caramel sauce. You could add just a touch, if you don’t really want it salty. Assuming you do though, I’d add about half a teaspoon of salt and then add more to your preference.
The final caramel sauce is truly delicious! And as far as caramel making goes, it’s easy to make. Even better – there’s no candy thermometer required. Just keep an eye on things. While I love my trusty Classic Homemade Caramel Sauce, this version is certainly is simpler for those who are less comfortable with making caramel. As you get more comfortable, do try the other too. They are both delicious and I love having two different versions in my caramel-making arsenal.
More Caramel Desserts to Love
Caramel Cheesecake Brownie Trifle
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Easy Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Caramel Apple Pecan Layer Cake
Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake
Caramel Apple Cookie Cups
Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons
Caramel Apple Trifles
Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: about 1 1/4 cups
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Easy Salted Caramel Sauce is about as simple as caramel sauce gets! It only uses 6 ingredients. Plus, it’s perfect for topping ice cream, brownies, or pretty much any other dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (207g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
- 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 to 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a medium to large saucier pan, combine the granulated sugar and water. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the butter and let it melt
- Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Stop whisking and don’t whisk at all during this part to help avoid crystallization. Allow to boil until the mixture turns a deep golden copper color, about 10-15 minutes, maybe longer depending on your stove. Keep an eye on it, but do not stir. If needed, you can occasionally tip the pan from side to side to help things cook evenly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add in the heavy whipping cream in a slow, steady stream. The caramel will bubbly up quite a bit, so be careful with this step. Whisk quickly and well as you add the cream, whisking until well combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and half a teaspoon of salt and whisk to combine. Add additional salt to your desired saltiness.
- Allow the caramel sauce to cool. It will be fairly thin, but will thicken as it cools. Store it in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: – Full recipe
- Calories: 1604
- Sugar: 203.9 g
- Sodium: 1208.4 mg
- Fat: 89 g
- Carbohydrates: 204.1 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 256.5 mg
Keywords: salted caramel sauce, salted caramel sauce recipe, homemade caramel sauce
Categories
Adapted from Baker by Nature.
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I just made this recipe. The taste is great, however I am straining out crystal chunks. Once I added the butter I did not stir into the whipping cream was added. I usually make this with the dry method and wikk certainly go back to that recipe in the futur.
★★
This recipe is easy and delicious. Is there a way to make it a bit thicker for a drip?
I can’t remember if I’ve already commented, but I’ve been using this recipe for a couple years now, and it’s amazing. I’ve gotten pretty good at making larger batches (harder than one would think) and EVERYBODY raves about. I only use about 1/8 tsp of salt (sodium conscious) and sometimes a Lil bit of vanilla bean. Amazing. Super vetted recipe, I’ve done a light blonde to a deep caramel, best results every time.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★
Awesome! Glad you enjoy it and thank you for sharing!
This turned out delicious! Made an apple crisp and thought a little Carmel sauce would be a good topper. I was kind of leery, but it was easy. Only issue was when adding the cream do it at the side and whisk on the side – that steam was painful! You warned us, but I just poured it in the middle like an idiot. Great recipe!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I do love this recipe!! I make it 3 or 4 times a month! Tonight I made it and while it was cooling I fell asleep. It was on the stove, off the heat for 5-6 hours. Do I need to throw it away and make a new batch?
★★★★★
I’m glad you enjoy it! Are you worried it went bad? If so, it’s fine. No need to make a new batch.
Super easy & tastes absolutely delicious! Best recipe I have come across so far for salted caramel!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it!
so I made this before it was amazing! I tried to make it today and omg it went wrong? I use double cream instead of whipping cream? is this why it didnt work? am left with sugar syrup with butter and double cream? can I save it? or throw away?
It sounds like there wasn’t much color to your sauce, which means that the sugar-water mixture didn’t cook for long enough. I’m not sure if cooking it more at this point would help it. I don’t think so.
My go to recipe for caramel! I can’t believe how easy and simple it is and how amazingly delicious it turns out! Goes good on so many things, apple crisp, cheesecake, ice cream or for dipping apple. My family is obsessed!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoy it!
I made this as a topping for a cheesecake, it didnt turn brown and I let it cook for over 20 min, it also seems to have crystals in it, once you have cooked it and it didnt turn brown, can you try to cook it again with the whipping cream in it to see if it would resemble a caramel color. Thank you,
Did you happen to double it or anything? It may take longer to brown if you did, but otherwise I’m not sure why that would happen unless there was something off about an ingredient.
I tried this recipe for the first time. I’ve never made caramel before so this is the first time doing it and it turned out amazingly well! It was like a liquid form of those caramel hard candies. It tasted divine! And with a bit of patience turned out really well! Thanks for this recipe will be adding this to my black book of deliciousness!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it!