You can easily make delicious homemade caramel sauce recipe with only 2 ingredients in 10 minutes! In order to make a salted caramel sauce, just add the salt at the end!
It is very easy to make this caramel sauce recipe. With my simple tips, you can make your homemade caramel sauce in 10 minutes.
I use this recipe in my milk pudding, caramel cups, chocolate chip cookie cups, cookie sticks and caramel apple bars. I also drizzle it over ice cream and eat plain.
Today I republish my recipe with some new pictures. This is the dry method where I melt the sugar without water.
You can also check my how to make a caramel sauce post with wet method where I melt the sugar with some water. Then you can decide which method you prefer. I prefer the dry method as I find it simple and fast; I don’t need to wait for the water to evaporate.
The Ingredients for Homemade Caramel Sauce
- Sugar
- Heavy Cream
First, you should caramelize the sugar and then gradually add the heavy cream and stir the mixture.
These two steps are both important. As long as you pay your attention, you can easily make this recipe.
Important Tips: You shouldn’t overcook the sugar so you won’t have a bitter caramel. This is where you need to pay your attention; you have to keep your eye on the sugar, watch for the amber color.
You should add the heavy cream gradually while stirring the mixture so there won’t be any lumps(even if there are lumps, you can make a smooth caramel sauce but you need to give some extra minutes). While whisking you should be fast but at the same time, you should be careful so you won’t burn yourself. Sugar burn is one of the worst!
Make sure the measured heavy cream is next to you while you are melting the sugar, so you can add it at the right time. You shouldn’t let the melted sugar wait for seconds as it will become firm very fast.
Can You Also Add Butter?
This recipe’s ratio is simple. 1:1 sugar to heavy cream by weight. I am happy with these two ingredients but if you want you can add butter.
In this case, you should subtract the butter amount that is added from the heavy cream so the sum of butter and heavy cream will be equal(or almost equal) to sugar. For example, if you are using 57 grams of butter(½ stick) you should add 160 grams(⅔ cup) of heavy cream. After melting the sugar, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and stir, then add the heavy cream and stir.
How to Store Homemade Caramel Sauce
You can keep it in a jar in the fridge for a week. Depending on the recipe, you may need to let it come to room temperature before using the sauce as it becomes solid in the fridge.
How to Make Caramel Sauce
First, start by melting the sugar:
How to Melt Sugar:
Put the sugar in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat. Don’t stir but gently swirl the pan so the sugar can melt evenly.
If you stir the sugar, there will be lumps and you have to stir it continuously. Instead, keep your eye on the sugar. While you are swirling the pan, the sugar crystals may form on the sides of the pan. If it happens brush them down with a pastry brush that is dipped in cold water.
When you see some parts are liquid-melted well, but some parts are still not melted, put the melted sugar on top of unmelted sugar using a heatproof long spatula. This helps melted part not to burn but the unmelted part to melt.
You should do this process gently so the sugar doesn’t touch your skin. If there are still some unmelted sugar pieces, start stirring with your spatula and these small pieces easily melt.
When the sugar completely melts and turns to dark amber color(left picture below), immediately remove the pan from the heat. Start to add the heavy cream gradually while stirring with a whisk at the same time. The sugar will bubble(right picture below) at this stage so stir carefully.
After you add the heavy cream and stir, you should be having your caramel sauce in seconds.
However, if you see lumps after you mix and you can’t melt them after you stir, bring the saucepan to low heat and continue to stir with a whisk until the lumps completely disappear. With little patience, you’ll have a delicious, smooth caramel sauce. If you prefer you can sieve your sauce to make sure there are no lumps.
This caramel sauce will be very thin at the beginning.
It will become thick as it cools. Enjoy!
Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 210 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 210 g (⅔ and ¼ cup) heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions
- Put the sugar in a heavy-bottomed medium pan over medium heat. Don’t stir but swirl the pan so the sugar can melt evenly. If you see some parts are liquid, and some parts are still not melted, put the melted sugar on top of unmelted sugar using a heatproof long spatula. This will help melted part not to burn but the unmelted part to melt. You should do this process gently so that the sugar will not touch your skin. If there are still some unmelted sugar pieces, you can gently stir with your spatula, they will easily melt. Sugar crystals may form on the sides of the pan. Brush them down with a pastry brush that is dipped in cold water.
- When the sugar completely melts and turns to amber color, remove the sugar from the heat. Don’t overcook the sugar, otherwise, it will have a bitter taste. Immediately add the heavy cream gradually and stir at the same time. At this stage, the heavy cream will make the sugar bubble so be careful not to burn yourself. Stir with a whisk until the sauce is smooth-it shouldn't take more than 1 minute. However, if there are lumps, place the saucepan over low heat and whisk continuously. Keep stirring until it is smooth and there are no lumps. It may take time to smooth the lumps but in the end, they all go and you have a smooth sauce. (If you are not sure about the lumps, you can strain the caramel to make sure.) Remove from the heat. If you want to make a salted caramel sauce, add the salt and stir.
- Pour the caramel sauce into a heatproof container. It will be a very thin sauce at the beginning. After it cools, it will become thicker.
Notes
Nutrition
I originally shared this post on December 14, 2016. I republish it today with new photos.
