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–+ servings
spoon stirring caramel sauce in glass container
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4.53 from 78 votes

Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe

This caramel sauce recipe is simply to die for! Soft and silky, it's perfect for topping all kinds of desserts from ice cream to apple pie. It stays soft, is easy to make, and you can even make it ahead of time.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 people
Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale
  • Instant Read Meat Thermometer

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
  • ¼ cup cold water 57 grams
  • 1 teaspoon corn syrup 7 grams
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 42 grams
  • ¾ cup heavy cream 170 grams
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (SEE NOTE)

Instructions

  • In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup; stir to combine.
    1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon corn syrup, ¼ cup cold water
    adding sugar, water n corn syrup in heavy bottomed sauce pan
  • Cook, without stirring, until mixture turns a golden, straw-color, about 6-8 minutes.
    cooking sugar without stirring
  • Reduce the heat to low and cook, swirling the pan occasionally (but not stirring) for 2-5 minutes. The caramel is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 360°F and the mixture is a light amber color.
  • Remove the mixture from the heat. Quickly, and very carefully, whisk in the butter.
    3 tablespoons unsalted butter
    adding unsalted butter in the sugar syrup
  • Again, carefully and quickly, add the cream and salt, and continue whisking until the sauce is smooth.
    ¾ cup heavy cream, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    add cream and salt in the mix
  • Cover the sauce loosely with a paper towel to absorb steam and to avoid forming a crust while it cools. Allow the sauce to cool completely before storing.
    whisk nicely and let it cool before serving

Video

Notes

  • Stir the sauce as little as possible to get a smooth consistency.
  • The caramel is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 350°F and the mixture is a light amber color.
  • When cooling the sauce, cover it with a paper towel so it doesn’t form a crust.
  • Make ahead of time for an easy way to elevate your desserts.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence to elevate the flavors.
  • Use a thick bottomed saucepan to cook the caramel. It prevents the sugar from burning and cooks it evenly.
  • Use a pan with high sides, while cooking caramel it bubbles up. With low sides it may run down.
  • It is very important that heavy cream is at room temperature while adding in the pan. If colder, sugar will crystalize and will take more time to cook.

Nutrition

Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 11mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg