My caramel sauce recipe is unlike any you’ve tried before. I go against a lot of common advice to create a rich and creamy caramel sauce that’s never gritty. Made with brown sugar, butter, cream, and vanilla, this sauce is simple to make and so much better than store-bought.
Gooey and delicious, this caramel sauce recipe is perfect on top of pretty much any dessert I can think of. Brown sugar makes it extra moist, rich, and flavorful, and continuous stirring ensures it’s never gritty. I love keeping a jar of this sauce on hand for all my favorite desserts!
What’s in This Caramel Sauce Recipe?
- Brown Sugar: Keeps the sauce moist and adds a richer flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Helps make the sauce rich, creamy, and soft.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Makes this sauce rich and creamy.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the caramel flavor of the sauce.
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How to Store and Reheat
In an airtight container in the refrigerator, this delicious caramel sauce will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. You’ll know yours has gone bad if there’s a strange odor or appearance to the sauce. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Just let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
I like to rewarm the sauce gently on the stovetop or in the microwave to soften it up.
Tips for Success
- While you don’t technically need a candy thermometer to make this caramel sauce, it is a helpful tool to have around and can help prevent you from overcooking the sauce.
- For this particular caramel recipe, I stir the entire time. I know that probably goes against everything you’ve heard about making caramel, but trust me, it works!
- Caramel sometimes becomes gritty when the sugar crystallizes, which can happen when some of the sugar gets stuck to the walls of the pan and dries out. I mostly avoid that pitfall by adding the cream and butter right away and stirring the whole time.
- Caramel often turns hard when it is cooked for too long and too much moisture evaporates. I help combat that by using brown sugar, which has more moisture than granulated white sugar. Still, take care not to overcook the caramel, as it will continue to thicken up as it cools.
- If you love salted caramel, add a few pinches of sea salt to this sauce, or use salted butter instead of unsalted.
- For a coffee caramel, dissolve 1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules in 1 tablespoon of hot water, then add it to the caramel sauce.
Top Reader Review
- “Love this! I have tried quite a few caramel recipes but just couldn’t find that good caramel flavor. This is by far the best tasting caramel sauce thus far!! Thanks for the recipe!” -Carol
Caramel Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
- Place the brown sugar, butter, and heavy whipping cream in a medium saucepan seet over medium heat.1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- Stir often until it reaches a boil.
- Boil until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the vanilla, then remove from the heat. Transfer to a heat-proof container. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Notes
How to Make Caramel Sauce Step-by-Step
Heat the Sauce: Place 1 cup of brown sugar, ½ cup of cubed unsalted butter, and ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
Boil the Sauce: Stir often until it reaches a boil. Boil until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.
Add the Vanilla: Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, then remove from the heat. Transfer to a heat-proof container. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Can this be used for chocolate caramel pretzel rods? I usually unwrap caramels and microwave with some cream, let harden in fridge, roll out and cut strips with a knife.
I made the homemade carmel sauce today. I did as it called for and it got real gritty. What did i do wrong?
Hi Donna, it sounds like some of your sugar crystallized. This can happen when sugar gets stuck to the walls of the pan. The best way to prevent this is to add a splash of lemon juice in with the ingredients before heating, and the best way to fix it is to add more liquid and let the crystals melt.
Hi Becky! I noticed when I print up one of your recipes for 12 servings, and then change the number of servings, everything changes EXCEPT the grams. Am I missing something? Otherwise, I love all your recipes that I have tried so far, but I have many more to go.
Hi Carol, the grams are manually entered for each recipe by hand, so they do not update with the slider unfortunately!
Love this! I have tried quite a few caramel recipes but just couldn’t find that good caramel flavor. This is by far the best tasting caramel sauce thus far!! Thanks for the recipe!
We’re so happy to hear you loved this recipe, Carol!