Caramel Sauce
This Caramel Sauce recipe is so easy to make. With just a handful of ingredients that you probably already have in the fridge and in the pantry, you can make this rich and luscious caramel sauce.
Servings 1 cup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy cream 120 ml
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter 85 grams
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Caramel Sauce
- Heat the heavy cream gently in the microwave or in a saucepan until it's warm to the touch. Set aside.
- Add the sugar to a saucepan with a heavy bottom. The pot you are using should be stainless steel, don’t use non-stick pan to make the caramel.
- Place the pan over medium heat, and stir until the sugar melts. It’s important to stir constantly, to make sure the sugar melts evenly. Continue to stir the sugar, and when the last bit of sugar melts, the syrup should be a golden color. Be aware that the sugar can turn from golden to burnt in just under a minute, so you should pay a lot of attention when making this recipe.
- If the syrup is becoming too dark but there are still bits of sugar unmelted in it, remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir to help the sugar melt.
- As soon as the last bit of sugar melts and the syrup is light amber color, add the butter. Be aware the syrup may splatter, which can burn your hands if you aren’t careful.
- Stir the mixture until the butter melts.
- Add the heavy cream, a bit at a time, while stirring non-stop. Also be careful while doing this because the syrup may bubble or release steam that can burn your hands.
- Continue to cook the caramel over low heat, until all the cream has been added. Continue to cook just until the sauce is smooth, without any crystallized bits of sugar or lumps.
- At this point the caramel should have a deep amber color.
- Remove from the heat.
- Pour in a bowl, add salt and vanilla. Mix to combine.
- Let the caramel come to room temperature.
Notes
Storage: Store the caramel in the fridge for up to 1 month in an air tight container. You can re-heat it gently, stirring every 5 to 10 seconds, until the caramel becomes soft with a drip consistency.
Store the caramel in the freezer for up to 3 months in an air tight container.
To thaw, let it sit at room temperature until it thaws, or in the fridge overnight. Pan: Use a pan with a heavy bottom, preferably stainless steel or copper. Don't use non-stick pan to make caramel, because non-stick pans are usually too thin and don't distribute the heat evenly, leading to hot spots in the sauce which will cause it to burn or crystallize. Also make sure the pan is clean before starting, clean it thoroughly because any bits of grease or food can cause the caramel to crystallize. Corn syrup: You can add about 1 tablespoon of corn syrup to the sugar when you start melting it. This can help if you usually have issues with your sauce crystallizing. The corn syrup has this long glucose molecules that prevent the sucrose molecules in the sauce from crystallizing. Crystallization: If there are bits of crystallized sugar in the caramel, you can run it through a fine mesh sieve. Or, you can place the saucepan over low heat and stir the caramel occasionally while you wait for the crystals to melt. It can take as long as 15 minutes to melt the crystals sometimes. Salt: Flaky sea salt is the best for caramel! I am indicating 1/2 tsp in the recipe, but you can add up to a teaspoon of salt, according to your preference.
Store the caramel in the freezer for up to 3 months in an air tight container.
To thaw, let it sit at room temperature until it thaws, or in the fridge overnight. Pan: Use a pan with a heavy bottom, preferably stainless steel or copper. Don't use non-stick pan to make caramel, because non-stick pans are usually too thin and don't distribute the heat evenly, leading to hot spots in the sauce which will cause it to burn or crystallize. Also make sure the pan is clean before starting, clean it thoroughly because any bits of grease or food can cause the caramel to crystallize. Corn syrup: You can add about 1 tablespoon of corn syrup to the sugar when you start melting it. This can help if you usually have issues with your sauce crystallizing. The corn syrup has this long glucose molecules that prevent the sucrose molecules in the sauce from crystallizing. Crystallization: If there are bits of crystallized sugar in the caramel, you can run it through a fine mesh sieve. Or, you can place the saucepan over low heat and stir the caramel occasionally while you wait for the crystals to melt. It can take as long as 15 minutes to melt the crystals sometimes. Salt: Flaky sea salt is the best for caramel! I am indicating 1/2 tsp in the recipe, but you can add up to a teaspoon of salt, according to your preference.