Are you a fan of Salted Caramel Sauce? We are for sure! Making homemade caramel sauce is easier than you might think, and the results are delicious. That salty sweetness is the perfect topping on cheesecake, ice cream, brownies, and much more. Or, you can just lick it straight off the spoon 😉

This rich, creamy caramel sauce tastes better than store-bought, and it doesn’t have all of those pesky ingredients!

(Oh, and it makes a great gift, especially around the holidays!)

Drizzling caramel sauce over vanilla ice cream.

Recently I was watching a Barefoot Contessa show. Ina Garten had a guest that made salted caramel sauce without any water. The method used in Ina’s show was the dry method. She just put the sugar in the pan and stirred it until it all melted and turned amber. Then she added the butter and cream.

There are two ways to make caramel: the dry method and the wet method. The dry method involves cooking the dry sugar in a pan until it melts, while the wet method involves dissolving sugar in water (or other liquid) and then cooking it.

This recipe uses the dry method of making caramel. The dry method is less likely to crystalize and get grainy. We further inhibit the possibility of crystallization by adding corn syrup. However, if you are not a fan of corn syrup, you can leave that ingredient out.

Here is Why You Will love This Recipe:

You don’t need a candy thermometer.
Smooth and creamy
Makes a large batch (3 cups of caramel sauce)
Make in advance….keeps for three weeks in the fridge and three months in the freezer.

Use the salted caramel sauce on our caramel apple cake or pumpkin caramel cake. Drizzle it over grilled peaches or add it to frosting as we did in our pumpkin spice cake. Turn it into a dip for apple slices and pretzels. The possibilities are endless and delicious.

Caramel sauce in a glass pitcher with ice cream in the background.

The Ingredients:

Here is the list of ingredients you will need. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

Butter. Since we are making salted caramel with a bit of extra salt, we recommend using unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe to just a pinch over one teaspoon.
Cream. Use heavy cream. This recipe will not work if you use milk or milk substitutes.
Salt. There is a little extra salt in this caramel sauce.
Vanilla extract. Vanilla extract enhances the flavor and gives the sauce depth and richness.
Sugar. Regular granulated sugar here. If you want to use brown sugar, you will end up with butterscotch sauce (which is also pretty fabulous and much easier to make, by the way).
Corn syrup. We used corn syrup in this recipe to help prevent the sugar from crystalizing. It is an optional ingredient, but it makes it easier to succeed if you use it. The corn syrup also helps the sugar melt quicker and more evenly.

How to Make It:

This is a quick overview of the recipe to give you an idea of the process. Read the tips below and scroll down the printable recipe card for all the details.

Place the cream, butter, salt, and vanilla in a saucepan or microwavable dish. Heat it until it is warm, then set it close by.
Place the corn syrup and sugar in a large saucepan.
Cook the sugar until it melts and turns into a liquid syrup.
Continue cooking until it turns amber and smells like caramel, then remove it from the heat and stir in the warm cream mixture.
Let the caramel cool at room temperature (it will thicken up when it cools).

Tips for Success:

Use a pot with a wide bottom and tall sides. A larger pot will give more surface area for the sugar to spread out and allow it to melt quicker. Tall sides will prevent the sauce from bubbling over when you add the cream.
When you add the cream mixture, the caramel will bubble up and almost triple in volume. If the saucepan isn’t big enough, the sauce will spill over the sides of the pan.
The caramel sauce will seem thin when you finish making it, but it will thicken as it cools.
Cook the sugar mixture until it turns a deep golden brown, and it smells like caramel. Don’t rely on timing as much as the color and smell of the sugar. If the heat is lower, then the process can take 20 to 25 minutes. However, it may only take 10 minutes if you use higher heat.
Don’t use high heat. If the heat is too high, some of the sugar will begin caramelizing before all of it has a chance to melt. If that happens just turn the heat down a bit.
Avoid the temptation to stir the sugar. Wait until you see the edges begin to liquefy, then gently push the liquid toward the center.
Only stir when the sugar heats unevenly. If you notice the caramel starting to cook unevenly (getting dark in one spot) go ahead and give it a gentle push with a spatula or swirl the pan to redistribute the heat.
Warm the cream up before you begin making the caramel. Slowly adding warm cream to the caramel will help prevent it from seizing and clumping up.
If the sauce clumps up when you add the cream, don’t fret. You can return the saucepan to the stove and heat the caramel sauce until it smooths out. If you warm the cream and add it slowly, it will be less likely to seize up.

You just know that we had to sample this salted caramel sauce over vanilla ice cream, I topped it all off with some Mediterranean Sea Salt Flakes. It was soooooo good!

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

Our Chocolate Caramel Tart has a gooey caramel and creamy truffle-like filling. We topped it with a gleaming chocolate ganache and sprinkled flaky salt on top!

This Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie is a deliciously rich treat. The thick, gooey butterscotch filling is absolutely decadent and the cinnamon gives it a lovely flavor.

Is there anything better than waking up to freshly baked cinnamon rolls? These Caramel Cinnamon Rolls are loaded with caramel sauce. The caramel sauce soaks into the rolls while they bake and the remaining caramel sauce drenches the tops of the rolls when they come out of the oven.

Connect With Savor the Best:

Please follow us on our social media accounts

Facebook * Instagram * Pinterest * Youtube * Twitter

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Drop us a comment below.

Salted Caramel Sauce

A salted caramel sauce that is decadent and delicious. It is smooth and creamy and wonderful on vanilla ice cream or anything you can imagine.

4.83 from 35 votes

Print Pin Save

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Servings: cups

Calories: 127kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

12 tablespoons butter 1-1/2 sticks
1 cup heavy cream
1-½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup corn syrup
2 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, cream, sea salt and vanilla and bring just barely to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, stir to dissolve the salt and hold at simmer to keep warm until needed.
In a 3 to 4 quart saucepan, add the corn syrup and sugar over medium heat. Allow the sugar to melt slowly, disturbing it as little as possible.
When you see liquid forming around the perimeter of the pan use a spatula to push the sugar toward the center and continue with this process breaking up any clumps.
This will take a little patience and you will be tempted to stir and stir but resist the urge. If you stir it too much, the sugar will clump up before it has a chance to melt. If this happens turn the heat down very low and let it melt slowly without stirring.
As soon as the sugar is completely melted and the syrup is a nice amber color, remove it from the heat. It should smell like caramel at this point.
Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the melted sugar whisking as you pour. Be very careful as there will be aggressive bubbling and it will appear that it will bubble over the pan.
Keep stirring and it will settle down again. Continue to whisk the caramel to incorporate it well. Allow the sauce to cool for 10-15 minutes before pouring it into a container.
This sauce will appear thin until it cools down. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
To serve, remove from the refrigerator and set the container into a dish or pan of hot tap water for 5 minutes and it will soften to a spoonable consistency.

Notes

It is helpful to use a long-handled whisk or wooden spoon when adding the cream mixture to the melted sugar as the bubbling action can splatter and the steam will burn.