Description
This easy caramel sauce recipe creates a rich, golden, and buttery sauce perfect for drizzling over desserts, ice cream, or incorporating into your favorite recipes. Made with simple ingredients like sugar, butter, heavy cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, it provides a smooth, luscious texture and a deep caramel flavor with just the right balance of sweetness and saltiness. The process involves gently melting and browning sugar, then enriching it with butter and cream for a homemade treat that’s sure to impress.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine Sugar and Water: Add the sugar and water to a 3-quart heavy bottomed pot; stir just slightly so it’s combined in a flat, even layer while avoiding sugar climbing up the sides of the pot.
- Heat Until Sugar Dissolves: Warm the pot over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and turns from cloudy to clear, then starts to bubble. Avoid stirring from this point onward to prevent crystallization.
- Cook Until Deep Gold: If sugar forms clumps on the pot’s sides, gently brush them down with a spatula. Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture thickens and turns a deep golden color similar to honey. This can take 8 to 15 minutes. Keep a close watch to prevent burning.
- Add Butter: Carefully add the butter pieces to the caramel and whisk continuously until fully melted. The mixture will bubble vigorously, so proceed carefully while whisking.
- Incorporate Heavy Cream: Remove pot from heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking continuously until fully combined.
- Flavor and Salt: Whisk in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to enhance flavor.
- Cool Slightly: Let the caramel cool in the pot for about 10 minutes.
- Store the Sauce: Transfer sauce into a lidded glass jar and allow it to cool completely; it will thicken and become chewy as it cools. Store in the refrigerator due to dairy content and reheat gently before use.
Notes
- To prevent crystallization, avoid stirring the sugar once it begins bubbling and brush down sugar crystals gently from the pot sides if needed.
- Keep a close eye on the caramel as it can quickly burn once it reaches the deep gold stage.
- The caramel sauce thickens as it cools; reheat gently before serving if needed.
- Store refrigerated and use within 2 weeks for best freshness.
