This Homemade Caramel Sauce recipe makes a great topping for ice cream and desserts. It’s rich, buttery, and even makes a sweet gift idea.
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*Originally posted on 12/26/15 as Easy Caramel Sauce.
Every home cook needs a good homemade caramel sauce recipe. I have a couple, and this is one of them.
This recipe doesn’t start out with candy caramel squares. Instead, it’s made entirely from scratch with sugar, butter, and heavy cream. The result is a sweet, buttery sauce that is tasty enough to be eaten right off the spoon. However, it’s really meant for as a gooey topping for your favorite treats like ice cream or even cinnamon rolls, but eating it from the spoon is just as good.
When I first started the blog over a year and a half ago, my goal was to make every single recipe from scratch. No shortcuts, no boxed mixes, well, you get the picture. However, things have changed a bit during that time.
If you’ve read some of our other posts, you know that both John and I have some health issues that limit how long we can stand and cook. Therefore, we’ve had to adapt things a bit. There’s a different caramel sauce recipe I use that shortens the cooking process, and I’ll share it with you a different day.
For now, I’m excited to tell you about my from scratch recipe that still works wonderfully when I’m in a pinch and don’t have all the ingredients for the shortcut recipe. There are several variations of this recipe. Some use brown sugar instead of granulated while others use sweetened condensed milk instead of cream.
This homemade caramel sauce keeps best when stored in the refrigerator for about a week. It reheats well when microwaved on medium heat until warm. Some of our favorite serving ideas are to use it for a dipping sauce with apples, caramel topping for bread pudding, or use it in another dessert like carmelitas or brownies.
Used for this recipe:
Ooey, gooey, sweet, and buttery. That about covers it when describing this homemade caramel sauce recipe is made with just 3 ingredients.
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons very cold butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
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Pour sugar into a heavy bottomed saucepan on low-medium heat.
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Stir constantly until sugar begins to melt.
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Continue to stir. Sugar will begin to form hard lumps and eventually turn amber in color.
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Stir until all lumps dissolve then carefully add all cold butter.
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Sugar will immediately begin to boil.
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Stir for 3-4 minutes until sugar and butter are combined.
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Add the heavy cream. Mixture will boil again, so use caution.
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Remove from heat.
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Mixture will thicken and pull away from pan, but continue to stir until mixture smooths out.
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Allow caramel sauce to cool before storing in an airtight container or glass jar. Keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
*It is helpful to prepare ingredients ahead of time. Cut butter into cubes and place back in the refrigerator so they remain cold. Measure the heavy cream and place it back in the fridge so it also remains cold. Use caution while making this recipe. Sugar burns can be very dangerous.
*This recipe has a heavy butter flavor. Cut back the butter 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon to remove some of the buttery flavor if desired.
I’ve never tried making caramel sauce because I assumed it was really complicated. I’m definitely going to give it a try now! 🙂
Thank you, Courtney! What I find really interesting about working with sugar is how just modifying a few ingredients is the difference between caramel sauce and caramel candies. 🙂
Astounded that this looks so easy and delicious. It looks like it would be sooo good drizzled over apple slices.
Thank you, Melissa! I haven’t tried it over apple slices before, I will give that shot some time soon, thanks for the idea! 🙂
This looks simple enough that I could make it! So glad there’s not too many ingredients. Thanks so much for sharing! Cheers, Mary Jane
Thank you, Mary Jane! Give a try some time, it’s really tasty 🙂
This looks really good!
Thanks Whitney!
Always blows my mind that caramel is just made of carmelized sugar! Yum!
Thank you for commenting! Such a simple thing but so delicious lol!
Mmmm…. makes me want to lick the spoon. 🙂
Thanks, Maggie! It’s okay, go ahead, we won’t tell anyone lol! 🙂
Omg, like you, I crave Caramel! Can’t wait to try this recipe. It looks super fattening, but so worth it…I love it on everything. Lol!
Thanks, Jessica! Give a shot, give into that sweet tooth from time to time lol! Besides, the body runs on 3 macronutrients, proteins, carbs, and fats. Even a little bad fat in moderation does a body good. Keeps the hair and skin soft lol!
This looks so delicious! I made homemade caramel sauce for the first time recently and there’s no going back!
Thank you, Angie! I agree, once you’ve had homemade caramel sauce, it’s hard to go back to jarred stuff. 🙂
This looks so good – I’ve been craving caramel sauce over vanilla bean ice cream. I think I need to make my own sauce!
Thank you, Ali! Caramel and vanilla ice cream is an amazing combination. I hope you love this sauce 🙂
I love quick and easy recipes like this!! Having this one in the recipe index is always good. So yummy!
Thank you, Mallory! I agree, it’s great when you have simple “go to” recipe on hand 🙂
Guys! This looks delicious! I love simple caramel sauce like this. I won’t lie, we love it on pancakes. I know so bad, right? I’ll definitely be trying this recipe soon. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Rachel! I appreciate your comments 🙂 I have never tried it on pancakes before, thanks for the idea!
This looks amazing! It’s the perfect dessert topping for Valentine’s Day.
Thank you, Mary! It would be really good drizzled on a piece of cheesecake or chocolate brownie 🙂
Oh yum! My sweet tooth is going crazy over this one!
Liz
http://Www.lizzieinlace.com
Thank you, Liz! Listen to your sweet tooth it is wise lol!
Yum! I have been looking for a great caramel recipe! I’m obsessed with apples & caramel lately! xo Loren
Thanks, Lauren! Caramel and apples, you can’t go wrong with that. I have been on a berries and cream binge lately lol! 🙂