This Salted Caramel recipe is about as simple as caramel sauce gets! It only uses 6 ingredients, and it’s perfect for topping ice cream, brownies or any other dessert!
Looking for unsalted caramel sauce? Try my traditional homemade caramel recipe!
Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
Caramel is among one of my very favorite things. Whether eating it as part of a cake or straight from a spoon, it’s hard to restrain myself. And there’s no doubt that homemade caramel sauce is better than anything you’d buy in a store. The flavor is just…more. So good!
Being such a fan of caramel sauce, I’ve shared a few versions with you in the past. I have a super duper easy caramel sauce, which is really more of a toffee sauce than a true caramel, and a homemade caramel sauce that is made with the dry method. Today I’m sharing a caramel sauce that is made with the wet method. I’d say this one is kind of the compromise between the previous two. Allow me to elaborate.
The Difference Between Wet and Dry Method Caramel
As far as making the caramel sauce goes, the difference between the wet and dry method is very simple. The wet method combines water and sugar in the first step, and the dry method uses just sugar. When using just sugar, you heat the sugar and allow it to melt before proceeding with adding the butter and cream. It can be a little bit of a trickier process, sometimes leading to caramel that tastes a little burnt (if the sugar cooks for too long) and can seize up when you add the butter and sugar (if the are too cool). I’ve been making this caramel sauce for years and love it, but it can trip people up a little bit.
The wet method is more straight forward and – as far as caramel sauce goes – easy. Unless you walk off and don’t pay attention to it, it shouldn’t burn. The added water prevents the likelihood of a burning it and getting a burnt taste, and allows you to add butter and cream that are cooler without it seizing up. So that’s what we’re using in this caramel sauce.
Other than the difference in method, there’s not a big difference in taste between the methods. Both produce a delicious caramel sauce with a nice, deep flavor that’s perfect for any and all things.
How to Make Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
To get started, you’ll need a medium to large sized saucepan. Be sure there’s plenty of room, because things will bubble up quite a bit and you don’t want it to overflow.
Combine the sugar and water in your saucepan and cook over medium low heat until the sugar has dissolved, stirring as needed. Add the butter and let it melt, then bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
At this point, stop stirring. Allow the mixture to boil and turn a golden copper color. It’ll take about 10-15 minutes, depending your stove. The deeper the color, the deeper the caramel flavor. You just don’t want to walk away and let it burn.
When the caramel sauce turns copper colored, remove it from the heat and immediately add the heavy whipping cream. Be careful – this is where the bubbling occurs! Whisk everything together well until comes together, then stir in the vanilla extract and some salt.
How much salt you add will largely depend on how salty you want your caramel sauce. You could add just a touch, if you don’t really want it salty. Assuming you do though, I’d add about half a teaspoon of salt and then add more to your preference.
The final caramel sauce is truly delicious! And as far as caramel making goes, it’s easy to make. Even better – there’s no candy thermometer required. Just keep an eye on things. While I love my trusty Classic Homemade Caramel Sauce, this version is certainly is simpler for those who are less comfortable with making caramel. As you get more comfortable, do try the other too. They are both delicious and I love having two different versions in my caramel-making arsenal.
More Caramel Desserts to Love
Caramel Cheesecake Brownie Trifle
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Easy Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Caramel Apple Pecan Layer Cake
Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake
Caramel Apple Cookie Cups
Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons
Caramel Apple Trifles
Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: about 1 1/4 cups
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Easy Salted Caramel Sauce is about as simple as caramel sauce gets! It only uses 6 ingredients, and it’s perfect for topping ice cream, brownies or any other dessert!
Ingredients
1 cup (207g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120ml) water
1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
Instructions
1. In a medium to large saucier pan, combine the granulated sugar and water. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the butter and let it melt
2. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Stop whisking and don’t whisk at all during this part to help avoid crystallization. Allow to boil until the mixture turns a deep golden copper color, about 10-15 minutes, maybe longer depending on your stove. Keep an eye on it, but do not stir. If needed, you can occasionally tip the pan from side to side to help things cook evenly.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add in the heavy whipping cream in a slow, steady stream. The caramel will bubbly up quite a bit, so be careful with this step. Whisk quickly and well as you add the cream, whisking until well combined.
4. Add the vanilla extract and half a teaspoon of salt and whisk to combine. Add additional salt to your desired saltiness.
5. Allow the caramel sauce to cool. It will be fairly thin, but will thicken as it cools. Store it in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: - Full recipe
- Calories: 1604
- Sugar: 203.9 g
- Sodium: 1208.4 mg
- Fat: 89 g
- Carbohydrates: 204.1 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 256.5 mg
Keywords: easy caramel sauce, salted caramel sauce, homemade caramel sauce, how to make caramel sauce, caramel recipe for popcorn, caramel recipe for cake, salted caramel recipe
Adapted from Baker by Nature.
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This sauce is DELIIICCIOUUUSSS!
I just tried it and standing here licking the pan! I did half the recipe as i had just a few ounces of 3% milk and used Amaretto instead of vanilla …cannot wait for the chocolate to finish baking to have with it !🥳🥳🥳🥳
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this twice now, followed the instructions exact and slowly….within minutes it turned rock hard in my jar (ball jar that I can things in…..Might try it again, but we’ll see.
If you followed the instructions, I really can’t imagine why it’d be rock hard. Caramel does get hard if you don’t add the right amount of butter and cream to it. It also firms up in the fridge and just needs to be reheated. Beyond that, it shouldn’t be hard if made properly. I’m not sure what would’ve gone wrong.
I follow the recipe. But my caramel sauce turns like theres a lil bit chunks of sugar in it. Not that smooth. Its like the caramel sauce surface’s gets harden and turns into some “sugar chunks”. What did I do wrong?
Btw, I apologize for my bad English
★★★★★
I doubled it and turned out fine…. just took longer to make
Can this recipe be doubled?
★★★★★
Should be just fine.
Hi could you use this recipe for a drip cake?
Great recipe!! I once made a Carmel sauce that just didn’t taste good but this stuff was a winner!!
★★★★★
Hello. My caramel sauce using the dry method turned out beautifully (and I am not a baker). I was a little concerned it was not getting thick but I just turned up the heat a smidge while stirring for another minutes and took it off the heat. It did thicken. I could have eaten the whole thing. Thank you. Looking forward to trying other recipes on your site. Love the name of your site. Appreciated how you explained what to look for when making this sauce.
★★★★★
So glad you were happy with it!
Hello
I was wondering can you this caramel sauce to put on top of cheesecake or will it be too thin?
Thank you
Sumayya
Yes, you can. You’ll just want to let it cool a little bit so that it thickens some before adding it.
My sauce is not turning copper colored, should I leave it on the burner to cook longer? Or was it because maybe the heat wasnt high enough?
Yes, I’d let it cook until the color changes.
Just made this recipe, after trying the “dry” version (someone else’s dry recipe). My first attempt, with the dry, made caramel concrete!!! Wow!!!!
Second attempt: your recipe including the water. For me, this was easier, even tho it may have taken a bit longer. Great instructions, easy to follow, and the result was actually pourable caramel!!! I put it into a mason jar to cool. Yay!! Never give up, right??!!
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear this version worked well for you! Everyone deserves amazing caramel sauce!
Made it.. I usually try the dry method and I am never happy with the results.. this method I will use forever .. it came out perfect! No more store bought caramel for me..
Thank you so much for this recipe.
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear it worked well for you as an alternative to the dry method!
I made this recipe exactly and firstly the colour was very light (amber instead of copper) and it was very runny. The taste was perfect though! Any tips on how to thicken it up please?
Have you let it cool yet? The sauce continues to thicken as it cools.
I never try to do caramel, but looking for recipes, I found this page. And im glad to do. I try this recipe, and came out perfect. Thanks
Hi! This recipe looks amazing and super simple! Would it change the recipe if I used half & half instead of cream?? Thanks so much!
Half-and-half is going to have less fat. The caramel sauce may be a little thinner, but should otherwise be fine.
Thank you for posting this method of caramel making! I was using your other recipe (dry method) and while it came out great, it did have a burnt aftertaste. I will try this method. Would love to see how you do this in a video!
Your sauce looks sublime Lindsay! I’ve never used the wet method, but I’ve used the dry method before in a number of recipes. I adore homemade caramel, whether you pour it over ice cream, layer it in a cake, or eat it right out of the jar! Thanks for another great recipe 🙂
Mmmmmm! I lovvvve making homemade caramel sauce! The recipe I typically use uses the dry method, but I’ve made a recipe using the wet method once before as well. Your sauce looks lovely, Lindsay! 🙂