Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
This easy caramel sauce recipe is to die for! It’s a classic homemade caramel recipe that you’ll make over and over again. I know because I’m doing it right now. Caramel sauce on all the things!
Looking for more caramel recipes? Try this Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce, or my easy Salted Caramel Recipe!
AN EASY HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE RECIPE
You guys, it’s officially September. Can you believe it? Get ready for all things fall! I’m so excited for apples, pumpkin and all the awesome flavors of the holidays! Bring it.
And yet I CANNOT believe it’s already September! Where has the year gone?! I feel like the end of the year is fast approaching and I’m totally not ready. Baking-wise, I say let’s do this. Life-wise, however – slow down!
Whatever. I’ll drown my disbelief in a jar of this caramel sauce. It’s so darn good it eases the pain of time flying by.
Last year I shared this Easy Caramel Sauce made with brown sugar with you and this year I’m taking it up a notch! This caramel sauce has a lovely rich flavor to it. It takes a little more care in making, but is totally worth it.
How to Make Caramel
To start, you melt down the sugar. It’s a regular white sugar. It may seem intimidating, but it really shouldn’t be. Melt it over medium-high heat and just watch it, whisking it as it goes. It’ll start to clump together first, then you’ll notice it start to melt. That’s when it gets exciting! The whole melting process should take about 10 minutes, give or take.
The sugar should continue cooking until all the clumps are melted. Once they’re gone, stop whisking and allow the sugar to cook a little more. Keep a very close eye on it. The color will turn to a deeper amber color and you should notice a nutty aroma. It’ll happen quickly and as soon as it does, you want to remove it from the heat. If you let it go too long, it’ll burn. Pressure, I know. But once you notice it really start to turn darker, just take it off the heat.
At that point, you want to add the butter and whisk it in to the sugar. It’ll bubble up, but keep whisking. The butter seems to resist coming together completely, but it will.
Next add the heavy cream and again whisk until combined. There’ll be more bubbles, but then you’re done!
You can let it cool for about 15 minutes, or until it’s however thick you want it, then use it. Or pour it into a jar and store it in the fridge for a couple weeks. It’s easy to reheat and pour over pretty much anything. The recipe below makes about 1 1/2 cups of caramel sauce. I recommend going ahead and making it just to have on hand. It’s in a few upcoming recipes, so why not just have it ready. 🙂
Also, check out my new video showing you what the process looks like!
You might also like:
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Blondie Trifle
Caramel Apple Pecan Layer Cake
Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake
Caramel Apple Cookie Cups
Caramel Apple Trifles
Caramel Apple Layer Cake
Caramel Apple Dip
Be sure to check out my new Easy Salted Caramel Sauce too!
Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe
This easy caramel sauce recipe is to die for! It’s a classic homemade caramel recipe that you’ll make over and over again.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: About 1 1/2 Cups 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tbsp salted butter, cubed, room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
Instructions
Keywords: homemade caramel recipe, how to make caramel sauce, easy caramel recipe, best caramel sauce
Enjoy!
I'm a wife and mom to twin boys and a sweet black lab with a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the sugar!
I have some kind of caramel issue, really. I swear. Sometimes it works, and sometimes my sugar just never stops clumping and then it gets darker while clumping. Aaaaaah. But I will not give up! Yours looks perfect!
Hmm, perhaps it’s on too high heat? So then maybe it cooks too quickly, resulting in clumps that don’t get melted?
Try using brown sugar instead! Yum!
It is amaizing, the deserts is very good!!!
Just curious if there is a substitute for heavy whipping cream? I heard you can use milk and corn starch?
Not that I know of.
There’s a simpler way. Just simmer condensed milk while still in the can and it turns into it. Just make sure the can stays covered in water.
Im pretty sure heating anything still in a sealed can is dangerous, the liquid will boil and the can could explode.. Also some cans have a thin plastic lining that will contaminate the contents. DONT DO IT!!
I have a similar problem
It looks perfect then I add the butter and immediately it clumps
I even had the butter yp to boiling
Is my sugar too hot perhaps??
I’ve never had an issue with the sugar being too hot. If it’s not boiling or something, I’d think it’d be ok. Just be sure to whisk a lot while adding the butter. If you’d prefer to try a different method, I have a newer and simpler caramel sauce you could try.
I can’t believe I’ve never made caramel sauce, but this looks beyond perfect – can’t wait to try it.
Oh my gosh! My mouth is watering. thank you for posting this. I have never tried making homemade caramel but it looks easy and so good. Loved the pictures of the apple creations.
I could lick that caramel right off the spoon! YUMMY!
I would like to go for a mouth-open swim in this sauce. Love love love!
Can I use topping cream instead of Whipping cream? If I can change it, can you tell me how to change sugar in your recipe? Because topping cream include sugar…Thanks and love you <3
I’m not familiar with topping cream. I’m sorry.
It’s my first time making caramel… and my exact words were “oh my God, oh my God, come taste this!” It’s an amazing recipe, easy process and easy ingredients. Thanks for sharing.
Mm delicious, this turned out just right. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
This was really easy to make and is delicious!!! Recipe only made 3-4 oz jars so I have to make a few more. I plan on gifting these with a couple apples in a gift baggy.
Once you remove sugar from hear do you keep it off the heat the rest of the time? Or put it back on once you add the butter and other ingredients?
The answer is sort of either. 🙂 I normally take it off the heat, turn off the burner and then when I add the butter and cream, I’ll put it back on the warm burner if it seems like it needs it.
I tried this and the sugar just kept clumping. After reviewing some other recipes i realized you actually should not whisk the sugar. I also find that, for a beginner, making the caramel using a water+sugar (wet method) is much for forgiving. Then I add the other ingredients to follow this recipe. Works great.
Did you happen to watch the video? It shows the process quite well. Clumping is part of the process.
I want to thank you for the video. I am sure that i would have thought I had done something wrong. With the sugar or butter. Would not have kept stirring.
Oh good, I’m so glad it was helpful! 🙂
Wow This sure didn’t work out to well.???? The browned sugar got real hard when I added the butter. I couldn’t get the two to combine
Did you have a chance to watch the video? That might help you see what to expect. It definitely sounds like your butter was too cool. The melted sugar is extremely sensitive and if the butter is too cool, it does exactly what you describe – it hardens. The butter needs to be room temperature or warmer. If it’s a bit cold out and your butter is still cool at room temperature, heat it up a bit before adding it.
I had the same thing happen to me the first time I made it (I didn’t watch the video). But with a little persistence and lots of stirring on and off the heat, I eventually got the hard sugar lump to dissolve/ ?melt into the butter and cream. It turned out delicious and tasted the same as future batches I have made since where this didn’t happen.
Just thought I would share this because it is a shame to throw it all out when it can still be salvaged.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe and the very helpful video!
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear you were able to work it out and that you enjoyed the caramel sauce!
I tried this twice today to go with the Carmel apple cupcakes and I tanked it both times. The first time I think it was baker error because my cupcakes came out right as the butter was melted. The second time it looks beautiful but tastes super burnt! Not sure if I’m going to give it another go or not
try this one (my foolproof go-to) : melt 1 cup butter and 2 cups brown sugar over med heat. Bring to a boil, remove from heat. Whisk in 1 can of evaporated milk, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 tsp salt. Makes about 2 1/2 – 3 cups. Keeps in the fridge a week or so + freezes well. It thickens once cold, so just nuke it for 10-12 sec. You can use a bit less milk if you want it super thick, and light br. sugar for a lighter tasting sauce, darker ones for a richer one (not demerara tho)
I made this and your other recipe for gifts last Christmas, turned out beautifully. Yesterday I tried making this 3 times and they all seized up! I thought the first time my butter wasn’t room temp enough, so the next time I left it out for longer, badness. The last time I actually melted the butter a bit but I still had a few clumps that wouldn’t mix into the rest……I got about 6 ounces out of it, but it was good!
THIS IS AN ADDENDUM TO THE ABOVE REVIEW; I was determined to get this right so I tried again and found that if my butter was NOT room temperature, it seized up the moment I added it to the melted sugar 🙁 I made 2 batches that were perfect, got in a hurry for my 3rd and did not wait until butter was room temp, it seized up 🙁 Tried a 4th batch and let the butter set out for 2 hours and it turned out perfect. So…..just a tip
I also added some vanilla to the milk for one of the batches and its perfect!!!!
Ok with this video it looked fool proof….kidding! This was my 4th time trying to make caramel and again it didn’t work. I’m so frustrated. I melted the sugar, didn’t let it burn, added the butter and it melted and bubbled and sort of encorperated but then got stringy and I added the whipping cream slowly as I was whisking and then it clumped and became a hard lump of sugar! What the heck am I doing wrong. I really want to make my own caramel for my kids to dip apples junto but it’s just not working!
It can be tricky to get the hang of it. It actually sounds like it was fine up until the cream. It can look a little stringy and weird after the butter, but usually smooths out nicely with the cream added. The fact that it clumped tells me the cream was too cool. The caramel realllllly is sensitive to temperature. Try heating it up in the microwave a bit before adding it next time, just to be sure that it’s not cool.
Does the caramel harden if you make ahead and keep it in the refrigerator?
It will firm up when cold, so you’ll want to microwave it.
If using this on a cake, will it lose its sheen/become white-ish after refrigeration?
Thanks either way!
I wouldn’t say it becomes white-ish, but it can loose it’s sheen when cooled.
This was my first time making it with my husband‘a help and it worked perfectly. JUST KEEP STIRRING.
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it!
can i make this caramel sauce the day before or will it go hard overnight? should it be stored in the fridge or pantry?
You can definitely make it a day ahead. It should be stored in the fridge and will firm up, but you can always microwave it to soften it up again to the consistency you want.
This caramel sauce was amazing. I forgot how simple it is to make caramel items. Thanks for such a great recipe, this is going in my family’s recipe book!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi there i love love your page!
Just wanted to ask can you use this caramel as a cake filling or is it not thick enough?
Thanks! Xx
It’s pretty thick at room temperature, but it’s also quite sticky. I’m not sure if I’d recommend it as a filling or not. You could definitely try it!
I love caramel and all things caramel (is that beer a word, LOL), I’ve always been too scared to make caramel but today i tried your recipe and it was just perfect. Will definitely be trying it again and hopefully it will be just as beautiful and yummy the second time around.
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it!
I burned the first batch, but the second one was awesome, except it had tiny sugar bits in it.. is this because I used cane sugar? Thanks for the recipie!
★★★★
Burning it can be easy to do. I don’t think the little bits would be because of the cane sugar. I’ve had it happen and I think it’s from the temperature of the heavy whipping cream when it’s added. The caramel is SUPER sensitive to temperature. Anything that’s too cool will cause it to seize. My guess is that the cream was warm enough that it didn’t cause the whole thing to seize, but still cool enough that little bits formed. You could try heating the cream in the microwave or on the stove before adding it.
Burnt the sugar (too much heat) first two attempts. Third attempt cream was too cold. Warmed sauce over a low temperature until all the lumps dissolved. Video definitely helped to figure out what I was doing wrong.
I’m so glad the video tutorial was helpful!
First time I made it, it went absolutely amazing. Second time, it became impossibly hard at the butter stage. I figured the butter was too cold so I microwaved it some the second time and yet it did the same thing again.
Only potential difference I can think of is the second time I used the butter, I actually used margarine instead. Could that have made that much of a difference?
I would think margarine would be fine. I don’t know what else would cause it to harden other than temperature. Maybe try adding about half of the butter, then the other half and see if that helps?
have you made this with evaporated (“Pet”) milk instead of heavy whipping cream?? I see caramel recipes that use the two interchangeably and was curious if it could be done with this…
I haven’t ever tried it, so I’m really not sure how it’d turn out.
The first batch burned while I was waiting for it to get more amber. The second batch didn’t seem to burn, but it’s bitter!! Any thoughts?
Hmm, it sounds like it might still have burned a bit. Try a batch without waiting for more than a few seconds for the caramel to turn a little more amber. Depending on how long the sugar takes to melt completely, it might already be fairly “ambered” once it’s done melting. If you try it without letting it sit for too long and can get the hang of seeing what it’s like when it isn’t burned, it’ll help you gauge it later when you let it amber more. Letting it rest really just deepens the flavor. If you just proceed with the recipe without letting it sit as much, it’ll still turn out great.
This is the exact problem I had! Burned the first batch. Second batch looked good but smelled burnt so I tossed it before I wasted another stick of butter in burnt caramel. Definitely frustrating! I’m trying the method with the water instead now to see if it works better for me.
Did you taste it before throwing it out? Sometimes it can have little bit of a burnt smell from cooking the sugar, but be totally fine.
Is it okay if I use whipping cream w/35% fat?
Hello. Can I use half and half instead of heavy cream?
I haven’t tried it but I think it’d be ok.
I’m sorry, but you should NOT be stirring the sugar with a whisk! At least in the beginning. Step 1) add a little of sugar to the pan and let it start to melt. DO NOT STIR at this time. 2) once the sugar starts to caramelize, start adding more sugar little by little, stirring with a spatula until all the sugar has been added. 3)tilt the pan over to see the true color of the caramel as the top layer is not the true color of the caramel. It should be a nice amber color. 4) WHISK in the butter and heated milk (you can add some kosher salt here if you want salted caramel). The heated milk will not make the caramel bubble as much and it won’t clump as much. Continue whisking until most of the clumps are out and then strain the caramel into a separate heat resistant container.
Is it possible to use browned butter in this recipe?
Hi there,
I’m 81 and have been cooking since I was 8 years old. I love to cook and bake. But, believe it or not, I have NEVER made caramel sauce, have just always bought it. I have always used a gas stove to cook and bake. We will be moving to a new rental that has a “glass top electric stove”. I am NOT looking forward to learning to cook all over again!!. My question to you is; do you have any hints for me when making this caramel sauce on an electric stove? I know electric stove cooking can be very tricky. Appreciate any help you can send my way. Thanks, Suzanne
I wish I did have some tips, but I too have always cooked on a gas stove so I’m not really sure. I’m sorry!!
I did everything as on receipe
Result Mini rock hard boulders of suger swimming in melted butter my first & last attempt at caramel sauce must be an easier way also it took forever for sugar to melt
I’m sorry you had trouble with it. This recipe can be tricky because the temperature of the ingredients really makes a difference and if they’re too cold it does seize. I recently shared a new caramel sauce that is much easier and doesn’t require as much hands-on work if you’d like to try it. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/easy-salted-caramel-sauce/
This didn’t turn out at all! Help!! Added butter and it just clumped and I can combine!
This caramel sauce is very sensitive to temperature and it sounds like your butter was too cool. The caramel will seize if the butter or cream are too cool. To be sure that they aren’t, you could warm them up a little in the microwave. You could also try this other caramel sauce, which isn’t quite as sensitive. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/easy-salted-caramel-sauce/
Hi – Thank you so much for this recipe! This is exactly what I’d been searching for as an alternative to store-bought caramel sauce. I did substitute evaporated milk for the whipping cream (because I live a distance from town and that’s what I had on hand); it turned out perfect! Love your website – can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
★★★★★
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Could I use brown sugar instead of white?
I’m not sure how it’d turn out. If you’d like to use brown sugar, I’d recommend this sauce.
Can unsalted butter be used?
Yes, you just may want to add a little bit of salt to the recipe. Salt can help amp up the flavor, and some people just like a more salty caramel sauce.
Tried 3 times gave up. There’s no reason not to use brown sugar fool proof method.
My cream was not quite room temp and it seized. I reheated and whisked until it smoothed out, will that be ok or should I start over?
If you were able to get it to thin back out, I would think it should be fine.
Just made this, as I’ve been having the weirdest cravings for caramel. I stirred the sugar almost constantly, heated my butter, and it worked perfectly. The cream was probably a bit too cool, but I kept stirring it over low heat and it came together. Tasting it out of the pan as I poured it into a storage jar, it seemed to lack something, maybe a pinch of salt. But it pure perfection on popcorn (I think the salt on the popcorn helps.) My partner, who is not as big a popcorn fan as I am, can’t stop eating it. Wow.
Next time I do it, I may try some vanilla, a dash of cinnamon . . . and some peanuts when it goes over popcorn again. Would also be incredible with some bourbon.
★★★★★
I’m glad you enjoyed it! You could certainly try adding a little salt or bourbon. Both would be tasty!
This tastes pretty darn good! My first attempt seized because the sugar would not mix with the butter, I didn’t have a chance to let the butter get to room temperature so I melted it in the microwave, bad idea? The second attempt went a little better, I partially melted the butter this time and it started to seize so I started mixing like crazy after adding the butter and added the cream. I had to stir really fast and it worked but I have a few hard sugar clumps. Do you think it’s because I didn’t use room temperature butter? I also marked up the cream for 10 seconds in the microwave to take away the chill.
★★★★★
Having the butter a little bit melted should be fine. Maybe try the cream in a slow stream while whisking very quickly. You don’t want to overwhelm the caramel as you add liquid. But when adding the butter, you do need to whisk very quickly and it can take a little bit for everything to incorporate.
Hi I’m thinking of doing the caramel sauce as favours for my wedding. Do you think it’d be fine to have it out of the fridge but stipulate to use within 2 weeks?
I think caramel sauce is OK at room temperature for a few hours, but more than that I wouldn’t suggest.
Can I use caster sugar or should It be granulated? Gonna try this recipe for cupcake filling and cheesecake topping.
I can’t think of a reason why caster sugar would be an issue.
Love this! Thank you very much. This worked out exactly how you said it would. You were not joking about the 10 minutes of whisking. I cheated a little and melted the butter in the microwave😬 I use this to make my morning coffee. Times like this it is important!
Note for those of you that had problems, make sure your flame is under your pan! Size of burner to pan ratio can change this very fast.
Once again thank you 💕
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Wow oh wow this recipe is so amazing made it and it looks store bought so amazing.thank you!
Do i used powdered/icing sugar or normal sugar
Regular granulated white sugar
Hi,
My caramel sauce turned out to be a little bitter. Did I cook it too much?
Thanks!
That’s what it sounds like.
First of all thank you for this recipe!! The taste is amazing! I’ve been letting it sit for about an hour or so, but it’s still really thin? Did I do something wrong or could I refrigerate it to make it a bit thicker?
★★★★★
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I don’t think you did anything wrong, it just takes a while for it to cool enough to thicken up. You can definitely put it in the fridge.
Me and my friend tried it twice, did not work out either times. Second time it got the color and that’s it. Looked promising but ended up tasting like burnt sugar. Took us over an hour to get that and where not happy with the results.
★
Can I substitute the heavy cream with evaporated milk?
I haven’t tried it to say for sure what that would turn out like.
Hi there, can i use all purpose cream instead of heavy whipping cream? Thanks!
The difference would be in the amount of fat, which would change up the texture of the caramel a bit. It might not be quite a soft.