Follow these easy instructions to create sweet salted caramel sauce at home. This 10 minute salted caramel recipe requires only 4 easy ingredients. It’s perfect for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pound cake, ice cream, cheesecake, scones, apple pie, and more!
What once intimidated me became the subject of my 2nd cookbook: Sally’s Candy Addiction. As it turns out, homemade candy isn’t all that difficult. And salted caramel is one of the easiest recipes. This truly the best salted caramel I’ve ever had and there’s only 4 ingredients required: sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt.
This salted caramel is liquid gold. It’s a reader favorite recipe, marking its spot in the top 10 most popular recipes on my website. It’s sweet, sticky, buttery, and tastes phenomenal on anything it touches. (Though you really only need a spoon to enjoy.) Trust me, after trying this 1 time, you’ll be hooked like the rest of us!
How to Make Salted Caramel
The first step is to melt sugar, which is called caramelization. This requires 1 small pot and a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Stir until melted. Add butter and heavy cream, then let it boil. Finally, add the salt. That’s it, the caramel is done. It’s SO EASY.
Remember to use caution when cooking over the stove as the hot liquid, butter, and cream may splatter. If needed, kitchen gloves come in handy!
No Candy Thermometer Salted Caramel
Unlike most caramel recipes, this salted caramel doesn’t require a candy thermometer. Instead, I encourage you to follow the recipe and use your eyes to determine when to add the next ingredient. The caramel only requires 10 short minutes, then will thicken as it cools.
What to Eat with Salted Caramel?
You will love homemade salted caramel with recipes like cinnamon rolls, cheesecake, and apple pie bars. Use it as a caramel dip for apples, spoon over ice cream, or pour into decorated jars and gift it for the holidays.
The possibilities for salted caramel are endless:
- Turtle Brownies
- Burnt Sugar Caramel Cake
- Butterscotch Pudding
- Snickers Caramel Tart
- Caramel Dipped Pretzels
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie
- Chocolate Bread Pudding
50 Ways to Eat Salted Caramel
I have plenty more ideas too: here are 50 Ways to Eat Salted Caramel.
How to Store Salted Caramel
I receive this question a lot and I’m so happy to answer it. After the caramel cools down, pour it into a glass jar or container. Refrigerate for up to 1 month. The caramel solidifies as it cools, but you can reheat in the microwave or on the stove so it’s liquid again. You can freeze the salted caramel, too. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm up before using.
What About Caramel Apples?
This caramel is not thick enough to coat apples for caramel apples. Instead, I recommend my homemade caramel apples recipe.
Quick Salted Caramel Video
Homemade Salted Caramel Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made from only 4 simple ingredients in only 10 minutes, this homemade caramel is salty, sweet, and irresistibly buttery. No candy thermometer required and the possibilities for serving are endless. (Though just a spoon is acceptable!) Use caution as the cooking caramel may splatter. Stand back and wear kitchen gloves if desired. Review recipe notes prior to beginning.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (90g) salted butter, room temperature cut up into 6 pieces
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a high heat resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
- Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
- Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2 minutes. If you notice the butter separating or if the sugar clumped up, remove from heat and vigorously whisk to combine it again. (If you’re nervous for splatter, wear kitchen gloves. Keep whisking until it comes back together, even if it takes 3-4 minutes. It will eventually– just keep whisking. Return to heat when it’s combined again.)
- Very slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of heavy cream while stirring. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble when added. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to slightly cool down before using. Caramel thickens as it cools.
- Cover tightly and store for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. Caramel solidifies in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove to desired consistency.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make this caramel in advance. Make sure it is covered tightly and store it for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. Warm the caramel up for a few seconds before using in a recipe. This caramel is OK at room temperature for a day if you’re traveling or gifting it. You can freeze the salted caramel, too. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm up before using.
- Special Tools: Copper Saucepan or Stainless Steel Saucepan, Wooden Spoon, Mason Jar Mugs
- Butter: Unsalted butter may be used instead, though I prefer salted. No other changes need to be made to the recipe if using unsalted.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream (approximately 36% milk fat) may also be sold as whipping cream. Light whipping cream (30% milk fat), or double cream (48% milk fat) may be substituted. Do not use milk. Room temperature cream is best.
- Salt: Use regular table salt or kosher salt. If using larger flaky salt, add 1 teaspoon, taste, then add more if desired. This recipe works with 1 teaspoon of any variety of salt. You can always add 3/4 teaspoon, taste, then add more if desired.
- Caramel Candies: This caramel is great as a sauce, topping, or filling, but won’t set up properly to make soft caramel candies. Here is my soft caramels recipe.
- Regular Caramel: If you want to make regular caramel, reduce salt to 1/2 teaspoon. Do not leave it out completely.
- Larger Batches: Avoid doubling or tripling this recipe. The added volume could prevent the sugar from melting evenly and properly. Make a couple batches instead.
Keywords: caramel, salted caramel
How to Make Easy Salted Caramel
Heat 1 cup of granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat resistant rubber spatula or a wooden spoon.
Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add 6 Tablespoons of butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2 minutes.
Very slowly, drizzle in 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool completely before using. Cover the caramel tightly and store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Warm the caramel up for a few seconds before using in a recipe.
A 10 minute recipe! You’re going to love this stuff.
I wanted to swirl this through brownie batter (unbaked) and then throw it all in the oven. Do you know if this will hold up and stay like a honey type consistency if I bake it? Or do you think it is better to just pour on top of already made brownies?
Thank you!!!!
I have not had any luck swirling it, but it’s wonderful layered on top! You can read all about this exact experiment in my post Salted Caramel Turtle Brownies. 🙂
Best caramel recipe I’ve tried. Wonderful ‘butterscotch’ flavour, perfect for Banoffee Pie (or just eating from the jar!). Excellent recipe and instructions. Thank you.
★★★★★
So delicious and easy! I did not have heavy cream on hand (was making this as a drizzle from a link from another recipe – the burnt sugar caramel cake – and didn’t realize these ingredients weren’t included on the main list of ingredients. Instead, I “made” some heavy cream (1 part melted butter mixed with 2 parts whole milk). Worked like a charm and the sauce is divine! I can’t wait to have it on the cake tomorrow, but I had to sneak some tastes in advance.
★★★★★
This recipe is dangerous!!!! It’s sooo easy to make and it’s so delicious! I doubled the recipe and I’ve been eating it with EVERYTHING!!! Ice cream, coffee, cookies, fruits, pancakes, waffles… So much for staying on top of my diet! Haha
★★★★★
I cannot stop eating out of the jar! Delicious. What I did realise though is that you cannot use brown sugar (which is what I had at home).
★★★★★
Love the sound of this recipe cant wait to try it
Can I ask you a question regarding the sauce. I am going to be putting it on top of cooks but am wondering when it hardens does it harden enough that when the cookies are placed in a bag it won’t stick to the others or run of the cookies as I will stick the cookies on top of each other and I want to find a caramel suace that will harden enough to do that with.
Hi Louise, If the cookies remain cool then the caramel won’t turn into a sticky mess but it won’t completely harden.
I didn’t have heavy cream so I substituted a can of condensed milk- ridiculous!
Used it to dip apples, so it’s basically a health food, right?
If I use unsalted butter, should I add more salt? How much?
No need. There’s plenty of salt even if using unsalted butter.
I’ve made this twice now and it is to die for delicious! I could just eat it by the spoonful!
It really isn’t difficult. You just have to follow your directions. Much easier than other recipes I’ve seen. No thermometer required, etc. I made a chocolate cake with Earl Grey buttercream icing for my daughter’s birthday today and plan on using the caramel on the cake as a drip.
I made the cake and the caramel last night so they are both in the fridge. I will have to warm up the caramel of course. Any tips you can give me Sally will be much appreciated. This will be my first attempt at making a drip cake!
hi Sally, I love salted caramel sauce and I’ve done this recipe 4 times. My problem is at half of the time the sugar lumps up and I cannot get the lumps out. What am I doing wrong with the heating of the sugar? It is too thick to use a whisk . the last time I just gave up. Help! Julie, a caramel addict.
Hi Julie! I’m happy to help. There is always a fix for that with this recipe. Lower the heat and continue stirring until the sugar caramelizes. It could simply be because the heat is too high (or even the pan is too thin!).
Thank you so much! I’m going to try it again this evening.
Can I use this to fill French Macarons or would it be too thin?
Hi Jayne, It will be thin on it’s own. But you can absolutely use it swirled with vanilla buttercream! You can see this in the recipe for Salted Caramel Cinnamon Macarons.
best homemade caramel ever, and i have’d tried a lot of this
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
Can wait to try out this recipe! But regarding the heavy cream, do you think the recipe can work out if I use the Chantilly Whipping Cream as a substitute?
Thank you!!!
Hi Mariana, We haven’t tested it. It should work as it has the same fat content, however chantilly cream has added sugar and vanilla so your caramel would be extra sweet.
Hi Sally ….
I made this sauce, and it is delicious! But I do have one question …while mine did “thicken” a bit it did not solidify once cooled, so when I used it in the Salted Caramel Pretzel Crunch bar recipe, they were really gooey and a bit messy to cut/eat. Did I not cook it long enough ? Is there some other adjustment I should make to ensure that this is solid when fully cooled?? Thx!
Hi Ann! Thank you so much for trying the salted caramel. It thickens considerably once refrigerated, but it could be because yours wasn’t cooked quite long enough. An easy fix! If you try the bars recipe again, try cooking this caramel for extra minute after adding the heavy cream. Additionally, you can reduce the heavy cream by 2 Tablespoons to ensure a thicker caramel.
Thank you so much! Will definitely be making the bars again – have already had a request for more! And will try those changes with the caramel sauce …will definitely be making that again, as I am a salted caramel fanatic! Thx again!
Absolutely delicious! It has such a distinct flavor. It’s divine in ice cream Be patient when waiting for the sugar to melt. I almost gave up. Best caramel sauce I’ve ever had
★★★★★
I thought that 1 tsp of salt would be way too much so I used ½ tsp. Unfortunately, even that was too much. I had to melt ½ cup of sugar more and add it to balance the saltiness. One mistake I made was keeping it on the stove for a minute more than required so there’s a slightly bitter aftertaste but I believe one more try will make it perfect.