Follow these easy instructions to create sweet salted caramel sauce at home. This salted caramel recipe requires only 4 easy ingredients. It’s perfect for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pound cake, ice cream, cheesecake, scones, salted caramel 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 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
Use the written out instructions below, but here’s the basic process: 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. Stir in butter, then stir in heavy cream and let it boil for 1 minute. Finally, add the salt. That’s it, the caramel is done.
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 thickens 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
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
- Butterscotch Pudding
- Snickers Caramel Tart
- Apple Cupcakes
- Caramel Dipped Pretzels
- Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie & Apple Cake
- Cheesecake Pie
- Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Dessert Nachos
- Caramel Turtle Cheesecake
- Apple Cider French Toast
- Drizzled on cookies like Shortbread, Brownie Cookies, and Snickerdoodles
50 Ways to Eat Salted Caramel
I have plenty more ideas too: here are 50 Ways to Eat Salted Caramel.
What is the Texture of This Salted Caramel?
The caramel is liquid as it comes off heat. As the caramel cools, it solidifies into a chewy texture. After refrigerating, the caramel is hard and you must heat it up to bring it back to a liquid consistency. Do you need a thinner caramel? Feel free to add 2 more Tablespoons of heavy cream to the recipe.
You can’t really turn this sauce into a homemade wrapped candy. Instead, try my soft caramel candies recipe which is a little different.
How to Store Salted Caramel
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
PrintHomemade Salted Caramel Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made from only 4 simple ingredients, 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 (make sure it’s labeled “pure cane”)*
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, at room temperature and sliced into 6 pieces
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat granulated sugar in a medium heavy-duty saucepan (avoid using nonstick) over medium heat, stirring constantly with a high heat-resistant silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. On my stove, this takes about 6 minutes. Be careful not to burn it.
- Once sugar is completely melted, immediately stir in the butter until melted and combined. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added. If you notice the butter separating or if the sugar clumps 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.)
- After the butter has melted and combined with the caramelized sugar, stir constantly as you very slowly pour in the heavy cream. Since the heavy cream is colder than the hot caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble when added. After all the heavy cream has been added, stop stirring and allow to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils. If you’d like to be precise and use a candy thermometer, the temperature will rise to about 220°F (104°C).
- Remove from heat and stir in the salt. The caramel will be a thin liquid at this point. 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. See “What Is the Texture of This Salted Caramel?” in the post above. 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 (affiliate links): Medium Heavy-Duty Saucepan (avoid using nonstick) | Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Candy Thermometer (optional)
- Sugar: This recipe is most successful using granulated sugar that’s labeled “pure cane” on the packaging. I usually use and recommend Domino brand regular granulated sugar which says “pure cane granulated” on the packaging.
- 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 Sauce: 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 of batches instead.
The sugar will be clumpy as it begins to melt:
It will begin to turn amber in color:
Once sugar is completely melted (takes about 6 minutes or so on my stove), stir in the butter:
Very slowly, drizzle in the heavy cream. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added. Boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in the salt.
Do you have to put it in the refrigerator for a month
You can use it immediately – it will last (stay good) in the refrigerator for up to one month.
When I added the cream, small chunks formed in the sauce. Some disappeared when it boiled, but many stayed no matter how much I stirred. I strained them out and the sauce was delicious. Maybe I needed three hands— one to stir, one to pour the cream slowly and one to hold the pan steady.
Excellent recipe.. Used the salted caramel as a base for salted caramel ice cream.. Thanks
Everything I try comes out beautiful from Sally. This salted carmel does not disappoint! So addicting.
I tried this recipe twice and both were a failure all the sugar did was clump with the butter. it stuck to my pot like concrete. I also whisked way past 4 minutes. Was not a success.
Excellent, easy tasty sauce!
Amazing taste and easy to make.My 9yr old daughter made them by herself !:D
🙂 🙂
Hi! I’ve made this twice and it’s the BEST! I followed the directions closely and made sure all is the sugar was melted. But after it cooked and cooled, there were small clumps of sugar in the sauce.
Any suggestions on how to eliminate the clumps?
Many thanks! Gail
Can we use fresh cream instead?
Hi Yashasvi, We typically use heavy cream which is approximately 36% milk fat, but we have also tested this with light whipping cream which is 30% milk fat and it works well. Any lower fat content (fresh cream is typically 25%) the caramel may not set up properly but let us know what you try!
Absolutely delicious! Perfect for apple, brownies, and ice cream. This is the first recipe that has turned out perfectly on the first try. It’s so rich and has the oerfect amount of salt to compliment the sweet caramel 🙂
Can you use brown sugar in this recipe?
Hi Jean, Brown sugar won’t caramelize properly. Stick with regular white granulated sugar here.
A different recipe using brown sugar with similar ingredients actually makes a butterscotch sauce. If you wish you can see how it’s made in the post Brown Sugar Butterscotch Cupcakes.
I want to send this to my son away at college. Do you think it will keep for the 3 days via priority mail? Perhaps freeze it first? Thanks!
Hi Katrinia, This caramel is OK at room temperature for a day if you can mail it overnight. Or you can freeze it and send it in a freezer pack – see recipe notes for details.
Review from a tween baker –
WOW! I made this for my Classic Apple Crisp, and it smells SO GOOD. The recipe worked perfectly. I am now hatching ideas for other things I could use this for. THANK YOU SALLY!
I did it in 5 minutes so easy make it evry morning
So easy and yielded a lot of extra!
Great! Very descriptive and easy to make. I even substituted half the ingredients and it was still perfect.
This is the most delicious recipe I have ever come across. I use this Carmel to make my Carmel-soy lattes, I use it to top my deserts, and sadly I eat it by itself. Please make this, you won’t be disappointed.
My first attempt was incredulously successful thanks to your detailed instructions. Will definitely be using this recipe again, so THANK YOU. Especially appreciated the “bubbling” warnings because it’s behavior is a bit intimidating the first time around. Perfectly instructed though. I used organic coarse raw (turbinado) sugar, organic salted butter and organic cream AND added it to your apple pie recipe. Sooooo delicious !!! Again, thanks.
Easy recipe and it tastes delicious. For those looking to make larger batches. A secret to how i make it is to malt suger in batches. Let your saucepan heat up and sprinkle some at the bottom til it melts. Then add a little more. You’ll see it start to brown quick but if done right there’s no chance it’ll burn. Just keep adding a little more auger once the prior has melted into the batch. Once all the sugar is done jist continue to stir over the heat til you have the color you want. I tripled the recipe and it came out great. I hope my instructions make sense.
Can you use coconut cream as a substitute for whipping cream?
Hi Lynne, We haven’t tested it, but some readers have had success using unsweetened canned coconut cream. Let us know if you try it!
Made this today. Great caramel taste but a very bitter after taste. Did I do something wrong?
I made this salted caramel sauce this past weekend to top a pecan pumpkin cheesecake I made. Your sauce was sooooooo good! Amazing heated up and drizzled, but also delicious to eat by the spoonful on it’s own after it has cooled in the fridge, almost like salted caramel taffy – Mmmmmmmm.
Ive never made caramel before. I appreciated the help with the steps. Mine did separate and I took it off the heat and kept whisking it. I used it on your pumpkin bundt cake. It was delicious. I used coarse kosher salt and it had little salt crunches which I love. I made the bundt cake and caramel sauce exactly as written. Turned out so lovely. Thank you
So quick and easy! I whipped this up for dessert with apples while the fam was cleaning up after dinner. It was my first time making caramel, and but not the last! Everyone agreed it was wonderful!! I used half and half and it turned out great. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla at the end after the salt.
Easy recipe. But ⚠️ Do not add all the salt I ruined a lot of ingredients. It’s so salty, I tried making more and mixed it and it’s still bad.
Sally, I use this to fill chocolate candy cups. Line a mini muffin pan with liners, melt chocolate, pour a spoonful in, add a spoonful of the cooled caramel then top with more melted chocolate. Refrigerate until set. Very tasty caramel. It’s great on apple pie too. Want to try more of your suggestions too.
Great recipe! I would use 1/2 teaspoon salt next time but other than that it was so simple ! Thank you so much!
This tastes amazing! And was so easy to make.
Silly question I know: Have you any tips on how to get it off the spoon and bowl once hardened like glass?
If you’re in no way pressed for time, simply soaking it in warm water for an hour or so with NO SOAP will help the sugar dissolve. If you need to use the pan/spoon again right away, boil about three cups of water in the saucepan over the stove and stir with the affected spoon; should come off like a dream!
Sally, thanks for your recipes. Huge fan of this caramel. We make it every fall and dip fresh apple slices in it!
hearing all the warnings about making caramel sauce I was hesitant to try it. I am so glad I did. This is hands downs the best salted caramel sauce I’ve ever tasted. I know what I’m giving my neighbours for Christmas 😀
This was so easy! I made the regular version so I used half the salt and it was so delicious. I could have kept eating it by the spoonful! I ate it on ice cream and it was so tasty. I gave myself a gnarly burn on the tip of my finger when I splattered the sugar and butter mixture on my finger but the sauce was still delicious!