Make this simple 4-ingredient sweet salted caramel sauce at home with ease—no candy thermometer required! Ready in just 10 minutes, this rich homemade caramel is perfect for drizzling over cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pound cake, ice cream, cheesecake, scones, salted caramel apple pie, and more!
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and additional success tips. This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
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 sauce is one of the easiest. There’s only 4 ingredients required: sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt.
This salted caramel is a reader favorite recipe, consistently marking its spot in the top 10 most popular recipes on my website and published in 2 of my cookbooks. It’s sweet, 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 (stainless steel, not nonstick) pot/saucepan and a wooden spoon. Stir until melted and caramelized. 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.
As always, use caution when cooking over the stove because the hot liquid, butter, and cream may splatter. If needed, kitchen gloves come in handy.
No Candy Thermometer Required
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. If you’d like to be precise and use a candy thermometer, the temperature will rise to about 220°F (104°C), and that’s when the caramel is done on the stove.
The caramel thickens as it cools.
What to Eat With Salted Caramel?
You will love homemade salted caramel with sweets like cinnamon rolls, cheesecake, and apple pie bars. Use it as a 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
- Caramel Coconut Macaroon Thumbprints
- Butterscotch Pudding
- Snickers Caramel Tart
- Apple Cupcakes (pictured above)
- Caramel Dipped Pretzels
- Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie & Apple Cake
- Cheesecake Pie
- Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Apple Turnovers
- Caramel Turtle Cheesecake
- Apple Cider French Toast
- Dutch Baby Pancake
- Cake Mix Chocolate Cupcakes
- Skillet Brownie
- Apple Cobbler
- Apple Cinnamon Scones
- Topping for Homemade Eclairs
- Drizzled on cookies like Shortbread, Brownie Cookies, and Snickerdoodles
- As a filling for your favorite cupcake recipe (see my How to Fill Cupcakes post for all the details)
- Butterscotch Pie & Apple Pie Bars (both pictured below)
What Is the Consistency Like?
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.
Can I Skip the Salt to Make Regular Caramel?
If you’re looking for a sweet caramel, rather than a salted caramel, you can still use this recipe. Do not cut out the salt completely because the caramel’s sweetness will be overpowering. Instead, reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
No. You can’t really turn this sauce into a homemade wrapped candy. Instead, try my soft caramel candies recipe which is a little different.
This caramel is not thick enough to coat apples for caramel apples. Instead, I recommend my homemade caramel apples recipe.
Yes. When the caramel is done, it’s thin and liquid. As the caramel cools, it thickens. After refrigerating, it thickens even more and must be reheated to thin out and use as a topping or dip.
This caramel isn’t ideal to layer between cake layers because it will just spill out the sides under the weight of top layers. However, it’s great as a filling for cupcakes, such as these chocolate caramel coconut cupcakes. See How To Fill Cupcakes for more info!
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.
Print
Homemade Salted Caramel Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup (290g)
- 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. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar (make sure it’s labeled “pure cane”)*
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 6 pieces
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium heavy-duty stainless steel saucepan (do not use nonstick) over medium heat, cook the sugar, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-safe silicone spatula. 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. Stir constantly, especially around the bottom edges, and be careful not to let it burn.
- Once the sugar is completely melted, reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added. (If you’re nervous for splatter, wear kitchen gloves.) Cook and stir constantly until the butter is melted and well combined. If you notice the butter separating or if the sugar clumps up, remove the pan from heat and vigorously whisk to combine it again. 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 and carefully pour in the heavy cream, stirring constantly. Since the heavy cream is colder than the hot caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and steam when added. When all of the heavy cream has been added, stop stirring, increase the heat to medium, and let it 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 should reach 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 and thicken before using. Caramel thickens considerably as it cools.
- Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. 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 (do not use nonstick) | Wooden Spoon | Candy Thermometer (like this one or this one)—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 half-and-half or 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 multiple batches instead.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Would I be able to can the Carmel sauce in a hot water bath to store on the shelf? I wanted to find a recipe to use for fall gifts. Thanks
Hi Sue! We haven’t tested canning this recipe. We simply seal the jars shut and let whoever know to enjoy the caramel within a couple weeks.
can this recipe be used as a caramel drip on a cake or will it run down the sides?
Hi Afsaneh, Yes, this caramel would be great for a drip cake. Make sure the cake is EXTRA cold and give this caramel at least 15-20 minutes to cool down/slightly thicken before applying.
Hi Sally! This recipe was easy to follow and worked and tasted great. Do you have any tips to prevent crystallization? When I was pouring it from the pan into a jar, lots of clumps formed at the bottom, which didn’t affect the taste or usability at all – just a bit frustrating!
Hi Zofia, We are happy you enjoyed this caramel! If you use a heavy-bottomed quality saucepan and stir constantly, the sugar shouldn’t crystallize after the caramel has been made.
I LOVE this recipe! I use it for my cheesecake and ice cream cakes. No negative feedback from customers or friends & family. I’ve made it with and without the added salt and I use it both ways. Then one day I had leftovers and threw a spoonful in my coffee with some extra cream. If you haven’t tried it , do it now!!!
I love your blog! When I have friends lamenting they don’t know how to bake I always send them to your blog and tell them Sally is the best teacher.
Tried your recipe. Worst ever! As soon as I added the butter it turned into brittle. There was no whisking it back. Tossed it and your recipe
Hi, would this recipe be suitable for filing chocolates? Many thanks
Hi Nicole, we often use this caramel as a filling, including for homemade chocolate candies. Shouldn’t be a problem. It solidifies into a chewy consistency.
Welp…when it was all said and done I had clumps in my caramel sauce. I strained them out and used the sauce anyway because it still tasted good to me…even after I burned a blister on my tongue.
Any idea why the clumps?
Hi Tabitha, It may be helpful to lower your stove heat. Stir the sugar constantly as it melts and caramelizes. If it clumps up when you add the butter, whisk it endlessly (as the recipe states) because it WILL melt again. You can even remove it from heat and whisk, too.
I have not tried the recipe but it sounds good. I am diabetic and tried to eliminate sugar. Do you have any sugar free caramel recipes? I am wondering if Purecane would work.
Hi Fred! We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a salted caramel recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
I would love to try this recipe. I read a comment and you said it’s not recommended that the recipe is doubled. However is it possible to HALF the recipe?
Hi Lana! Many readers have successfully halved the recipe. In step 3, you may need to reduce the time to 30-45 seconds. And in step 4, you may need to reduce the boil time down to 30-45 seconds as well.
Is it possible me to make this with a margarine square instead of butter?
Hi CDS, we don’t recommend it. Margarine does not have the same chemical makeup as butter. It’s much more watery. We strongly recommend using butter.
Would this caramel be appropriate for a homemade ice cream swirl?
Hi Dana, we don’t suggest it — it will turn pretty hard inside frozen ice cream. However, you could use it as a topping — it will solidify when topped on the ice cream, but you can also try thinning it out a bit when cooking. We recommend adding 2-3 extra Tablespoons of heavy cream to the recipe when you stir in the heavy cream. This will thin out the caramel so it’s softer!
You guys are amazing. I know how to make caramel sauce because of you. Whenever I have tried to make caramel sauce, it usually burns. Thank you again. I also want to mention that it is very delicious. It has lots of flavor and the perfect saltiness.
We’re thrilled you enjoyed our salted caramel recipe, Carrie!
I have made this caramel recipe this evening and it came out great. I have a major sweet tooth though and its just a touch bitter for me am I able to add vanilla or more salt to the recipe if I reheat it up? Just wanted to make sure I wouldn’t ruin it if I did.
Hi Kristin, If it tastes bitter, it’s likely been cooked for too long – an easy fix for next time! Try turning your heat down a bit.
Made this again tonight. Delicious! I used salted butter as you recommended, tasted it, and left out the additional salt. But then I did add 2 tablespoons of my homemade vanilla extract (made with high proof bourbon) and OH MAN. OH. MAN. It just takes all those wonderful caramel flavors, shoves them in a rocket, and shoots them to outer space.
Hi, Sally.
I am not sure if I am asking this question in the correct area or not. It is not regarding your Salted Carmel Recipe, which, btw, I will be trying within the next week or so; however, I was wondering if you could help me with a recipe I had quite some time ago and cannot find now. It is for “Red Devil’s Food Cake” Cream Cheese Frosting, using granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar. I had made it several times and love the way it turned out. I don’t know why the granulated sugar made a difference, but it did (in a good way). I hope you can help.
Thank you.
Hi Barbra! That sounds like a very interesting cake, we’ve never made one like it. Does this recipe for cream cheese frosting from I Heart Eating look similar to the one you used? https://www.ihearteating.com/cream-cheese-icing/ Let us know if you find the recipe you’re looking for 🙂
Hi! It’s sooo yummy!!! I made it today it gave me a intense workout for my shoulder I used half raw sugar half white and it worked great. When I added the butter like you said it may separate it did so I took it of the heat but then I couldn’t whisk it because it all just started clumping up so I put it back on the stove to melt the sugar but then I got worried it would burn so then I took it of again but then I put it back and then it melted good so I was able to whisk the butter and sugar together and it turned out great!
Hello,
I would like to know how to have a “creamy” caramel that you can spread on hot toast without the caramel running.
Thank you !
Hi Denis! We don’t have a tried and true recipe for a creamy caramel, but let us know if you find one you love!
Could this caramel be canned? I would love to give it for Christmas.
We haven’t tested canning this recipe! We simply seal the jars shut and let whoever know to enjoy the caramel within a couple weeks.
What would be a solution to make it ideal for a filling?
Hi Lori, we don’t have a caramel recipe that would be perfect as a cake filling yet, but let us know if you find one you love!
Is this recipe good for filling cake layers and cupcakes or would it need to be a bit thinner?
Hi Lori, This caramel isn’t ideal to layer between cake layers – it will just spill out the sides under the weight of top layers. It’s great as a filling for cupcakes, though.
Thanks. Do you know of any recipes that would be stable enough for filling cakes?
Sally , this caramel recipe is perfect. Turned out so good . The caramel started sweet and finishes just short of bitter, just like how a perfect caramel should be .
Loads of love from India
AnnHomeBaker
Hello,
I was wondering what the consistency of this salted caramel will be at room temperature? I live in a hot and humid climate (similar to Florida).
I want to use this as a stuffing in my brownies. Just want to make sure it won’t leak out.
Thanks,
Mario
Hi Mario, the salted caramel will start to solidify at room temperature, but comes right back to drizzling consistency once warmed in the microwave. We have not had any luck swirling it in brownies, but it’s wonderful layered on top! You can read all about this exact experiment in our post Salted Caramel Turtle Brownies.
Hi. This link used to take me to your Cinnamon Toffee Cheesecake Dip recipe. Did you remove it? I can’t find it anywhere. It’s so good and I seem to have misplaced my printed copy. Can you help?
Hi Rachel! We were no longer satisfied with the outcome of that older recipe, so we unpublished it. We still have it, so send us an email and we can forward it to you. sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com
Caramel can be so tacky but this recipe was so easy to follow along. The sauce turned out nice. Thanks!!
I used himalayan pink salt & will use less next time.
I only used 1/2 t of salt & it was too salty to serve
Hi Sue, This is meant to be salty. We use and recommend regular table salt. What did you use? You can certainly adjust the added salt if you wish, or skip it for regular non-salted caramel.
Thanks for providing such detailed instructions! Mine started to separate after I added the butter, but I did followed your instructions to take it off the heat and whisk it back together and it worked like a charm. The caramel is almost cool and I just taste-tested – it’s to die for!
I LIKE this Caramel ! I made this dessert with my aunt we we’re making a chocolate caramel tart! This Carmel is better then some but not all. ( also I would like to say NEVER use a rubber item when the sugar is melted mine melted and stuck yo the pot!!!)
Thank you. The reason I asked if the sauce would last at room temp is because I was looking to send it in the mail which takes 2 days. Is there a recipe that would last at room temp?
Hi Arnav, you could, yes, but we really recommend keeping this refrigerated after more than a day. Instead, you can make homemade caramels. They ship wonderfully.
What this Carmel can well?
Do u know if this would work using coconut sugar?
I’m making a cheesecake and will be adding 1 cup toasted pecans to the caramel sauce, then cooling and dividing between pouring over the cooked crust, in the centre of cheesecake batter before cooking and as a topping after cheesecake is cooked. Thanks.
Hi Jody! We haven’t tested this recipe with coconut sugar. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for coconut sugar. Thank you!
Thanks for the quick reply. I found a really easy recipe using coconut sugar and it turned out wonderfully!
How long will this sauce last at room temp?
Hi Arnav, This caramel is OK at room temperature for a day if you’re traveling or gifting it. We recommend storing it in the fridge for any longer than that.