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
- Dutch Baby Pancake
- 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.
Keywords: caramel, salted caramel
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.
So easy and tasty. Next time I’ll skip the salt. It was too salty for us with the added salt.
★★★★
Can this be drizzled over cupcakes without it being too hard or chewy?
Hi Cara, this salted caramel makes a great cupcake topper! You can see an example with these apple spice cupcakes.
Hello I want to ask the reason why I can’t used non sticky saucepan?
And if I can used whipped cream (Ever-whip) instead of heavy cream ? since in not commonly sale in my country.
Thank you for answering may question.
Hi Jedalyn, Though we do recommend avoiding non stick if possible, we’ve successfully make this salted caramel with non stick pans. You want a thick, heavy bottomed pan for best results. Heavy cream is necessary — whipped cream will not work in this recipe. We haven’t tested it, but some readers have had success using unsweetened full fat canned coconut cream in place of the heavy cream, if that is an option for you. Let us know if you try it!
Hello.
Then can you suggest some brand of heavy cream?
This is the only product available in may country .: Nestle Heavy Cream (Thick Consistency) , Arla, Emborg whippid cream and sometime President UHT Whipping Cream.
Can I used one of them?
Hi Jedalyn, we’d check the fat percentage on the carton. 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 the caramel may not set up properly but let us know what you try!
Oh my goodness!!! Delicious!! Just a quick question….while cooking the sugar, some got stuck on the side of the pot no matter how hard I tried to prevent this. My caramel seems a little thin, could this be the reason or has it just not cooled off enough? It is still hot. Thank you!
Hi Kim, the caramel is quite thin and liquid right after cooking it. It thickens considerably as it cools.
So easy and perfect! I added a teaspoon of vanilla and a couple extra tablespoons of cream. It’s to die for, and I’m glad I only made half a batch because I can’t stop eating it!
It took less than ten minutes to make; it’s going to be one of my standard recipes.
★★★★★
Hi, if i wanted to use this caramel to make a salted caramel buttercream, would that be possible? Thanks in advance!
Hi Izzy, We haven’t tried it, but we also have a salted caramel buttercream frosting recipe here.
Eek—I’m just about to make this after running to the store for heavy cream and then noticed the pan… All my pans are non stick (except for cast irons). Can I make the caramel sauce in a non-stick pan?
Hi Anita, we recommend using a stainless steel or copper pan for this recipe, but you could also try a heavy cast iron pan (like a Dutch oven) if it’s the coated kind.
can you tell me what the recipe is for the picture that looks like maybe apple pie slices with a crumb topping and caramel on top that is in the promotion above? Clicked on several recipes but can’t find the one that is pictured. Thank you!
Hi Karen! Are you looking for our salted caramel apple pie bars? They’re a favorite!
Thank you for this recipe. Easy to make, and good consistency: not too runny, not too sticky.
One suggestion: cut the salt to 1/3 teaspoon. To my taste it’s almost inedible with the recommended 1 tsp.
I also used 18% fat cream, roughly half the fat level of whipping cream, and the recipe worked well.
Halved the recipe as I’m a clumsy mess when it comes to timing and afraid will mess this up. Immediately regretted it because this recipe is easy and it turned out sooooooo DELICIOUS! I almost ate all of it myself. I use it as a filling for home made chocolate and I have to hold myself back to not finish it all in one sitting. It’s so good. Thanks for another great recipe, Sally!
★★★★★
Thanks for your quick response! Is it too late to add a couple tablespoons of heavy cream to the Salted Caramel that I made already to think it was you said? I’m enjoying all your recipes very much. I just made the Blueberry Cream cheese twist danish. AWESOME! Turned out Perfect! Do you have a Raisin Bran muffin recipe? I made your Blueberry one already and the cooking on high heat first and lowering the temp works perfect for higher domed muffins! Thanks so much! Paula
Hi Paula, it would be pretty difficult to add more to your finished batch, but definitely give it a try for next time! We’re so glad to hear you’ve been enjoying our recipes. We do not have a bran muffin recipe at this time, but let us know if you find one you love. Thanks again!
Hi, A couple of things, please.
I saw that I could use this for ice cream at the beginning of this recipe. But, it turned very hard. Did I do something wrong? The recipe went smooth, I thought, for me.
I ate the ice cream, then microwaved the caramel and ate it warmed up, though. So, must I always use in a warmed scenario? Like on a hot apple pie.
Second, mine is a little darker in color than yours. Is that a problem?
Hi Paula, this caramel is best served warm, simply microwaving to use it as you mention. The caramel 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! If it’s especially dark, it’s possible the caramel was cooked a bit too long. Hope this helps!
I thought I had ruined it, but I stuck with it and slowly drizzled in the cream. In the end after several minutes of stirring that and a strainer is what got the job done for me! Thank you for putting this words in the notes, don’t give up, keep stirring!
★★★★★
I made this tonight and I would say the recipe is foolproof. The hardest thing is judging the color of the caramel so you don’t burn it, but that is something where practice makes perfect and will be easier to achieve the more times you make it. I did add one teaspoon of vanilla, off the heat at the end, and I think it is a welcome addition. When storing this, I think it helps to use a jar that flares out at the top, to make it easier to remove from the jar. (The jars that Bonne Maman preserves or jam come in are very successful for this.) And I think this recipe is easier than those that call for water. I had great results making this in a Le Creuset enameled cast iron saucepan.
★★★★★
So the thing about this recipe is that if you follow the steps as presented in the video, it will probably turn out fine, but if you follow the steps as currently listed in the blog post itself (add butter, whisk, allow to boil for 1 minute, then add cream, as opposed to whisking in butter, then whisking in cream, THEN letting it boil as in the video), it will probably result in a rock-hard mess in your pan and possibly also a few second-degree burns, plus a fair amount of crying. Do yourself a favor and follow the video. The blog post is dangerously wrong. (Sally, please fix this. Gloves were not enough protection when I followed the incorrect instructions.)
★★★
Thank you for the feedback, Elizabeth. Very much appreciated. We’re taking a closer look at these instructions to see if there can be improvements.
WOW, WOW, WOW! I don’t leave comments on all of your amazing recipes enough, but this is INCREDIBLE! It was my first time making caramel and had no problems! I did cut the salt in half to start off just trying a regular caramel, versus salted. The whole family thinks it’s amazing! Thank you!
★★★★★
So glad you loved it, Jamie!
Hi how do I make a thicker and firmer caramel icing golden color so it don’t run off the cake.. all the other recipes takes hours
Hi Marquis, this caramel solidifies into a chewy, thicker caramel at room temperature. You can make this recipe a bit thicker by reducing the heavy cream (try 1/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup).
My salted caramel taste like toffee. What can cause that to happen? Xx
Hi Tracey, if the salted caramel was a bit tough and tasted like toffee, it sounds like it was simply overcooked. An easy fix for next time!
So last weekend I attempted to make a caramel sauce for a caramel cheesecake and it did not turn out. Unfortunately the recipe I was using had very minimal information/steps and basically when it was time to add the butter it separated and I tossed it. I wish I had used this sites recipe bc you provide in depth information and clear cut instructions. As a novice baker I have made two pies and two birthday cakes from your site and they turned out perfect. Next time I want to try a caramel sauce I will definitely be using this site to do it
★★★★★
I want to make homemade vanilla ice cream with caramel swirled into it. Is this the kind of caramel I would use? If not, what would I need to do differently?
Hi Abbie! 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!
We were worried about that too, but we went for it. We drizzled it onto homemade vanilla ice cream with a fork, layer by layer, before freezing it. We loved it!! It was not hard and chewy.
Sugar melted fine. Added butter and it started to get away from me, so I picked up the pot from the burner and instantly had a big chunk of browned sugar inside my whisk. No way to incorporate the butter now. Still soaking the pot in hopes I can use it again!
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So I made this and it turned out perfectly. I removed from heat added the salt and let it sit fir a few still in the pan and now it tastes burnt. Should I remove it from the pan immediately?
Hi Tiffany! You can cook the caramel for a couple minutes less next time or remove it from the pan right away. Glad you enjoyed it!
Do you know if this can be used to swirl into ice cream as a caramel ribbon (not a topping, but layered into the container prior to ripening the ice cream)? Does the texture allow for that? I am going to be experimenting with some ice cream flavors and would like to use this caramel. Thanks in advance!
Hi Jennifer, 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!
How do you drizzle a tiered cake with the carmel sauce?
hello! how should i then make caramel that doesnt harden that much in the fridge? heat for a shorter time when making it?
Hi CC, for a thinner consistency feel free to add 2 more Tablespoons of heavy cream to the recipe, but it will still thicken/harden in the refrigerator.
Is the the kind of caramel that harden in a ice cream cake my son loves peanut butter reese and carmel ice cream cake and I want to make home made cake. Will this caramel stay solid in a ice cream cake?
Hi Colleen! Yes, this caramel will harden when frozen – probably a bit too hard to bite into in an ice cream cake. It’s best to use as a topping for ice cream cakes.
HI @joanna, thanks for your reply! is it okay to soften the entire jar but only use a portion of it, and subsequently return the jar back to the fridge?
Yes!
Hi ! Why do some recipes use water and others don’t ?
Hi Mariana, Caramel can be prepared a few different ways. Dissolving and boiling off the water usually results in a firmer caramel as opposed to the softer caramel here. Hope this helps!
To soften hard Carmel in a jar you cant microwave put it in a pot with water and heat until very hot. Do it gradually on low heat so as not to crack the bottom of your caramel jar. Leave until carmel is soft enough to remove.
hi there, the issue is, the jar i am using cannot be microwaved..
We have been just useing evaporated milk is that nfine to add instead of cream?
Hi Claire, It’s best to stick with heavy cream for this recipe.