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.
Hi Brent, thank you for giving this a try. For next time, you can try turning your burner down a bit. That should help to prevent the sugar from clumping and sticking. It may take a bit longer to make, but the reduced heat should help. Be sure to stir constantly, too.
Yummy goodness that will be the death of me.
Just made caramel for the 1st time. So easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
I loved this recipe so much! It worked perfectly, and when the butter separated, the instructions were clear and very helpful!
Is the salt optional, or is it a necessary ingredient?
Hi Sally! The salt is needed for balance, but can be reduced to 3/4 tsp for a more lightly salted flavor.
Can I use salted butter?
Hi Jackie, you can use salted butter with no other changes. Hope you enjoy it!
Hey what if I use beet sugar?
Hi Brandi! 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 recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
Idk what I did wrong but my sugar didn’t melt like a liquid it got hard and chunky. Then I added the butter and the sugar and butter separated. I took it off the heat and tried to whisk it as fast as possible. No luck. I then refused to give us and pulled out my bullet blender and mixed it on high. Then once it was all finely all mixed I added the heavy cream and reblended it on high. It came out perfect. This is how you save it if it starts to get chunky.
Worked perfectly! Couldn’t believe it.
OMG, finally I can make salted caramel sauce without burning and no crunchy sugar crystals! Thank you so much for this recipe!! (Can you see my big smile!! :))
So glad this recipe was successful for you, Andrea!
I loved this recipe? But I just wanted to know if you can be double?
Hi Hawwah, we recommend you make more than one batch instead of doubling this recipe. The added volume could prevent the sugar from melting evenly and properly.
Hi Sally! I’ve been using so many of your recipes for Christmas gift giving. Would these caramels work for mixing into fudge, or would I be better off using your salted caramel sauce?
Hi Kim, I think the soft caramels may work nicely as an add-in in fudge, though I have not tried it before.
This is so delicious!! I did add the extra heavy cream and cooked it a bit slower (bc my stovetop must run hot and I burned the first batch!) It was so worth doing it a second time! Yummy! I used kosher salt the second time around, perfecto!
I’ve been wanting to make a caramel sauce for so long, but I’ve never tried it because I’ve not been able to make caramel to begin with!
This recipe was absolutely stunning, the sauce came out perfectly the first time, and I can’t stop eating it by the spoonful! Thank you Sally!
After years of struggling with caramel using Bobby Flays recipe, i tried yours and got it first time… and it was QUICK!!! no rinsing down the sides of the pan yay! Maybe you need to have a dessert showdown with Mr Flay lol
Hi, this looks like my type of caramel recipe. Would it be an issue if I used salted butter in place of the unsalted butter?
Hi Mary, you can use salted butter with no other changes. Hope you enjoy it!
So easy and so tasty! I’m making this to share with coworkers as a Christmas present. I will definitely be keeping some to have a home for me, too! Thanks so much for sharing!
I have used this recipe a few times now. It never fails and makes me look like I might have some talent! Thank you for the helpful instructions, as they are thorough but very easy to follow. This caramel is THE BEST.
Tasty, but I couldn’t get the sugar to melt without adding some water (other recipes I found used a small bit of water). I stirred for 5-6 minutes with no sign of browning until I added water. What did I do wrong?
Hi Sheryl! We would try turning up the heat a little more next time.
I have made many batches of this the past two Christmases yet this year o can’t do it!! The sugar is melting slowly, the cream separated from rest and lots of clumping- suggestions??
Hi Marie, it can take a few minutes of whisking to bring it back together! And make sure you’re using full fat heavy cream at room temperature.
How would I use this as a filling for your macaron recipe? Will it set up inside the cookie enough? Thank you!
Hi Jen, it will somewhat set, but it will still spill out the sides. It’s just too thin. You can try my salted caramel frosting instead if you’d like.
I made this & the color & consistency was perfect, but it almost has a bitter taste. Does that mean I burnt the sugar?
Hi Beth, 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.
Can you put this Carmel sauce on the top of a cheesecake? Will it harden or not?
Hi Paula, This works well for a cheesecake topping. Enjoy!
The directions and ingredients are perfect and yield a delicious caramel we use on all sorts of things, but mostly to make caramel whipped cream. For me, this recipe makes 1 1/2 cups of caramel, not one. I just took 2/3 of all ingredients to get a 1 cup yield (my whipped cream is 1 cup caramel and 2 cups cream). Thank you Sally and staff…again!!!
This recipe is easy, but I had to make modifications to get it to work. After 15 minutes of constant stirring my sugar was *not* melting. I found that if I stirred, let sit for 30 seconds to a minute, then stirred again, the sugar actually started melting. My Carmel separated when I added butter. I took off the heat to whisk as recommended and it quickly became too stiff to stir and got stuck inside the whisk. I put back on the heat, added the cream even though it hadn’t all come together quite yet, and prayed i hadn’t ruined it. It worked! I think if I’d just stirred vigorously over low heat it would have been fine.
This was a fantastic recipe to use to teach my 12 yr old daughter how to make caramel sauce. Easy, straight forward, and only a very few ingredients. We made a half batch in a small sauce pan and it was almost completely gone within 30 min! (We served it with cut up Granny Smith Apples…if there had been 2 more apples to cut up, it would have been completely gone!!!). Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
Clearly I could test this myself…but since you seem to already have a strong opinion on it…why not nonstick for this recipe?
You can use nonstick, but you’ll just have to really whisk in the butter during that step. You may even need to remove the pan from heat as you whisk. If you can, a NOT non-stick pan is ideal—but again, nonstick will work in a pinch. Let us know if you give the salted caramel a try!
Dear Sally,
Thank you for this caramel sauce recipe. Absolutely love this sauce, the flavor is awesome.
The first time I made this sauce it didn’t turn out. the end result was a gritty taste. That said I probably didn’t get the sugar completely melted, not sure what happened.
However, this time around it was a perfect ending. I used superfine sugar by Domino and it made a big difference for me.
My family loves this sauce and as Thanksgiving is approaching fast, I will use this sauce in your Salted Caramel Apple Pie recipe.
Thank you so much and a Happy thanksgiving to you and your family.
Could I substitute coconut cream for the heavy cream?
Hi Erin, we haven’t tested this ourselves, but some readers have had success using unsweetened canned coconut cream in place of the heavy cream. Let us know if you give it a try!
This recipe is genius! I’ve messed up caramel in the past, but this recipe worked flawlessly and produced a beautiful smooth amber caramel with a depth of flavor. Thanks for all you and your team do, Sally!
So, I tried this in my enameled cast iron Dutch oven and I failed… it took awhile to get the sugar to melt then it really wanted to stick to the sides of the pan. Once I added the butter its like there wasn’t enough sugar in the bottom of the pan. It started separating so I removed it from the heat and it just wouldn’t come back together and started to seize . So was it the Dutch oven? I know my butter wasn’t too cold. Now I’m worried about ruining my Dutch oven. So I won’t try it again till I have a different pot.
Hi Kayla! Is it a large dutch oven? A medium sized sauce pan would be best here.