🍮 How to Make Caramel Sauce at Home
✨ Easy. Golden. Addictive.
Ready in just 15 minutes with only 4 ingredients!
🛍️ Ingredients You’ll Need
(Room temp = crucial!)
| Icon | Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 🍚 | Granulated Sugar | 1 ½ cups |
| 💧 | Water | ⅓ cup |
| 🥛 | Heavy Cream (room temp) | 225 ml |
| 🧈 | Unsalted Butter (softened) | ¾ cup |
| 🌿 | Optional Flavors | Vanilla, sea salt, bourbon, maple, etc. |
🍳 Essential Tools
| Icon | Tool | Why You Need It |
|---|---|---|
| 🍲 | Medium Pot | Larger is safer — caramel bubbles up! |
| 🖌️ | Pastry Brush | For brushing down sugar crystals |
| 🔪 | Whisk | To mix in cream and butter |
| 🫙 | Glass Jar | For cooling & storing your golden sauce |
🔥 Let’s Make It!
Follow these steps — no skipping, no stirring after step 1!
🔢 Step-by-Step
1. 🍚 + 💧
Add sugar & water to your pot. Stir once to dissolve. Do NOT stir again.
2. 🖌️
Brush down the sides with water to prevent crystals. No crystals = smooth caramel.
3. 🔥
Bring it to a boil on medium-high heat. Don’t walk away!
4. 👀
Watch closely as the color deepens. Gently swirl the pot when you see it start turning yellow.
⚠️ Caramel burns fast once it starts browning. Watch like a hawk!
5. 🍂
Cook until it’s a deep amber color and smells amazing. Then, immediately remove from heat.
6. 🥛
Whisk in the room temp cream — slow pour, fast whisk! It will bubble up violently (that’s normal!).
7. 🧈
Add butter and any flavorings (vanilla, salt, etc.) now. Whisk until smooth.
8. ♨️
Return to low heat and simmer for 1–2 minutes to thicken slightly. Don’t boil too hard.
9. 🧊
Remove from heat and cool completely. Sauce will thicken as it cools.
🧪 Flavor It Your Way
| Flavor | How to Add It |
|---|---|
| 🧂 Sea Salt | Add with butter |
| 🍦 Vanilla | Whisk in at the end |
| 🥃 Bourbon | Stir in after cream |
| 🌸 Lavender / Earl Grey | Infuse cream beforehand: |
Warm cream with herb/tea until just before simmer
Remove from heat, steep 15–30 min
Strain, then use as usual |
🧊 Storage Tips
| Storage Method | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Room Temp | 1–2 days | Good for quick use |
| ❄️ Fridge | Up to 2 weeks | Reheat gently to loosen |
| 🧊 Freezer | Up to 3 months | Thaw & warm before using |
✅ Caramel Do’s & Don’ts
✅ DO:
Use a bigger pot than you think
Brush down sugar on sides
Warm your cream & butter
Let it cool before tasting
❌ DON’T:
Don’t stir once sugar dissolves
Don’t leave the pot unattended!
Don’t add cold cream/butter
Don’t boil hard after adding cream
🍰 Use It On:
Caramel Cake 🍰
Apple Pie 🥧
Ice Cream 🍦
Pancakes 🥞
Brownies 🍫
🧾 Printable Recipe Card
📋 Caramel Sauce (makes ~2 cups)
Prep: 5 min | Cook: 10 min | Total: 15 min
Calories: 197 per serving (16 servings)
Ingredients:
1½ cups sugar
⅓ cup water
225 ml heavy cream (room temp)
¾ cup butter (room temp)
Flavorings, to taste
Instructions:
Stir sugar + water in pot. Do not stir again.
Boil, brushing down sugar crystals.
Cook to amber color, remove from heat.
Slowly whisk in cream.
Whisk in butter & flavoring.
Simmer 1–2 minutes on low.
Cool & store.
🍯 Once you make this, you’ll never want store-bought again.
💛 Creamy. Dreamy. Homemade.