Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

a jar of salted caramel sauce on a white bench.

5 from 4 votes

The most luxuriously creamy salted caramel sauce, homemade from scratch in under 15 minutes. Sweet and silky with bursts of flaky salt, it can be used in a number of ways. Pour it liberally over ice cream, cupcakes, chocolate cake or any sweet treat you fancy. Or, just eat it by the spoonful! You’ll never go back to store-bought caramel sauce again.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Australian

Servings:

Calories: 292kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

2 cups white sugar white granulated sugar or caster sugar
1 cup water
225 grams unsalted butter about 1 cup at room temperature
1 cup cream room temperature or gently warmed
1 teaspoon salt flakes or more or less, to taste.

Instructions

Place the sugar and water into a saucepan with high sides. Do not stir the sugar, but swirl to combine.
Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture starts to simmer and the sugar dissolves. Do not stir.
Continue to simmer on medium-low heat until the sugar changes from clear to a light straw colour and then a light brown/amber caramel colour.
Once the sugar has reached a light brown caramel colour, immediately add the butter and whisk continually. The mixture will foam and rise up, but will settle as the butter incorporates into the caramel. Bring back to a low simmer.
Turn off the heat and add the cream, whisking to combine. The cream will cause the mixture to bubble rapidly, but it will settle as it incorporates.
Whisk until smooth. Add the salt flakes to taste and store into clean, sterilised jars. The mixture will thicken as it cools.

Notes

Have everything ready to go before starting. Adding the ingredients to the caramel is time-sensitive, so having your ingredients and equipment ready makes the process much easier.
Take care while making. While it is easy to make, everything happens quickly and the caramel sauce will get very hot and can cause burns. Take caution while cooking to avoid hot caramel sauce landing on your skin.
Keep an eye on the sugar. As it caramelises, keep a close watch on the sugar. It can turn from golden brown to burnt very quickly. It should be an amber, light-medium brown colour. Once it turns this colour, the butter needs to be added immediately or it will continue to darken.
Do not stir. Stirring can make the sugar crystallise, which will cause the sauce to be grainy. Instead, gently swirl the pan to move the sugar syrup and ensure even caramelisation.
Be patient. The sugar syrup will appear clear for some time before it starts to caramelise. It will look like nothing is happening for 5-10 minutes before it starts to colour. It's best to keep it at a medium-low temperature, or things may happen too quickly and burn.
Room temperature ingredients. Make sure that the butter and cream are at room temperature. Cold ingredients will cause the hot sugar syrup to seize, which can cause lumps. It can also make the sauce split. Room temperature ingredients will incorporate more easily.
If the cream doesn’t immediately incorporate into the mixture, don’t panic! Simply place it back over low heat and whisk until combined.
Use a saucepan with high walls. The cream and butter will foam and bubble up the sides of the pan. Using a large saucepan will ensure the mixture does not bubble over the sides.
Sugar – use white, granulated or caster sugar. While either will work, caster sugar is finer, so will melt and dissolve a little easier. Use real sugar, not a sugar substitute.
Butter – for a rich, silky and glossy sauce. Butter also helps to thicken the sauce as it cools. As salt flakes are added to the sauce at the end, I recommend using unsalted butter so that you can control the salt content more easily. Make sure the butter is at room temperature before using.
Cream – double or heavy cream (also called whipping cream or thickened cream). Full fat (35% milk fat) is recommended, but light cream or double cream can also be used. Like the butter, the cream needs to be at room temperature before using, or the sauce can split or seize.
How much salt you add will depend on how salty you want the sauce. You can just add a pinch, or add more to your preference. Start with 1 teaspoon and go from there.
Storage; Allow the caramel to cool and pour into clean, sterilised glass jars or airtight container. Store the caramel in the fridge for up to 1 month. The caramel sauce cools in the fridge, it will harden. When you are ready to use it, spoon the desired amount into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it in 20-30 second intervals (stirring in between) until it warms and loosens again.
Reheating; Caramel sauce can be made ahead and stored in the fridge or freezer until ready for use. Heat on the stovetop or in the microwave to make it runny again.
Freezing; Caramel sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow it to come to room temperature first and then place it into freezer-safe containers in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature before using.
Please note that the nutrition information is based on the caramel yielding about 3 cups, with about ¼ cup being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the sauce.
This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition