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Homemade caramel sauce is easier than you might think, with just sugar, water, cream, butter and salt to make a jar that outshines anything you can buy.
Homemade salted Caramel sauce is one of my favorite recipesโmine includes a whisper of orange blossom water, so delicious with the caramel flavor. Serve the caramel sauce with sliced apples and more sea salt to garnish. This easy caramel sauce recipe only takes a few simple ingredients, no doubt your first time making your own caramel sauce will certainly not be the last! Goodbye store-bought caramelโฆ
Notes about the Ingredients
To make a soft, dippable caramel sauce, use the following ingredients:
Granulated white sugar. The plain sugar is caramelized in my recipe for depth of flavor. Often recipes that call for brown sugar and butter are for a sauce that is not caramelized (real caramel). You can sub cane sugar for the white sugar.
Water. This simple half cup of water is a key ingredient because it helps the sugar dissolve and ensures heat is distributed evenly.
Heavy cream. The best salted caramel sauce uses heavy whipping cream because it yields a thicker caramel and a creamy caramel sauce overall. Plus: so rich and delicious!
Butter. I always use unsalted butter so you can have control over the amount of salt added, and itโs a key ingredient for a creamy caramel sauce. If you use
Sea salt. A pinch of salt in and on top of the caramel gives us the sweet salted caramel sauce flavor we love! Kosher salt works fine as does Maldon flakey sea salt.
Orange blossom water. This is my special twist and a trend in caramel treats that is becoming more and more popular. Orange blossom water is a best friend to caramel always–and especially this homemade salted caramel sauce! You can find pure Lebaneseย orange blossom waterย in my shop. If you donโt have this fabulous flower water in your pantry, a little vanilla extract is delicious as a substitution.
Corn Syrup.ย While this is certainly optional; I like the small amount used here because of what it lends to the consistency of the caramel.
How to Make Caramel Sauce
The process for making caramel sauce is simple. Start in a medium sauce pan rather than a small saucepan, to allow for the frothing up that will happen later in the process. Use a wooden spoon to combine the sugar and water. Then, without stirring again (to prevent crystallization), heat until boiling over medium heat. Pay close attention until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, and the sugar dissolves.
When you now remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up! Don’t worry if the caramel contains solid bits because you will now return the pan to the heat, whisking until the cream is fully incorporated and any bits melted. Finish off heat adding the unsalted butter, salt, and orange blossom water. Taste and add more salt if needed, garnishing with a few salt flakes as well.
What to serve with caramel sauce?
The world is your oyster with a delicious caramel sauce! My favorite desserts are made that much better with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Instead of caramel apples, try an easy plate of apple slices with caramel for dipping, or spoon it on top of vanilla ice cream and ice cream sundaes, with blondie bars, olive oil brownies, apple pie, pecan pie bars or pumpkin pie, drizzled over cinnamon rolls (right?!), and for a treat, even a spoonful in my morning coffee (think caramel macchiatos), or just a spoonful straight from the jarโฆ
Pro Tipsย
- If you see sugar crystals start to form in your melted sugar, don’t worry! There’s no need to start over. Just add a little water to the sugar mixture as it is cooking, one teaspoon at a time.
- A heavy-bottomed saucepan is key to the cooking process to help prevent burning.
- Donโt sub high fructose corn syrup for the sugar, it isnโt necessary here.
- This is one of those sorts of recipes where a little patience is the name of the game! Resist the urge to stir. Move the pot off the heat the moment the sugar mixture turns golden, or it may burn.
- Take care to use an oven mitt or hot pad while handling the heavy bottom pan. Once the sugar melts, it becomes very hot caramel that can burn!
- The beauty of this caramel recipe is that there is no need for any special equipment. No candy thermometer necessary! Keep a close eye on the sugar mixture and when it becomes deep golden, it is ready for next steps. Take care to move it off the heat right away once it turns golden because it can move quickly to become too dark and burnished.
What to serve with it
The world is your oyster with a delicious caramel sauce! My favorite desserts are made that much better with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Instead of caramel apples, try an easy plate of apple slices with caramel for dipping, or spoon it on top of vanilla ice cream and ice cream sundaes, withย blondie bars,ย olive oil brownies,ย apple pie,ย pecan pie barsย or pumpkin pie, drizzled overย cinnamon rollsย (right?!), and for a treat, even a spoonful in my morning coffee (think caramel macchiatos), or just a spoonful straight from the jarโฆย
Storage
Once the caramel cools to room temperature, store in an airtight container, glass jar (like a mason jar), or any airtight glass container or other container. Keep the sauce in the refrigerator, where it will be delicious for at least two weeks. This recipe is not canned for shelf life in the pantry.
Homemade Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 teaspoon Maldon or other sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water, or vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a 3- or 4 quart saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup.1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- Without stirring again, heat to boiling over medium high heat. Watch closely until the mixture becomes deep amber, about 12 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat immediately and whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up.3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- Return to the heat, whisking until the cream is fully incorporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, salt, and orange blossom water. Taste and stir in more salt if needed, garnishing with a few salt flakes as well.2 tablespoons butter, 3/4 teaspoon Maldon or other sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water
- Store in a jar or other airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The photo includes a bottle of Karo corn syrup. Was this exclude from the recipe accidentally?
Hi Geoff–good catch, thank you! Add it with the sugar and water; all updated now.
How long will this last ? Would like to make this as a gift for my dinner guests this Xmas season .
About a week, refrigerated only since it’s not canned for shelf-life.
Nice sauce to be dipped with fresh apple slices. Lovely recipe, simple to make and tastes nice too!
Greetings Maureen!
I made this over the weekend. It was such a hit! I’m already thinking about different ways to use this caramel sauce, if it will last. Carmel coffee anyone? Over my apple cake for Thanksgiving. It doesn’t get rock hard when refrigerated, either. Good job!
Pat
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful Pat! Thank you!
Where can I find orange blossom water?
Marie, thank you–find the best orange blossom water you can buy right here, at Maureen Abood Market!
How do you make orange blossom water?
Interesting question–flower waters are made in a special distillation process where the petals are infused in the water (not alcohol, as in an extract).
Maureen,
Many years ago a friend of the family brought me (from Lebanon) a bottle of Fig Syrup. Do you have an authentic recipe how to make Fig Syrup? Any help is appreciated.
Love your recipes and your webpages. THANK YOU!
Anis
I LOVE this idea Anis! Stay tuned for more on this! What did you use your fig syrup for?
Caramel Sauce… that’s my weakness!
Makes one cup? That’s not nearly enough.
maureen,
i, too, enjoy your blog so very much, the pictures, recipes, culture and comments others’ post; their memories evoke warm remembrances of my own. i love reading their stories and names, so many of which bring back faces of the past, different people, same names!
Thank you thank you!