Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe

This Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe uses just a handful of ingredients & the wet caramelization method to make perfect creamy caramel.

This recipe is for a caramel sauce that’s so easy to make, you’ll never buy store-bought again.

It takes less than 20 minutes and just basic pantry ingredients!

You can use it on ice cream, in coffee drinks, or anywhere else you want an extra dose of sweetness. Plus, it makes a great gift for friends or family this holiday season.

Wet Caramel vs Dry Caramel

There are two different methods of making caramel sauces. The dry method and the wet method are the two commonly used methods of cooking down sugar to make a sauce.

The Dry Method is exactly what it sounds like: Cooking and stirring sugar over heat without water or any other liquids until melted and caramelized.

The Wet Method is adding water with the sugar until melted and then caramelizing like the dry method.

With the wet method, there is no need for relentless stirring since the water in the sugar creates a syrup that helps to dissolve the sugar. Once the liquid is added, it does need to be cooked down until thick and caramelized, so you’ll want a heavy duty saucepan for this method.

Both methods will create caramel sauces full of flavour. The wet method is slightly more time consuming than the dry method, but it is practically fail proof.

I think the wet method is a lot easier because the sugar caramelizes very evenly and is less likely to burn as long as you are watching it. There’s almost no chance of this method resulting in grainy caramel because all the sugar crystals dissolve prior to carmelisation.

Tips for the Best Caramel Sauce

• When the sugar syrup is bubbling up it can stick to the sides of the pan and burn, which can affect the taste of the caramel sauce. To avoid this, brush down the inside of the pan with a wet silicone brush. (Wetted with water.)
• It may take awhile for syrup to thicken, when it starts getting to the point where it will start to carmelize watch for the bubbles to become larger and take longer to burst. 
• Cook the caramel until it reaches the colour you want. A lighter caramel is milder and sweeter, while a darker caramel has a more complex flavor.
• Make sure you are using a light-coloured heavy bottom saucepan without non-stick coating. Otherwise your caramel can heat unevenly.

No Candy Thermometer Caramel

This caramel sauce doesn’t require a candy thermometer or any other fancy equipment.

Instead, if you follow the recipe and use your eyes to determine when it’s time to stop cooking you will be fine. The caramel will thicken as it cools so all you need to do is watch the colour of the syrup.

About the Ingredients for Caramel Sauce

Water – To dissolve the sugar.

Sugar – Granulated white sugar. You can also use brown sugar but I don’t notice a huge flavour difference.

Cream – Heavy whipping cream at least 35% MF. Do not use milk or light cream, your sauce will end up soupy.

Butter – We use salted butter to get the best flavour from the caramel.

Salt – Then we add a little more salt.

Vanilla – Vanilla is optional but I think it gives it a fuller flavour.

Corn Syrup – Nope, Don’t need it. This is sometimes added in the dry method to help prevent crystalization but since we are using the wet method, this recipe has no corn syrup.

How to Store Homemade Caramel Sauce

Store in the refrigerator for up to a month in a microwave safe glass airtight container.

Warm in the microwave before serving to thin it out a bit.

What to Eat with Caramel Sauce?

Salted Caramel is one of my favourite fall flavours and this Salted Caramel Latte is perfectly sweet with just the right touch of savoury.

Drizzle over fall flavoured cakes like my Pumpkin Torte with Pumpkin Ganache or my Apple Torte with Maple Walnut Cream Cheese Filling.

How to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce

Yields: 1 Cup | Prep time: 2 Mins | Cook time: 16 Mins

Ingredients:

1 Cup (200g) Sugar
1/4 Cup (60 mL) Water
6 Tbsp (90g) Salted Butter, cubed
1/2 Cup (120 mL) Heavy Cream
1 teaspoon (6g) Salt
1 Tbsp (15 mL) Vanilla Extract

Directions:

In a spotlessly clean, light-coloured saucepan (with a capacity of at 3 quarts, combine the sugar and water. Place over medium heat, stirring with a clean metal spoon until the sugar has dissolved and you have a clear syrup. Stop stirring.

Allow the syrup to come to a rolling boil. Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush as needed.

Swirl the pot occasionally but do not stir or whisk.

The mixture will bubble and turn an amber colour (this can take anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes).

When it reaches a dark golden amber remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one cube at a time until completely melted.

Whisk in the cream. Then add the salt and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.

Set aside to cool for 10 minutes then poor into a microwave safe glass air tight container.