Caramel Sauce

Yield: 1 ½ cups

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 17 minutes

This five-ingredient Caramel Sauce recipe comes together in a matter of minutes. It tastes phenomenal with almost every dessert. Drizzle it over some ice cream, add some to your morning coffee, swirl it into cheesecakes, or dip some apples in it.

Ingredients

1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
⅓ cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

In a small saucepan, bring heavy whipping cream to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Heat over low heat, without stirring, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil and turns an amber or light brown color. This will take about 10 minutes.
Whisk in the warm heavy whipping cream a little at a time, and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Pour into a bowl and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
Cut butter into Tablespoons. Add butter and salt to the caramel mixture, whisking until completely combined.
Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Storage: This caramel sauce will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. It will be thick after refrigeration. To reheat, place the desired amount in a microwave-safe dish and reheat at 10-second intervals, stirring in between. The sauce can also be reheated on the stovetop over low heat.
Heating the sugar and corn syrup, do not walk away! This step requires constant supervision as the mixture can go from a beautiful amber color to deep brown when it gets over cooked. If the sauce gets overcooked, it will be rock hard like candy and you will have to start over. It takes about 10 minutes from the time you start heating the sugar mixture until it begins to brown. It will have a slight yellow hue and then deepen. I would recommend setting a timer for 10 minutes and keeping a watchful eye.
What is the difference between butterscotch sauce and caramel sauce? Cooking: Caramel sauce is made with white (granulated) sugar and gets cooked, sometimes with liquid if using the wet method, and then other ingredients are added in. In addition, in our recipe, the butter is added during the very last step. Butterscotch is made with brown sugar, and you combine/cook all the ingredients together at once. Flavor: Due to the molasses in the brown sugar, the butterscotch usually has a deeper flavor profile than the caramel syrup. It is usually sweeter than caramel as well.
Why do we heat the cream? Hot cream is used to prevent splashing when it is added to hot sugar mixture. This can happen when cold cream is added instead.
What is the purpose of the corn syrup? Using corn syrup prevents the chemical reaction that turns the sugar into hard candy. It keeps this caramel soft, even after refrigeration. It also prevents the sauce from being grainy.
Why shouldn’t I stir the mixture while heating? Stirring the sauce while heating can cause some of the mixture to splash up the sides of the saucepan resulting in the evaporation of the liquid and the sugar crystalizing, which will cause the sauce to be grainy. We suggest gently swirling the mixture periodically while heating.
See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

2 teaspoons
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 62Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 40mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 0g

*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.