This Quick Caramel Sauce is rich, buttery, and perfectly smooth for drizzling over desserts, turtle cookies and ice cream! Did I mention it's foolproof? This easy method produces perfect caramel sauce every time.
This 3-ingredient, 15-minute decadent sauce is a life saver for all of you with busy lives! No babysitting required yet it still has that homemade artisanal quality taste - perfect for holiday desserts such as Turtle Pie and Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake!
A Quick Glance At The Recipe
- ✅Done in: 15 minutes. 5 minutes prep & 10 minutes cooking
- 🛒Ingredients: 3, plus Kosher salt
- 🍽️Serves: 1 jar that you can put to use
- 💪Difficulty: Easy - It does need a watchful eye, though
- 👩🍳Cook Method: Stovetop
- ⏰Make Ahead Friendly: Yes!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This easy caramel sauce requires just 3 ingredients, plus salt!
- Stash the caramel in the fridge for up to 2 weeks! Use leftovers on Cake Mix Peach Cobbler.
- Taking just 15 minutes, I can make it between running the kids to dance and sports after a busy day at work.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Heavy Cream: The high fat level is necessary to keep things smooth.
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter so I can control the added salt.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations & Substitutions
- Add 1 teaspoon of bourbon at the same time as the heavy cream to transform this easy caramel sauce into a bourbon caramel, which is wonderful on to of Banana Bread with Streusel Topping.
- Use a flaky sea salt rather than kosher salt. I make a sea salt caramel for drizzling over Dutch Apple Pie.
- Omit salt if you're not a fan of salty sweets - which would just be crazy LOL!
- If using salted butter, omit the addition of salt.
- Add half a vanilla bean or bourbon vanilla bean for extra depth of flavor! You can also use ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
How To Make Easy Caramel Sauce
Step 1: Heat sugar over gentle heat until it melts completely.
Step 2: Sugar will turn a golden color.
Step 3: Stir in butter, being very careful with sputtering!
Step 4: Whisk in cream and then remove pot from heat and stir in a pinch of salt.
Expert Cooking Tips
- Have a long metal whisk on hand. This will help you stir the ingredients without getting a steam burn as well as not splattering hot sugar on yourself. Hot sugar can cause some gnarly burns - do not taste the caramel sauce as soon as it's done, you'll need to let it cool slightly first or at least blow on the spoon so you don't burn your mouth.
- Do not stir the sugar while melting. Tilt the pan instead periodically to get the melted sugar over the top of the rest of the sugar to help with even heating. This is key to achieving a smooth finished result! Strain caramel sauce through a fine mesh strainer for perfectly smooth caramel.
- If your caramel seizes or clumps, continue heating over low-medium heat while whisking constantly until clumps melt.
- Serving suggestions for easy caramel sauce include: Taffy Apple Salad, Banana Coffee Cake, Mini Cheesecake Bites or just dipping my apples in.
- Easy Caramel Sauce is a great gifting option! Make up a few cute little glass jars, decorate the outside with ribbon and gift away. You can even add little stickers showing the reheating instructions: microwave for 10 seconds increments, stirring in between each time.
Recipe FAQs
Transfer easy caramel sauce to a glass jar with an airtight lid or a heat proof container that can be made airtight. Store in the fridge for up to 2-weeks.
Yes, this easy caramel sauce is delicious when hot! Hot or warm caramel is best for pouring and drizzling. Quick caramel sauce can be enjoyed once cooled too. For example, after topping Turtle Cookies. Make sure it's not so hot you will burn yourself when pouring. The sauce will thicken as it cools, and it's perfect to use as an ice cream topping then without melting the ice cream. Once chilled, you'll want to gently warm in the microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring well after each time in the microwave.
You start over with a clean dry pan! Although this is an easy caramel sauce, that is one thing you have to watch - your sugar. Spreading the sugar in an even layer and heating over low to medium-low heat will help prevent burning. If your sugar seems to be melting more quickly in one area than another, simply tilt the pan and swirl in a slow circular motion to move the melted sugar over the top of the granulated sugar. You can also move the pan around on the burner. If it seems to be melting one side but not the other, scoot the other side of the pan directly over the heat.
🧁Krista's Food Truck & Mom POV
Quick Caramel Sauce is perfect for food truck life and busy mom status. 15-minutes and it's ready! No messing around with a thermometer or crystalizing your caramel.
From this point, I leave it on the counter for up to 8 hours or store in the fridge then gently reheat in the microwave when needed.
Pro-tip: Make yourself a batch or two right before the holidays to have on hand and top your desserts!
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📖Recipe
Quick Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 pinch kosher salt I use Diamond Crystal brand
Instructions
- Pour sugar into a large skillet, spreading it evenly over the surface and cook over low heat until sugar begins to melt. Do not stir. Gently swirl sugar once it starts to melt to ensure even melting and avoid burning
- Once sugar is completely melted add butter and whisk until combined. Mixture will sputter, this is normal
- Stir in heavy cream. Mixture will sputter vigorously again, continue whisking until combined then whisk in a pinch of salt and remove from heat immediately
- Transfer mixture to a heat proof container
Krista
One of my all time favorite toppings! It works for cookies, cakes, ice cream, pie, dipping apple slices into, cheesecake!
Shawn
Killer Carmel!!!
Krista Stechman
Thanks!