Homemade Caramel Sauce
This rich, creamy Homemade Caramel Sauce is perfect for all of your Fall baking! With only 5 ingredients and no candy thermometer needed, you can have Caramel Sauce for apples, ice cream topping or drizzle over dessert, in under 10 minutes.
Caramel Sauce is my favorite topping, whether I’m adding on top of Ice Cream, or adding it to recipes like Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Dip and Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Trifles.
Often times when you are making sauce which involves sugar, you need a candy thermometer. It’s always a good thing to have, and I use it when I make my Homemade Candy Corn and a few other recipes, but this Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe is easy enough, there is no special equipment needed.
How to Make Caramel Sauce
With only 5 ingredients you can make this Homemade Caramel Sauce. You will need – Heavy Whipping Cream, Brown Sugar, Butter, Salt (pinch) and Vanilla.
Begin making the Homemade Caramel by adding the heavy whipping cream, brown sugar, butter and salt to a heavy saucepan.
Heat caramel sauce over medium-high heat, stirring to completely combine the ingredients.
Bring the caramel sauce to boil, and continue to boil 5-7 minutes until mixture thickens.
Then remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla. Stir well.
Tips for Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe
- The single recipe listed below makes 1 cup, I doubled the recipe so that we had plenty for the Caramel Apple Fondue and Ice Cream.
- Storing the caramel sauce in a mason jar works really well.
- Store caramel sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Reheat caramel before serving
- This recipe has a pinch of regular salt, but you can easily make this recipe into Salted Caramel Sauce by adding sea salt flakes.
- This Homemade Caramel also makes great gifts!
Here are a few recipes that you can use this Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe on –
Caramel Apple Fondue
Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Dip
Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Trifles
Follow along as we share Fall Inspiration
Homemade Caramel Sauce
Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe with only 5 ingredients and ready in under 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, salt and heavy whipping cream
- Bring to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes or until thickened
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla
- Serve warm or store in container in fridge
- Reheat, stir until smooth
Notes
Caramel Sauce will keep in refrigerator up to 2 weeks in sealed container.
Be sure to reheat before serving.
Loved the quick recipe! I just made this with vegan butter and vegan cream. Turned out perfect! We just put it on pumpkin pie cheese cake. Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
This came out amazing! I use it to drizzle over the top of my homemade white chocolate raspberry frapachino! From one Hosier to another…great job! 👍
Welcome Hoosier Deb! I’m so glad you liked the caramel sauce!
Thanks for letting us know!
-Liz
It was so easy and turned out perfect,
I did a few batches, some with bourbon for gifts .
Hi Dyan, so glad you liked the Caramel Sauce! Adding Bourbon is a great idea!
-Liz
The sauce was nice and smooth but, never thickened. cooked it on a rapid boil for 7 minutes medium – medium high. Ughhh!
Hi Donni, sorry you had trouble. It does take a little time for the caramel sauce to thicken.
-Liz
Hi Liz, thank you for this simple and great recipe, I will try it next week !
You are welcome! Enjoy!
-Liz
Mine came out kind of grainy, and I saw the comments about it getting too hot. I had mine on medium-high, so maybe that was my problem? What heat do you recommend?
Thanks!
Jen
Hi Jen, I do cook mine over medium-high, however every stove is different. You could try medium-low.
-Liz
Do you stir it while it’s boiling?
Great question Kate! I usually stir it occasionally, just to keep it moving around.
-Liz
It’s great in a cup of coffee with a little cream!
That’s a great idea Cathy! Love it!
-Liz
This was great on cheesecake!
Thrilled you liked it Danielle! Thanks for letting me know!
-Liz
Mine did not turn out three times first cook for 7 minutes 2nd time cooked for 4 minutes it was like fudge when it cooled wherevdid I go wrong third no better !
Sorry you had trouble Carol. The only thing I can think of is that the heat was too high. Or maybe the specific ingredients you used, the type of butter perhaps.
When you say – it was like fudge – was that immediately after cooking it, or after it cooled?
-Liz
Aaaamazing! Needed a quick Carmel sauce and this fit the bill! Thanks!
Thrilled you liked it Debbie! Thanks so much for letting me know!
-Liz
Can I use half and half?
Hi Juli, I have not made the caramel sauce with half and half before, you can give it a try and see if it works.
-Liz
How do you prevent it becoming grainy?
Be sure your heat isn’t too high, and you aren’t cooking it too fast.
-Liz
That’s what I’m using it for!
Yummy!
This is perfect on ice cream!
Oh yes! I love it on ice cream!
-Liz
Very quick , easy& delicious ❤️
I poured this over my homemade apple cake . Excellent!
Sounds delicious Frankie! Thanks for stopping by!
-Liz
The perfect recipe for fall! I’m obsessed!! Yum!
xo Michael
Thanks Michael! I’m obsessed too!
-Liz
Oh YUM!! I can’t wait to make this!! It sounds aaahmaazing!!
Thanks so much!
-Liz
This was very gritty. I followed the instructions so I don’t know what went wrong. It is not smooth.
Hi Barb, sorry you had trouble. It sounds like you got the sauce too hot.
-Liz
Salted or unsalted butter?
Hi Millie, I always use unsalted butter.
-Liz
This makes me so excited for fall and all the yummy food it brings! Can’t wait to make this!
I love all the Fall flavors!
-Liz
An absolute STAPLE recipe! I adore this sauce from everything to putting on pancakes to dipping apples in it.
Oh yum! Pancakes! I hadn’t thought of that!
-Liz
Hello, was just wondering how long this stays good in fridge and can your freeze it?
Thank you,
Jessica
PS Looks soooo good!
Hi Jessica, as long as the container is well sealed, it should keep in the fridge at least 2 weeks. The recipe doesn’t make a ton, so it does go fast. I don’t think it would freeze well though.
Thanks for stopping by!
~Liz