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.
Taking the family apple picking is a tradition every fall, so why not celebrate with this Caramel Apple Board featuring a quick homemade caramel sauce, Taffy Apple Cookie Pizzas and Caramel Apple Mini Cheesecakes. Apples for dipping in the caramel sauce and some that have a chocolate drizzle are added along with caramel candies.
Caramel Apple Charcuterie Board
- Homemade Caramel Sauce (recipe below)
- Caramel Apple Pizza Cookies
- Caramel Apple Mini Cheesecakes
- Apples with Chocolate Drizzle
- Apple slices
- Caramel candy
Grab a copy of our Dessert Boards Cookbook! It has over 100 recipes and boards to make your holidays and entertaining super easy!
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)
- Vanilla Extract
How to Make Caramel Sauce
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!
This Caramel Sauce will quickly become a favorite Fall treat! It’s easy to make and can be used in many different desserts or simply dip with apples!
Here are a few recipes that you can use this Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe on –
Caramel Apple Fondue
Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Dip
Recipe for 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.
I added Himalayan Sea Salt….turned out AMAzInG!!!!!
So glad you liked the Caramel Sauce, Tiffany! Adding the sea salt is a great idea!
-Liz
Love this recipe! It’s the only way we eat caramel now. Quick, easy, and absolutely delicious. It never fails! Thank you so much!!
That’s awesome Kayla! Thanks so much for letting us know!
-Liz
I used half and half and it didn’t thicken quite as much as it like. Wondering if I should add more sugar and boil it again? Or put it in the fridge? It’s still slightly warmer than room temperature.
Hi Sarah, the caramel sauce will thicken when it cools in the refrigerator.
I have not made it with half-and-half, so I’m not sure about adding more sugar or boiling it again.
-Liz
This one is a winner! I’ve tried other caramel recipes and failed. This was perfect, after I read some other comments about the low temp.
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear that the Caramel Sauce was a hit!
Thanks for letting us know!
-Liz
I will try this recipe this weekend and plan to drizzle it liberally on my homemade apple crisp. Will keep you posted.
Paula
Awesome! The Homemade Caramel Sauce will be delicious on Apple Crisp!
-Liz
I must have over cooked mine a bit because it solidified. Cut it squares and my husband thought it was the best fudge he has had in a long time. ??♀️ so I am making it again today an purposefully cooking it into fudge. Thanks you, great recipe.