Thursday, October 19, 2023
HomeCakeDo-it-yourself Caramel Recipe | Life, Love and Sugar

Do-it-yourself Caramel Recipe | Life, Love and Sugar


This simple home made caramel sauce solely requires 3 easy substances and 10 minutes of your time. Its irresistible taste and nutty aroma will make you wish to put it on all the things from cheesecake, cake and cupcakes, to ice cream and cookies. Skip the store-bought stuff. That is so significantly better.

Overhead of drizzling caramel sauce into a jar.

The Greatest Do-it-yourself Caramel Sauce Recipe

Caramel sauce is a kind of issues that may appear just a little intimidating – till you truly strive it for the primary time. After which as you make it extra, you understand it’s truly tremendous simple and fast to make. There are only a few issues to remember so that you’re profitable.

This recipe has been on my website ceaselessly and is well one of the used and liked recipes. Now, you’ll discover step-by-step pictures that stroll you thru the method, in addition to a video the place I stroll you thru the entire course of! What has at all times been simple is now even simpler with all my steerage. And belief me, you need this recipe. It’s at all times a success!

And within the curiosity of serving everybody and having choices, I even have my Salted Caramel Sauce and Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce, that are each fabulous and 100% deserve your consideration.

A jar of caramel sauce with a spoon on it.

Why Make Caramel Sauce From Scratch?

From scratch is nearly at all times higher in my view. Caramel sauce isn’t any exception. Right here’s why.

  • Higher taste. Do-it-yourself caramel sauce has incomparably higher taste than store-bought renditions which might be usually sickly candy and lack taste.
  • Consistency. Making caramel sauce from scratch means you might have management. Retailer-bought sauces are sometimes very skinny and don’t work properly for all makes use of. They’re usually within the part with ice cream toppings, as a result of they work properly for that, however not as properly for different issues. This home made caramel sauce is ideal for all types of desserts.
  • It’s faster and surprisingly simple. Positive you may run seize a jar of caramel sauce from the shop, however that may take you a minimum of 20 minutes. This home made model solely takes 10 minutes of lively time (plus some for cooling) and the directions are tremendous simple to observe.

What You’ll Want

You’ll solely want 3 substances to make this tremendous easy, fast, and straightforward home made caramel sauce. Right here they’re. You’ll want to scroll to the recipe card under for exact measurements.

  • Sugar – Simply common granulated sugar right here.
  • Butter – Unsalted butter at room temperature is greatest (you’ll be able to add your individual salt later, should you like). You wish to make sure that the butter is at room temperature or perhaps a bit hotter. You can even soften it! The large factor right here is that the melted sugar is SUPER delicate to temperature modifications. For those who add butter that’s too chilly, the caramel will seize up into a tough rock.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream – Be sure it’s at room temperature. Once more, the caramel sauce is delicate to dramatic temperature modifications. This must be a minimum of room temperature. You can even heat it up a contact. I usually do this, simply to be similar. Particularly within the winter when my house is cooler. Don’t change this with milk or half and half, you want the additional fats content material to get a creamy texture. Different milks will skinny it out an excessive amount of.

Make Do-it-yourself Caramel Sauce

Caramel sauce actually is easy to make. Step one is to soften the granulated sugar. It’s a considerably sluggish course of, however simple. Permit it to caramelize, then stir within the butter and incorporate it (it might take a minute). Lastly, add the heavy cream. That’s it! You’re finished. However so simple as it’s, it may be difficult. Right here’s the step-by-step course of to assist guarantee your success.

  • Soften the sugar. Pour the sugar right into a pot (I like to recommend a light-weight coloured pan, so you’ll be able to see the colour of the caramel sauce) and warmth over medium warmth. Stir the sugar till it has melted utterly and has turned a deep, amber coloration. You’ll discover the sugar actually clump up at first, then slowly start to soften. Hold stirring because it melts, in order that no a part of it burns whereas the remaining continues to be melting.
Side-by-side images of sugar in a pot going from clumpy to almost melted.
Side-by-side images of sugar going from almost fully melted to nice and brown.
  • Take away from warmth. As soon as melted and the suitable coloration, cease stirring and take away the caramel from the warmth.
  • Add butter. Add the butter (be certain it’s room temperature or hotter) to the sugar and whisk till easy. It might take a minute to totally incorporate and might look just a little stringy. It’s going to bubble up rather a lot, so watch out.
  • Add the cream. Slowly pour the heavy cream (be certain it’s room temperature or hotter) into the caramel and whisk till easy. Once more, it’ll bubble up rather a lot, so watch out.
Whisking heavy cream into hot melted sugar and butter to make caramel sauce.
  • Cool. Pour the caramel right into a jar (ideally the one you propose to retailer it in) and permit it to chill for about 10-Quarter-hour earlier than utilizing.

Do I Want a Sweet Thermometer?

One of many nice issues about this caramel sauce is that you don’t want a sweet thermometer. As soon as your sugar is melted and turned a stunning amber coloration, it’s able to go. Additionally, you will discover a stunning, nutty aroma. The longer you prepare dinner it, the deeper the colour and the caramel taste. Simply use your eyes and greatest judgement and also you’ll be set.

How Do You Know When Caramel is Prepared?

You’ll know your caramel sauce is prepared when the sugar has totally melted and reaches a deep amber coloration. As soon as it will get there, take away it from the warmth instantly. If you’d like a barely richer caramel, you’ll be able to permit it to prepare dinner for a bit longer, however maintain a really shut watch as caramel can go from stunning golden brown to burnt in a short time.

Why is my Caramel Sauce Skinny?

This caramel sauce is sort of skinny when it first comes off the range and could be very sizzling. The hotter is it, the thinner it’s. The cooler it’s, the thicker. After which when it’s chilly, it’s fairly agency and arduous. You should utilize it at totally different consistencies relying on what you’re utilizing it for. I usually let it cool utterly within the fridge, then heat it up within the microwave in 10-15 second increments, stirring between every, to get it to the consistency I would like.

Overhead image of caramel sauce being drizzled into a jar.

Ideas for Success

Caramel generally is a little difficult however don’t be intimidated. You’ll be able to 100% do it and do it properly. Simply maintain these easy ideas in thoughts and also you’ll be in your manner.

  • Room temperature substances. This one is an important. It’s extraordinarily vital to not add chilly butter or cream to your melted sugar except you need rock-hard caramel sauce. Ensure they’re at room temperature (or hotter!). You’ll be able to even soften the butter a bit and heat up the cream. I usually do this within the winter, when my house is just a little cooler.
  • Don’t use an excessive amount of warmth. You don’t need elements of the melted sugar to prepare dinner too rapidly whereas different elements are nonetheless melted. Purpose for medium warmth and err on the aspect of warning. If it looks like the sauce is cooking too rapidly and never all the things is melted, flip the warmth down a bit.
  • Hold it shifting. In an effort to stop the sugar from burning, maintain the caramel sauce shifting because it cooks. I like to make use of a silicon spatula or a wood spoon.
  • Regulate the sugar. This recipe melts the sugar utilizing the “dry technique” (simply sugar, nothing else). Which means the sugar could be very prone to burning. So control it and don’t stroll away from the range. No potty breaks allowed on this course of!
  • Gradual and regular. When including the cream, I discover it useful so as to add only a bit at a time till the caramel begins to skinny out. Then you’ll be able to add the remaining.

Methods to Use This Straightforward Caramel Sauce

Truthfully, you should use caramel sauce on nearly any candy factor (and even some savory). Listed here are a number of of my favourite methods to make use of it, although. What are yours?

  • As a dip. Heat this candy sauce up and serve it with apple slices or different fruit, graham crackers, home made chocolate chip cookies, or churros. You can even dip savory treats. Pretzels or potato chips could be tasty.
  • Over dessert. Whether or not it’s a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of apple pie, cake, and even cheesecake (try my library of scrumptious cheesecake recipes for inspiration), this caramel sauce is the right approach to prime off your favourite dessert.
  • Popcorn. Drizzle some caramel sauce over popcorn for a salty-sweet deal with.
  • With breakfast. Caramel sauce is the right approach to sweeten up breakfast. Use it in lieu of (or along with) maple syrup over your favourite pancakes, waffles, or French toast. Attempt my In a single day Cinnamon Apple Baked French Toast Casserole or these Thick and Fluffy Banana Pancakes.
  • In one other recipe. I take advantage of this caramel sauce on a regular basis in different recipes. Wish to strive some for your self? Try the part under titled “Extra Recipes With Caramel To Attempt” to get began.

Can I Use This For Caramel Apples?

Sadly, this specific caramel sauce is a bit too skinny to work for caramel apples. It received’t cling to the fruit correctly. You can strive lowering the quantity of heavy cream within the recipe to make it thicker. Simply because this recipe received’t work for traditional caramel apples, that doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t dip slices of apple into the caramel for the same impact.

Drizzling caramel sauce into a jar.

Retailer Caramel sauce

  • Fridge. As soon as the sauce has cooled to room temperature, seal it in an hermetic container (I like to make use of a glass mason jar) and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks.
  • Freezer. Permit the sauce to chill utterly earlier than sealing it in a freezer-safe hermetic container. You’ll be able to retailer it within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Permit it to thaw within the fridge earlier than utilizing.
  • To reheat. The sauce will likely be fairly stiff once you take away it from the fridge. I recommend heating it within the microwave in 10-15 second increments, stirring between every, till it reaches the consistency you need it at. It’s going to get thinner because it will get hotter.

Extra Recipes With Caramel To Attempt

It’s fall and, to me, meaning caramel season. When you get this caramel sauce down, you’ll be dying to make use of it in all kinds of recipes. In that spirit, listed below are a few of my favourite caramel-inclusive candy treats.

Watch Make Caramel Sauce

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Drizzling caramel sauce into a jar full of it.