• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • All Recipes
  • Dinner

Veronika's Kitchen logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Contact Us
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Contact Us
×

Home » Course » Dessert » Homemade Caramel Sauce

Published: Nov 20, 2019 · Modified: Oct 30, 2020 by Veronika's Kitchen * This post may contain affiliate links

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This is an easy recipe on how to make Homemade Caramel Sauce from scratch, using just 4 simple ingredients: sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt.

Homemade Caramel Sauce in a jar.

There is no reason to buy a premade caramel sauce in the store when you can make it at home in just 15 minutes! All you need are 4 simple ingredients (granulated sugar, unsalted butter, heavy cream, and salt) and your creamy homemade caramel sauce is ready!

I use this Caramel Sauce as one of the main ingredients in my Cupcakes with Caramel and Twix Thumbprint Cookies.

You also can use it with One Bowl Brownies, Apple Pie, Apple Coffee Cake, and many other desserts.

Homemade Caramel Sauce in a jar.

How to make Homemade Caramel Sauce

There are two things you need to make caramel, a sauce pan with heavy bottom (so the caramel won’t burn) and a heat resistant spatula (so it won’t melt).

Everything else is quite easy.

Put granulated sugar in a sauce pan and heat it over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, constantly stirring. The sugar will start melting and form clumps, which will turn into amber/brown liquid.

When the sugar is completely melted, add cubed butter and stir. At this point the mixture will start to bubble. Stir for a couple of minutes until the butter is melted. First, it will look like the sugar and butter are separated, there is nothing wrong with that.

Homemade Caramel Sauce in a jar.

Gradually add heavy cream and stir. It will bubble again.

Stir for another minute, then remove from the heat and add salt.

I prefer to add ½ teaspoon salt first, let the caramel to cool off a bit, taste, and add more salt if needed.

First, the caramel will be quite runny but it will get thicker after it cools off.

When the caramel sauce is completely cooled off, transfer it to a mason jar or an air tight container and refrigerate.

Homemade Caramel Sauce in a jar.

MORE DESSERT RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

  • Cupcakes with Caramel
  • Orange Pound Cake
  • Chocolate Bourbon Truffles
  • Chocolate Mousse Pie
  • One Bowl Brownies
  • Chocolate Chunk Cookies
  • Mini Cheesecakes with Blueberry Sauce
  • Classic Apple Pie
  • Mini Blueberry Hand Pies
  • Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
  • Kahlua Cupcakes
Homemade Caramel Sauce in a jar.
Print Recipe
5 from 11 votes

Homemade Caramel Sauce

This is an easy recipe on how to make Homemade Caramel Sauce from scratch, using just 4 simple ingredients: sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 cup
Calories: 1787kcal
Author: Veronika’s Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut in pieces
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Put 1 cup granulated sugar in a sauce pan and heat it over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, constantly stirring. The sugar will start melting and form clumps, which will turn into amber/brown liquid.
  • When the sugar is completely melted, add 6 tbsp cubed butter and stir. At this point the mixture will start to bubble. Stir for a couple of minutes until the butter is melted. First, it will look like the sugar and butter are separated, there is nothing wrong with that.
  • Gradually add ½ cup heavy cream and stir. It will bubble again.
  • Stir for another minute, then remove from the heat and add salt.
  • I prefer to add ½ teaspoon salt first, let the caramel to cool off a bit, taste, and add more salt if needed.
  • First, the caramel will be quite runny but it will get thicker after it cools off.
  • When the caramel sauce is completely cooled off, transfer it to a mason jar or an air tight container and refrigerate.

Nutrition

Calories: 1787kcal | Carbohydrates: 203g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 112g | Saturated Fat: 71g | Cholesterol: 344mg | Sodium: 2382mg | Potassium: 89mg | Sugar: 200g | Vitamin A: 3848IU | Calcium: 98mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review below. Or snap a photo and share it on Instagram; be sure to tag me @veronikaskitchen.
 

More Dessert Recipes

  • Sour Cream Cookies, topped with sugar icing and sprinkles on a plate.
    Sour Cream Cookies
  • Chocolate bundt cake, topped with chocolate ganache.
    Chocolate Overload Cake
  • Cookies topped with M&Ms and chocolate chips on a wire rack.
    Monster Cookies
  • Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll in a baking dish.
    Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Dominique says

    January 12, 2023 at 4:21 pm

    Hello! At what step do I remove the pan from heat?

    Reply
  2. Precious says

    December 21, 2022 at 8:09 am

    Hi what can I substitute the heavy cream with

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      December 23, 2022 at 11:28 am

      Hi, unfortunately, you can’t substitute heavy cream with anything else in this recipe. It won’t work…

      Reply
    • Stu says

      March 18, 2023 at 9:55 pm

      I used some coffee creamer and whipped cream instead and it came out amazing !

      Reply
  3. Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli says

    September 12, 2022 at 10:24 am

    5 stars
    This caramel sauce is so luscious and incredible! Our go-to from now on!

    Reply
  4. Hayley Dhanecha says

    September 12, 2022 at 5:04 am

    5 stars
    Homemade is the best! I love caramel sauce, love using in various recipes.

    Reply
  5. Sean says

    September 11, 2022 at 11:05 pm

    This was perfect to put on top of my bourbon butterscotch budino. I loved it.

    Reply
  6. Debbie says

    September 11, 2022 at 9:55 pm

    5 stars
    This homemade caramel is so simple and so delicious .I will never buy a jar of caramel again now that I can make it myself.

    Reply
  7. Jacqueline Debono says

    September 11, 2022 at 8:11 am

    5 stars
    So simple and so delicious. I served this caramel sauce with vanilla ice-cream. heavenly!

    Reply
  8. Veronika says

    September 09, 2022 at 10:17 pm

    5 stars
    Nothing beats a homemade caramel sauce and this one is really tasty and surprisingly easy to make! We’ll definitely make it again when we run out.

    Reply
  9. Sean says

    September 09, 2022 at 10:11 pm

    5 stars
    This was so simple to make and it was very tasty. I will make it again.

    Reply
  10. Enri Lemoine says

    September 09, 2022 at 1:31 pm

    5 stars
    This is the easiest, most delicious caramel sauce ever. I made it to top off vanilla ice cream, and it was simply perfect. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  11. Bernice says

    September 09, 2022 at 12:56 pm

    This caramel sauce is so rich and decadent. It is the essential sauce for fall desserts, especially those with apples and pears!

    Reply
  12. Ann says

    September 07, 2022 at 3:10 pm

    5 stars
    I always fail at making homemade caramel sauce. However, I followed your recipe exactly, and the sauce turned out delicious!

    Reply
  13. Kathryn says

    September 05, 2022 at 5:51 pm

    5 stars
    This was the best caramel sauce I’ve made and had! This was so easy and I love how well it stores in the fridge. Perfect for a caramel ice cream sundae!

    Reply
  14. Hannah says

    March 19, 2022 at 9:41 pm

    I’m using this as a filling for a layered cake. I made a batch in advance, which turned out great by the way, and put it in the fridge. Can I reheat this later so it will spread more easily?

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      March 22, 2022 at 10:02 am

      Hi Hannah! Yes, you can reheat it in a microwave or on the stove in a saucepan.

      Reply
  15. Carmen Mare says

    August 05, 2021 at 5:36 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing ! Tastes divine! I used 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel. Soooo good and easy to make!

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      August 06, 2021 at 2:09 pm

      Thank you so much, Carmen! I’m so happy you liked it!

      Reply
  16. AnonymousFoodLover says

    February 19, 2021 at 12:27 am

    Would I be able to use this for filling cupcakes right after it cools?

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      February 20, 2021 at 5:20 pm

      Yes! It will be a perfect consistency for it 😉

      Reply
  17. Hannah says

    January 19, 2021 at 9:31 am

    Would this be good for a coffee additive?

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      January 21, 2021 at 9:34 am

      Hi Hanna, I’ve never tried to add this caramel sauce to the coffee, so I cannot say for sure….

      Reply
  18. Terri says

    December 18, 2020 at 4:01 pm

    5 stars
    Very good sauce with so many uses.

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      December 20, 2020 at 7:00 pm

      Thank you, Terri!

      Reply
  19. Carolyn says

    November 15, 2020 at 6:39 pm

    Retract this comment. I put too much cream in. Made a separate batch to even out my mis-measure and it seemed to come out okay. Now I just have twice as much. Could be worse consequences in life. haha.

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      November 16, 2020 at 8:49 am

      Ha-ha! Glad you found the issue!

      Reply
  20. Carolyn Prahm says

    November 15, 2020 at 4:06 pm

    mine completely froze up and never incorporated property when i added the cream. What did I do wrong? I don’t think I overcooked the sugar. It came to a nice amber color. Now I have a pot of buttery milk with clumps of caramel.

    Reply
    • Erika says

      December 18, 2020 at 12:18 am

      You should put the cream in the microwave before adding it to the sugar or else it will seize up & butter should be room temperature

      Reply
  21. Jessica says

    October 24, 2020 at 3:31 pm

    Could i use this to dip apples?

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      October 26, 2020 at 10:06 am

      Yes, but I would do it while the sauce is still fresh. It gets much thicker after it’s refrigerated.

      Reply
  22. Jen says

    July 23, 2020 at 11:25 am

    Do you know about how many cupcakes this recipe will fill? I’m making your chocolate caramel cupcakes.

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      July 23, 2020 at 4:26 pm

      Hi Jen! It really depends on how much caramel you use for filling and topping. It should be enough for up to 20 cupcakes. Let me know how you liked it!

      Reply
  23. Veronika's Kitchen says

    May 01, 2020 at 9:01 am

    Hi Emma! The caramel will stay fresh for up to a week. I never tried to keep it for longer, cause we eat it fast 😉

    Reply
  24. Emma Phillips says

    April 23, 2020 at 8:42 pm

    Hey how long does this carmel recipe last in a mason jar in the fridge?

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Follow me on:

Welcome to Veronika’s Kitchen!

Hi, I'm Veronika! I'm so happy to see you on my blog and share my favorite meals with you! My main goal is to share delicious classic recipes using simple ingredients. Read More…

Categories

Featured at:

list of brand logos

Most Popular

  • Stew with beef tips, potatoes, carrots, and peas in a bowl.
    Dutch Oven Beef Stew
  • Chicken and rice with broccoli and melted cheese in a white casserole.
    Cheesy Broccoli Chicken and Rice Casserole
  • A slice of Tiramisu on a grey plate.
    Classic Tiramisu Recipe
  • Sliced banana bread on a white table.
    One Bowl Banana Bread

Instant Pot Recipes

  • Mashed potatoes, topped with butter and chopped parsley in a bowl.
    Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
  • A collage of four Instant Pot recipes with text in the middle.
    Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners
  • Bolognese sauce over pasta in a grey bowl.
    Easy Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce
  • Lamb shank with gravy, vegetables, amd mashed potatoes in a grey bowl.
    Instant Pot Lamb Shanks

Dinner Recipes

  • Bone-in Skin-on chicken thighs with seared lemon slices on a plate.
    Oven Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
  • Baked diced chicken breast, sweet potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet topped with grated Parmesan cheese and herbs.
    Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
  • Cherry tomato sauce with basil in a large pan.
    15 Minute Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce
  • Chicken drumsticks with potatoes in a baking dish.
    Oven Baked Chicken Legs with Potatoes

Dessert Recipes

  • Sliced puf pastry pie, filled with caramelized apple slices.
    Apple Pie with Puff Pastry
  • A slice of Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake on a plate with a fork and fresh berries.
    Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake Recipe
  • Close up photo of Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies.
    Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
  • Orange Cranberry Biscotti on a plate.
    Orange Cranberry Biscotti

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Contact

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Copyright © 2023 Veronika's Kitchen on the Cookd Pro Theme