Is there anything better than ooey-gooey, buttery salted caramel sauce?
The answer is no. At least in my book!
Caramel sauce is my weakness, and I think it might be in my top three sweet things forever and ever.
And homemade Salted Caramel Sauce is even better! I’m going to tell you how to make the easiest, most perfect salted caramel at home, all without using a candy thermometer. The process is simple!
Because we’re not using a candy thermometer, this recipe is a visual process. Meaning, we’re going to be cooking sugar in a pot on the stove and watching it pretty much the entire time.
This is important for a variety of reasons, the first being that sugar burns easily, and we definitely don’t want that here. Watching the sugar and cooking it down until it’s melted and deep amber in color is the key to this entire recipe.
I”ll walk you through it!
Ingredients You Need for This Perfect Salted Caramel Sauce:
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- Flaky sea salt
- Optional add-ins: instant espresso powder or ground spices like cinnamon or cardamom
How to Make This Perfect Salted Caramel Sauce:
- Set a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Sprinkle the sugar all over the bottom of the pan. Cook the sugar, stirring constantly, until it melts and turns a light amber color, about 5-7 minutes. Make sure to watch it and stir it the entire time – sugar burns quickly! It will clump up quite a bit before it melts, so don’t be alarmed if it looks crystallized and clumpy before it fully melts. Just keep stirring! This is a “trust the process” recipe.
- Once the sugar has completely melted and is a deep amber color, add the cubed butter, a few pieces at a time, and whisk carefully until it is melted and combined. The butter will make the sugar sizzle up a bit, so be careful.
- Once all the butter is melted and incorporated, carefully pour in the heavy cream. It will splatter so do so very slowly and carefully.
- Stir to combine and bring the caramel to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla and sea salt. If using espresso powder or spices, stir them in as well. Stir well to incorporate.
- Fully cool the caramel to room temperature. It will get thick and glossy as it cools.
- Store in the fridge in a well-sealed mason jar for up to one month. Warm before serving.
What the Process Looks Like:
It is seriously so easy but so decadent and delicious. I love to make a big batch of this is keep in the fridge around the holidays. It goes with so many desserts, and we never waste it in this house.
Other Salted Caramel Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Salted Caramel Pecan Pie
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie with Spiced Crust
- Salted Caramel Truffle Olive Oil Brownies
- Brown Sugar Chai Pound Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze
- No-Churn Salted Caramel S’mores Ice Cream
- Chocolate Brownie Sandwich Cookies with Salted Caramel Buttercream
This is heaven in a jar to me! I literally could (and do!) eat this straight with a spoon.
The perfect accompaniment to a zillion sweet treats!
@yestoyolks ✨Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce✨ Ingredients listed below (full recipe on yestoyolks.com)! My method for this caramel sauce is foolproof and simple to make – no candy thermometer required! A versatile and decadent sauce that will have you swooning. The perfect accompaniment to ice cream, pies, lattes, and more! A must for the holiday season. Ingredients: Granulated sugar Unsalted butter Heavy cream Vanilla Flaky sea salt FULL RECIPE on yestoyolks.com! #foodtiktok #recipes #cookingvideo #cookingtiktok #recipeideas #recipesforyou #cozyfall #cozyfood #asmrcook #saltedcaramel #caramelsauce #sweettreat ♬ Sunshine – WIRA
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Perfect Salted Caramel Sauce (no thermometer needed!)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 1/2 cups 1x
Description
This Perfect Salted Caramel Sauce is foolproof and simple to make – no candy thermometer required! A versatile and decadent sauce that will have you swooning. The perfect accompaniment to ice cream, pies, lattes, and more!
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Optional add-ins:
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom
Instructions
- Set a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Sprinkle the sugar all over the bottom of the pan. Cook the sugar, stirring constantly, until it melts and turns a light amber color, about 5-7 minutes. Make sure to watch it and stir it the entire time – sugar burns quickly! It will clump up quite a bit before it melts, so don’t be alarmed if it looks crystallized and clumpy before it fully melts. Just keep stirring! This is a “trust the process” recipe.
- Once the sugar has completely melted and is a deep amber color, add the cubed butter, a few pieces at a time, and whisk carefully until it is melted and combined. The butter will make the sugar sizzle up a bit, so be careful.
- Once all the butter is melted and incorporated, carefully pour in the heavy cream. It will splatter so do so very slowly and carefully.
- Stir to combine and bring the caramel to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla and sea salt. If using espresso powder or spices, stir them in as well. Stir well to incorporate.
- Fully cool the caramel to room temperature. It will get thick and glossy as it cools.
- Store in the fridge in a well-sealed mason jar for up to one month. Warm before serving.
- Prep Time: None
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: dessert
Keywords: salted caramel sauce, homemade salted caramel sauce, easy salted caramel sauce, salted caramel sauce no thermometer needed
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
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