Silky Smooth Salted Caramel Sauce

If you’ve never tried salted caramel sauce, you’re missing out. The first time I heard about it I thought, that’s gross. Caramel is supposed to be sweet. But the saltiness in this recipe helps break through the sweetness and makes it even tastier. It’s really easy to make and it can stay in the fridge for weeks so you’ll have it for drizzling or swirling through your desserts (or eating with a spoon) whenever you like!

Hey team! I’m a huge fan of sauces. Especially when they’re big on flavor and easy to make like my Chocolate Sauce Recipe which is as glossy as this caramel sauce. You can drizzle sauces on pretty much anything, swirl them through cheesecakes or frostings making them crazy delicious. And if you’re a fan of caramel, you’ll fall in love with this sauce. It’s got a deep toasty caramel flavor, it’s silky smooth and ultra-creamy. Plus, it’s so easy to make!

I think my stand out way to use this sauce is on my Salted Caramel Cupcakes. They’re basically just a vessel for as much salted caramel sauce as I can fit into a cupcake. I used this caramel sauce to flavor the Vanilla Buttercream swirl on top and then drizzled them with more sauce. If you’re after other rich and decadent caramel desserts I highly recommend my Chewy Caramel Crunch Bars which are a reader favorite.

This is why you’ll love Salted Caramel Sauce

Sam: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Drizzled this over Apple and Cinnamon scrolls and it was amazing, and really easy to make.

If you’ve never had it, you’re in for a treat! I can still remember the first time I had it and I was honestly shocked because the salt works so well with the caramel and I’d never tasted caramel that was so flavorful before! I actually first had it on a Salted Caramel Cupcake which I have a great recipe for if you want to try it.

Flavor wise, it has a balance of rich, buttery sweetness. It’s smooth, glossy and tastes like toasty, caramelized sugar. Believe it or not, sweetness is not the first thing that hits you when you have it. It’s the deep toasty caramel flavor that takes over your tastebuds. I’d almost describe it as a grown-up version of caramel candy. Less about a sweet hit of caramel, and more like if caramel graduated to a deep, rich caramel flavor.

Other than how amazing it tastes, I love how easy this caramel sauce is to make and that it keeps in the fridge for weeks! That means you can have it on hand whenever you need it. Drizzle it, swirl it or (my favorite) just sneak a spoon of it. Or two, or three. If it’s midnight and nobody is watching leave no evidence behind!

Why this recipe works!

Caramelization is where the magic happens. As the sugar melts and heats in the water, it eventually begins to deepen in color and caramelize. That’s what give us the caramel flavor. It turns into a deep amber color, almost like maple syrup in color. When it reaches that stage, the sugar takes on a toasty flavor. We’re going purely based off looks for this recipe, no candy thermometer needed!

Usually with caramel making, there’s a risk of the sugar crystalizing, especially if it’s made with water and especially when you stir it! It’s when the sugar is agitated and sugar crystals re-form turning the caramel into one big, hard sugar crystal shapes like the inside of your pot. I’ve been there, it’s not fun to clean. The secret weapon to stop that from happening is glucose syrup.

It Takes Just 5 Ingredients!

• Glucose syrup / Corn Syrup – Glucose syrup keeps the caramel smooth and glossy by stopping sugar crystals from forming. You can easily use corn syrup instead for the same velvety texture.
• Granulated sugar – When the sugar melts into the water, it will eventually caramelize which is what give this sauce it’s delicious flavor. You can use caster sugar in it’s place, it’ll just dissolve a little quicker. Whatever you use, keep a close eye on it as it cooks to avoid it burning.
• Heavy cream – I used double cream with 48% butterfat in it. It gives you a nice thick, shiny, creamy sauce. If you can’t get double cream, you can use heavy cream which has 38% butterfat in it. Just pop the caramel on the stove after the butter, cream and salt have been mixed in and cook it for an extra 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce up a little.
• Unsalted butter – unsalted butter adds richness and depth to the caramel. Using unsalted butter let’s you control how salty the sauce is. If you’re using salted butter, use less salt.
• Salt – this is the star of the show! Adding salt cuts through the sweetness and brings out the caramels rich, toasty flavor. Sea salt flakes work for this recipe too.

How To Make Salted Caramel At Home

• Add the water, sugar, and glucose syrup to a large heavy-bottomed pot and stir gently with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
• If sugar crystals form on the sides, brush them away with a damp pastry brush to prevent burning.

• The mixture will bubble away and show no signs of caramelizing for about 10 – 11 minutes. It’s really important to keep an eye on the pot because once it begins to color (and it happens really quickly) the mixture can easily burn.
• The color you’re looking for is a deep golden color, similar to the color of maple syrup. As soon as it begins nearing that color, take off the heat. It will continue cooking in the pot.

• Add the butter and stir very slowly. It will steam and bubble so keep your face away from the pot.
• Then add the warm cream and stir slowly until completely combined. Add the salt and stir. At this stage the caramel sauce is finished. If you’re using heavy cream instead of double cream and want a thicker sauce, place back on medium heat and bring to a bubbling boil. Stir for 2 – 3 minutes, then take off the heat and allow to cool completely.

TIP: Burning takes seconds, I’m speaking from experience! The caramel will take about 10 minutes to become a deep golden color. Once it begins to color, it can burn very quickly. Keep in mind that once it becomes a deep golden color, similar to maple syrup it will continue cooking in the pot even after you take it off the heat. So don’t let it get too dark!

Tips & Tricks For Recipe Success!

• Measure out using kitchen scales – Measuring out your ingredients by weight and not cups is the best way to get consistent results every time. I wrote all about this in my post about using digital kitchen scales to measure out ingredients!
• The best pot to use – is a stainless steel heavy bottomed pot. Don’t use a non-stick pot, the caramel reaches such a high temperature that it will destroy the non-stick coating.
• Don’t stir the caramel after it begins to bubble – stir using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to stir the sugar, water and glucose syrup before heating to combine. Then just let it do its thing as it bubbles away and caramelizes.
• Brush away sugar crystals – If sugar crystals stick to the pot, brush them back into the syrup with a damp silicone pastry brush. This stops them from burning and ruining the caramel.
• Make sure your cream is warm – to avoid it making the hot caramel from bubbling over the pot when you stir it. And make sure you stir slowly!

How To Store Salted Caramel Sauce

I like storing my sauce in the fridge. It keeps in there for about 3 weeks, but I’ve kept it in there longer. I like having it in an airtight container. Out of the fridge it’s quite thick, but it becomes runnier at room temperature.

How do I know when my caramel is finished cooking?

The caramel will turn a deep, golden color amber color, similar to maple syrup.

Has my caramel burned?

There are three ways to know if your caramel has burned. You’ll smell it, and it will turn black. If your caramel burns, start again. If you finish making your caramel and taste it after it’s cooled and it tastes bitter, it’s burned. Some people like that flavor, but it’s not ideal for most desserts.

What is this recipe in grams and not cups?

The short answer is accuracy! It is far easier, more accurate and you get more consistency results when you measure ingredients by weight, especially in dessert and bread baking! I wrote all about this in my post about using digital kitchen scales!

Tried this recipe and loved it? Awesome! Drop me a comment below and tell me about it! Can’t wait to hear how it turned out for you! You can also keep up to date with me during the week by joining me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!