I love a rich, buttery, and creamy caramel sauce. A homemade version is simple to make and can be used throughout the year for many desserts. I love it drizzled over ice cream, apple pie, the cream of my hot chocolate, or in my chocolate and cherries caramel oat bars. Anywhere you enjoy caramel sauce, use it! In this post, I’m sharing a simple, dry homemade caramel sauce that consists of only 3 ingredients: granulated sugar, butter, and cream. Let’s check it out!
Caramel Sauce Ingredients
For the ingredients, you’ll only need three. They include granulated sugar. I find that superfine granulated sugar melts more quickly, but any granulated sugar will work. You’ll also need butter either salted or unsalted along with salt if you’re using unsalted butter. Finally, you’ll need heavy whipping cream.
TIP: If you want super- or ultra-fine sugar, you can simply take your regular granulated/cane sugar and spin it in your food processor until it’s in finer granules.
Make the Caramel Sauce
Mise en Place
Begin with a “mise on place” which is French for “put in place” meaning to have all the ingredients measured and set out around the work area. This recipe is a dry caramel sauce meaning there is no water to help melt the sugar. The sugar melts on its own with heat alone. Thus, it’s important to stand at the stove as the sugar melts or it may quickly and easily burn. So, having all that you need to make the caramel ready to go is imperative.
Melt the Granulated Sugar
To a large saucepan, add 200 grams (1 cup) of granulated sugar. Turn on the burner to medium heat. Within a few minutes, the sugar will begin to melt. Stir consistently and lower the heat as needed to prevent burning. I suggest using either a wooden or metal spoon or whisk instead of any rubber-type utensil. I discovered that once the hot sugar or caramel hardens on a rubber spatula or spoon, bits of the utensil can easily break off when trying to stir. So, save your rubber spatulas and use wooden or metal utensils instead. Stir until all sugar has melted and the liquid.
TIP: If there’s any sugar on the edge of pan as the sugar melts, it will harden and stick to the pan. No worries! Just let it be. The only way to remove it is to wait until after the caramel sauce is made and then soak the pan in water to dissolve. Thus, try to keep the sugar off the pan edges, if possible.
Burning Caramel? Oh, no! Here’s the trick…
It is very easy to burn caramel, but once you make this mistake, you probably won’t do it again. What I have found to be the key is to turn the heat down to low-medium once much of the sugar has melted. You may even want to lift the pan periodically from the burner to help reduce the heat. Keep in mind that once the caramel turns dark, it’s too late and you can’t go back. Just keep an eye on the whole process.
Add the Butter & Salt (if Using Unsalted Butter)
As soon as all the sugar is melted, add 85 grams (6 tablespoons) of salted or unsalted butter. Don’t wait any longer. If you’re using unsalted butter, also add 1.5 grams (¼ teaspoon) of salt. You can remove the pan from the burner to help cool down the caramel and use a whisk to stir vigorously. The butter will cause the caramel to bubble (due to the water in the butter hitting the hot caramel), however; whisk until it is combined, and the butter has melted. The bubbling will settle once the butter is incorporated.
Add the Cream
Once the butter has melted and is incorporated, remove the saucepan from the heat. Wait a few seconds off the heat by counting to 5. Then, slowly pour in 119 milliliters (½ cup) of heavy whipping cream while whisking consistently. Continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth. While still hot, pour the sauce into a heat-proof jar or bowl and set aside uncovered at room temperature until cooled.
Close Ups of Caramel Sauce
Check out the smooth and creaminess of this homemade caramel sauce. When hot, the sauce is thin and oozes off the spoon. Once cooled, the sauce will somewhat firm but will still be runny. Yummy!
Storage Suggestions for Caramel Sauce
Allow the sauce to cool completely before storing it. Cover the sauce and store it in the fridge for a week or two. You can reheat the sauce as desired over the stove or in the microwave. Once the sauce is made, you can also use it in a recipe that calls for caramel sauce like in oatmeal carmelitas.
Usage Suggestions for Caramel Sauce
Caramel sauce is clearly a perfect topping for ice cream or a banana split. However, there are many uses for this amazingly tasty treat. My mom uses this sauce to pour over her homemade bread pudding that she makes for my dad. In addition, drizzle it over the cream in your hot chocolate (or dessert coffee), pancakes and waffles, baked apples, your Thanksgiving apple pie, or use it as an ingredient in baked recipes that call for caramel sauce such as in brownies and oatmeal carmelitas like in my chocolate and cherries caramel oat bars (recipe coming next) 😋. Yummy! There are so many uses for such an easy and simple ingredient.
Final Thoughts for Homemade Caramel Sauce
Why buy caramel sauce when you can make it from scratch in little time with very few whole ingredients? It really doesn’t take much time and it’s incredibly good even by itself. A spoon (or two) of caramel sauce can certainly satisfy a sweet treat craving. We love this recipe and hope you do, too.
Baker’s Perspective of Homemade Caramel Sauce
Homemade caramel sauce truly is easy to make. From personal experience, I do think you need to burn at least one batch to truly understand what to and not to do to keep it from happening again. It’s all about getting the heat right while the sugar melts. I think once you’ve made a couple of caramel sauce batches from scratch, you’ll never go back to buying a commercial brand. The only time you’re spending in the kitchen is watching sugar melt and that takes a lot less time than watching water boil. Give it a try and don’t be afraid of “messing it up”, it’s easy and quick enough to make again 😉.
Taster’s Perspective of Homemade Caramel Sauce
A spoonful of caramel sauce makes me a happy camper. This sauce is creamy and buttery thanks to the butter and cream. It’s smooth and thick, once cooled, thanks to the heavy, fatty dairy components. It’s a wonderful condiment, if you will, to enhance many sweet treats. Since we are in the summer months, I have been enjoying it over ice cream. I love that you can make this sauce any time of year (and in a very short time) to use over or in a variety of sweet desserts and beverages.
Check out my YouTube video on making this caramel sauce. “3-Ingredient Homemade Caramel Sauce: Creamy, Smooth, Rich, & Sweet.”
3-Ingredient Homemade Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 85 g (6 tbsp) butter salted or unsalted
- 1.5 g (¼ tsp) salt add only if using unsalted butter
- 119 ml (½ cup) heavy whipping cream
Optional Additions
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ -1 tbsp holiday spice pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, gingerbread spice, or cinnamon
Instructions
- Set up your “mise en place” by having all ingredients measured out and near the stove. Heat sugar in a medium to large saucepan on medium heat. Sugar will begin to melt within a few minutes. Stir or whisk consistently using a wooden or metal utensil. Lower heat as needed to prevent burning. Continue stirring until all sugar has melted.TIPS: Any sugar on edge of pan will stick and only come off when washed. Try to keep sugar off the pan edges. No worries if it sticks.
- Add in butter (and salt, if using unsalted butter) and whisk until melted.TIP: The sauce will bubble and boil when adding the butter and cream, but it will settle again once the additions are incorporated.
- Immediately remove saucepan from heat. After only 5 seconds off the heat, slowly pour in the cream while whisking consistently. Continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth. Pour sauce into a heat-proof jar or bowl. Serve as desired and enjoy.
Video
Notes
You might be interested in these other sweet treats.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Microwavable Cake
5-Minute Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake (Microwavable)
Argentine Alfajores Sandwich Cookies
Czech Palačinky: Thin Sweet Pancakes
Australian & New Zealand Pavlova
Coconut Flan: Gluten Free & Dairy Free
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