Make silky homemade salted caramel sauce with five simple ingredients for a rich, buttery topping that is perfect for desserts, coffee, and fruit.
Rich, buttery, and perfectly balanced with sea salt, this Silky Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce adds deep caramelized flavor to almost any dessert. Drizzle it over ice cream, cakes, brownies, cheesecakes, apple desserts, pancakes, waffles, or fresh fruit. It also makes a delicious cake filling or a decadent addition to coffee and hot chocolate.
Made with five simple ingredients, this smooth salted caramel sauce is ready in about 20 minutes. Slowly caramelizing the sugar creates a deep, complex flavor, while butter and heavy cream give the finished sauce its luxurious texture. A touch of salt balances the sweetness and makes every rich caramel note stand out.
The sauce thickens as it cools and can be gently reheated whenever you need a warm, pourable dessert topping. Serve it warm for easy drizzling, or chill it for a thicker consistency that works beautifully between cake layers, in dessert bars, or swirled through frosting.
Keeping a jar of homemade salted caramel sauce in the refrigerator makes it easy to transform everyday treats into something special. Spoon it over warm desserts, swirl it into buttercream, layer it into parfaits, or add it to milkshakes and dessert drinks. Packaged in a decorative jar, it also makes a thoughtful homemade gift for holidays and other special occasions.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: About 1 1/4 cups
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Directions
Step 1: Combine the Sugar Mixture
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, water, and salt. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk continuously until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture begins to boil.
Step 2: Caramelize the Sugar
Once the mixture reaches a full boil, stop whisking. Allow the syrup to cook undisturbed until it develops a deep amber color.
If necessary, gently swirl the saucepan occasionally to encourage even caramelization. Watch the mixture carefully because the sugar can darken very quickly.
Step 3: Add the Butter
As soon as the caramel reaches a rich amber color, carefully whisk in the butter one piece at a time. The mixture will bubble vigorously, so keep your hands and face away from the rising steam.
Continue whisking until the butter has completely melted and is fully incorporated into the caramel.
Step 4: Add the Heavy Cream
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking continuously. Add the cream gradually to help control the vigorous bubbling and hot steam.
Continue whisking until the caramel sauce is completely smooth and silky.
Step 5: Cool the Caramel Sauce
Allow the salted caramel sauce to cool in the saucepan for several minutes. Carefully transfer it to a clean glass jar or another heat-safe container.
Refrigerate the sauce until fully cooled. It will naturally thicken as it chills.
Notes
For the richest caramel flavor, cook the sugar mixture until it reaches a deep amber color. Do not allow it to become excessively dark because burnt sugar will give the sauce a bitter flavor.
Use a long-handled whisk and add the butter and heavy cream carefully. Hot caramel can bubble, splatter, and release intense steam when dairy is added.
If the refrigerated caramel becomes too thick, warm it gently in the microwave in short intervals or in a saucepan over low heat until it reaches a pourable consistency.
Store the homemade salted caramel sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Serve this sauce over cakes, brownies, cheesecakes, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, waffles, ice cream, apple desserts, or fresh fruit. It can also be used as a layer-cake filling or stirred into coffee and hot chocolate.
When serving the sauce with gluten-free desserts, check all packaged ingredients for appropriate gluten-free labeling and prevent cross-contact during preparation.
