I don’t know about you, but I prefer homemade salted caramel sauce. It’s so simple to make and somehow feels extra cozy when you make it yourself! With just sugar, cream, butter, and salt, you get that golden sweetness, and the whole kitchen smells like pure comfort.
I still remember the first time I made salted caramel sauce at home. I thought it would be tricky or intimidating, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy. Well, I’ll be honest, I burned the sugar once because wasn’t patient and turned the heat up! If you’ve never made caramel before, don’t overthink it. Keep an eye on the sugar, watch for that golden amber color, and don’t be afraid of a little steam when you add the cream. And don’t skip the salt—it’s what takes this sauce from sweet to swoon-worthy.
It starts with the simplest ingredients. Sugar, butter, cream, and salt – but as soon as the sugar starts to melt and turn that amber color, the whole kitchen fills with the coziest, buttery aroma. The smell! omg so good! Perfect on ice cream, swirl it into your morning coffee (yes, highly recommend), or just keep a jar in the fridge for whenever you need a little sweet.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE HOMEMADE SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
- Homemade salted caramel sauce > store-bought!
- So simple to make! You’ll just need 4 basic ingredients. Granulated sugar, cream, salt, and butter.
- Perfect for drizzling over ice cream, lattes, or let’s be real—eating straight from the spoon.
- It’s so fresh and allows for customizable flavor and texture! (like adding extra salt or vanilla extract)
INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES
Sugar – This recipe uses regular granulated sugar.
Water – I like to add a little water as it helps to dissolve the sugar and allows it to melt evenly while heating.
Cream – I use double cream or heavy cream as it is thicker and contains a slightly higher fat content, making the final sauce super creamy and thick.
Butter – Both salted and unsalted butter work perfectly! But, if you’re sensitive to salt, I’d suggest using unsalted butter and add the salt separately. This way, you have more control over the amount of salt.
Salt – I highly recommend adding a good pinch of salt to your sweet caramel sauce. This helps balance out the sweetness and richness.
Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation, for the best flavor! But this is totally optional!
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
(Check my favorite baking tools and equipment here!)
- Stainless steel saucepan
- Wire whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Glass jar or container
- Candy thermometer
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
(Be sure to check the printable recipe card below)
- 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 180g (3/4 cup) heavy cream
- 113g (1 stick) butter
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Combine sugar and water in a medium stainless steel saucepan, then heat the sugar over medium heat and bring to a boil. You’ll notice some crystallization forming on top, but don’t worry, that’s normal. just don’t stir it!
Once you see amber color forming on the bottom, keep your eyes on it and gently swirl the pan. Continue cooking until about 70% of the sugar has dissolved, then whisk the sugar mixture to help it melt and caramelize evenly. Cook the sugar until the desired light amber color is reached or a candy thermometer reaches 330°F.
After your sugar has caramelized completely, remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the heavy cream until well combined. The caramel will continue to cook even after you remove it from heat, so make sure there’s no delay in adding the cream.
Whisk in the butter until smoothly incorporated, then sprinkle the sea salt and mix until well combined.
Finally, transfer the caramel sauce to a glass jar or container and let it cool completely. The caramel sauce will thicken as it cools.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
- Don’t use a thin saucepan! Thin saucepan heats unevenly. This can cause portions of the sugar to burn before the rest of it has melted.
- Use a light-colored pot so you’ll easily notice the caramel’s precise color changes.
- It is important to use a whisk, a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant silicone spoon to make the sauce.
- Resist the urge to stir! Stirring the mixture can cause crystallization and grittiness. Once the mixture boils, don’t stir or swirl the mixture.
- As the sugar begins to color, and you have a little sugar crystallization on the sides. Don’t worry! you don’t need to start over. Just swirl gently and break the crystallized sugar with a whisk.
- After your sugar has reached your desired light amber color, immediately remove the caramel from the heat, add the heavy cream, and mix until smooth. The caramel will continue to cook even after you remove it from the heat, so make sure there’s no delay in adding the cream.
- Even if you want salted caramel sauce, I recommend using unsalted butter. This gives you better control over the saltiness to your caramel. For salted caramel sauce, I like to add ½ – ¾ teaspoon of salt.
HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
To store homemade caramel sauce – let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container like a glass jar or container. Store the salted caramel sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Salted Caramel Sauce
With just sugar, cream, butter, and salt, you get that fresh golden sweetness, and the whole kitchen smells like pure comfort. It’s so simple to make and somehow feels extra cozy when you make it yourself!
Ingredients
- 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 180g (3/4 cup) heavy cream
- 113g (1 stick) butter
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Combine sugar and water in a medium stainless steel saucepan, then heat the sugar over medium heat and bring to a boil. You’ll notice some crystallization forming on top, but don’t worry, that’s normal. just don’t stir it!
- Once you see amber color forming on the bottom, keep your eyes on it and gently swirl the pan. Continue cooking until about 70% of the sugar has dissolved.
- Whisk the sugar mixture to help it melt and caramelize evenly, then cook the sugar until the desired light amber color is reached or a candy thermometer reaches 330°F.
- After your sugar has caramelized completely, remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the heavy cream until well combined. The caramel will continue to cook even after you remove it from heat, so make sure there’s no delay in adding the cream.
- Whisk in the butter until smoothly incorporated, then sprinkle the sea salt and mix until well combined.
- Finally, transfer the caramel sauce to a glass jar or container and let it cool completely. The caramel sauce will thicken as it cools.