Oh-So-Easy Caramel Sauce (2024)

Want to take an ordinary dessert into a whole new realm of flavor and texture? Drizzle a spoonful of rich and creamy caramel sauce over the top and get ready to swoon. This sweet, silky caramel sauce recipe can be used in all types of desserts — spoon it over ice cream or use it as a dipping sauce for fruit. Any way you pour it, this easy, 3-ingredient caramel sauce is sure to be a hit.

How to Make Caramel Sauce

It's hard to beat warm, homemade caramel sauce on top of your favorite treat. You'll find the full recipe below with step-by-step instructions, but here's what you can expect when you make this top-rated recipe;

Combine brown sugar, butter, and milk in a saucepan and bring ingredients to a boil. Remove thickened mixture from heat before adding (optional) vanilla extract. Let the caramel cool slightly before using. The result is an impossibly rich sauce that is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.

What to Eat With Caramel Sauce

Nearly every dessert imaginable tastes better when paired with the lavish sweetness of homemade caramel. Try caramel sauce with popcorn, a spiced apple crisp, or coffee-based ice cream for a mouthwatering final course.

Caramel Sauce Variations

Salted Caramel: A little coarse kosher salt is added for a more nuanced sauce. Taste, and add more salt if desired.

Vanilla Caramel Sauce: This caramel sauce is made with brown sugar, butter, and milk, with a touch of vanilla extract to enhance the flavor

Coffee Caramel Sauce: Stir 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder into the cream and mix until dissolved. Proceed with your basic caramel recipe and add the espresso cream to make the sauce.

How to Store Caramel Sauce

Homemade caramel sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Expect hardening as the sauce chills — just microwave in 15-30 seconds to reheat and enjoy.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"The recipe worked great!" raves Callie. I used evaporated milk and cooked it for around 10 mins. The longer you let it cook the thicker it gets."

Very easy to make with ingredients that I had on hand," shares Tara. "This made a really rich caramel sauce that we used as an ice cream topping. We will definitely be making this again!"

"Made this to be the swirl in a cheesecake and it was just the right consistency for the job," says canukgirl.

Editorial contributions by Vanessa Greaves and Rai Mincey

Oh-So-Easy Caramel Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between caramel syrup and caramel sauce? ›

Syrup is the thinner liquid you see in the tall bottles with pumps. Sauce is the thick drizzle you see in the small bottles. Sauce is also any other thick syrup like white mocha, caramel brulee, pumpkin, etc.

How do you make store bought caramel sauce better? ›

I emptied the bottle into a small saucepan and brought it to a boil. Then I added about half a teaspoon of kosher salt and let it continue boiling for 10 minutes. It thickened and darkened significantly, which I took as a good sign.

What is caramel sauce made of? ›

Combine brown sugar, butter, and milk in a saucepan and bring ingredients to a boil. Remove thickened mixture from heat before adding (optional) vanilla extract. Let the caramel cool slightly before using. The result is an impossibly rich sauce that is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.

What is caramel syrup at Starbucks? ›

The ingredients in Starbucks caramel syrup are “sugar, water, natural flavor, citric acid, potassium sorbate (preservative).” They do make a sugar-free version, though, which would be “fake,” since it doesn't use sugar. Starbucks doesn't use the sugar-free syrup unless you specifically ask them to.

Is dulce de leche same as caramel sauce? ›

Caramel and dulce de leche might look and taste somewhat similar, but they are actually pretty different. While caramel is made from slowly simmering water and sugar until it caramelizes, dulce de leche is made from simmering milk and sugar super slowly until it turns into a creamy, caramelized substance.

Can I use caramel syrup instead of sauce? ›

Caramel Syrup & Caramel Sauce both has sugar as the main ingredient. While caramel syrup is made with just two ingredients, caramel sauce needs some extra ingredients to make it rich and fit for topping. You can't use syrup as topping as it is going to be slightly bitter in taste.

Why add water to caramel sauce? ›

When making a wet caramel, water is added to help dissolve the sugar before cooking. Like dry caramel, you want to gently move the sugar mixture in that same side-to-side paintbrush-like fashion until the sugar dissolves.

Do you add milk when melting caramel? ›

The key to getting it right is to use soft caramels as opposed to hard. You must also add some sort of liquid, such as milk or cream, to prevent the caramels from drying out. Knowing these tricks will help you to melt caramels with ease.

What makes caramel sauce thick? ›

Heavy cream: Your caramel will be thinner the more cream you add. For this recipe and classic caramel sauce (best for draping over ice cream or a slice of cheesecake), we use ½ cup (120ml) cream. However, for a very thick, chewy caramel (but one that's still viscous), you can reduce to ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream.

Does homemade caramel sauce go bad? ›

Homemade caramel typically lasts about 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Refrigerating homemade caramel can extend its shelf life to about a month, and freezing it can further prolong its usability up to a year. However, the texture may change slightly upon thawing.

Does Aldi sell caramel sauce? ›

Aldi Specially Selected Indulgent Sea Salted Caramel Dessert Sauce (1 tbsp) contains 10.5g total carbs, 10g net carbs, 0.5g fat, 0.5g protein, and 47 calories.

What is caramel sauce vs caramel syrup? ›

Caramel syrup is thinner and a little sweeter – less rich- than caramel sauce because it is made with just sugar and water. It doesn't have the same richness because there is not butter or cream added.

What caramel syrup does McDonald's use for coffee? ›

In response to a question regarding what kind of caramel syrups McDonald's uses in its famous iced coffees, Haracz claimed the restaurant uses DaVinci brand syrups, along with its own proprietary brand of flavoring agents.

What is Starbucks caramel sauce made of? ›

CORN SYRUP, INVERT SUGAR, SUGAR, BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), HEAVY CREAM, WATER, SKIM MILK POWDER, NATURAL FLAVORS, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM BICARBONATE.

Can I substitute caramel sauce for caramels? ›

Caramel sauce results either from cooking sugar until it browns or by thinning melted caramel candies. When a recipe calls for melting caramel candies, you can use a homemade caramel sauce to replace the melted caramels.

What are the two types of caramel? ›

When creating caramel, there are typically two different versions: wet caramel and dry caramel. Wet caramel refers to caramel that has been made by adding water to the sugar during the heating process.

What's the difference between caramel and caramel caramel? ›

Caramel is the correct spelling if you're talking about food or colors. Carmel is a misspelling when used in those contexts, but it is a word that can be used as a name for people or places.

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