Description
Indulge in the rich, creamy goodness of homemade caramel! This simple recipe creates a luscious caramel sauce that’s perfect for drizzling over ice cream, pancakes, or adding to your favorite desserts.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- ½ tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional, for extra flavor)
Instructions
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula. The sugar will clump at first, then melt into an amber-colored liquid. This can take 5-7 minutes.
- Once the sugar is fully melted, add the butter pieces one at a time, stirring constantly. The mixture will bubble up—keep stirring until the butter is fully incorporated.
- Remove the pan from heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream, stirring continuously. The caramel will bubble up again; keep stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract if using.
- Let the caramel cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a jar. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- The caramel will harden slightly once cooled in the fridge. If you want to make it a pourable consistency again, simply heat it up in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- Feel free to adjust the salt based on whether you’re using salted butter or not.
- This caramel is perfect as a topping for ice cream, cakes, and cookies, or as a filling for candies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tbsp
- Calories: 80
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 10mg