Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

Simplest recipe for an easy homemade salted caramel sauce that requires only 4 ingredients and is great for topping over cupcakes, cakes, pies, ice-creams, popcorn and just about everything!

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Is there anyone who can truly claim that they don’t like salted caramel sauce? I mean it’s practically like adding a delicious golden drizzle to jazz up anything – from cakes to ice-cream to even fruits. Seriously guys, this sauce is so good, there was a time when I used to bottle this up and sell it and it would go like hot cakes! The best part? Only 4 ingredients

• Sugar
• Butter
• Fresh Cream
• Salt

And unlike a lot of other sugar work that requires candy thermometers, silpats, etc., this recipe needs no fancy equipment either. Just a thick bottomed pan, a wooden spoon (anything heat-proof will work too,) and a jar to store the glorious caramel after it cools.

How to make the Caramel Sauce?

While the detailed recipe is mentioned below, the basic process is as follows

• Caramelize the sugar while stirring it.
• Add the butter and cream and cook
• Add the salt

Easy-peasy! While some recipes will ask you to not stir the caramel or brush the sides of the pan with water, this is the simplest version for those who’re intimidated by the idea of making caramel sauce at home. However, you do have to keep a few things in mind before you begin.

Working with Hot Sugar

Keep in mind that when melting sugar, you have to be careful to keep safe distance and not come in any contact with it directly. Sugar burns can be terrible (take it from someone who’s had one too many!) Wear long gloves if necessary, use a pan with somewhat high walls, and don’t allow children to make this on their own unsupervised. Other than that, it’s completely safe to make this and the sauce won’t bite you so don’t let me scare you 😀 I also recommend to measure your ingredients and keep them ready before you begin because once the sugar starts to caramelize, things move quickly, and you may end up with a very dark caramel or even burnt sugar if you take too long to add the other ingredients. Which brings us to an important point

When to add the butter/cream

As mentioned in the previous para, If you wait too long to add the butter, the sugar will go too far and may end up turning much darker than you want. Wheras if you add the butter too early, you may have a very light caramel. So it’s best to wait just 1-2 minutes after all the sugar has melted to add the butter so as to have the perfect amber-golden salted caramel sauce.

What Salt to Use

If you can get your hands on coarse sea-salt, it will make your salted caramel really stand out. However, regular table salt works well too. Honestly if you don’t like salted caramel you can even omit the salt completely. It won’t change much except that I may perhaps judge you for it 😛

Using the Caramel Sauce

OMG where do I even begin. Is there something that you can’t use salted caramel sauce with?  But my personal favorite way to use the caramel is with

• Brownies
• Cupcakes
• Ice-cream
• Ganache
• Fruits
• Cheesecake

The possibilities are endless!

Check out some of these eggless recipes where you can use this Salted Caramel Sauce –

• Vanilla Sponge Cake
• Classic Chocolate Cake
• Apple Crumble
• Dark Chocolate Tart
• Healthy Dark Chocolate Mousse

Storing Left-over Caramel Sauce

This homemade salted caramel sauce stores really well for upto 3 weeks, refrigerated. It’s one reason I almost always have a jar on hand to use for quick shoots or to serve up something to guests on short notice. So go on and make this homemade salted caramel sauce today and do a send me a pic of you with your jar of golden happiness! I’ll give you a quick shout out on Instagram! Picture Credit – Dr Caesar Sengupta/The Food Shots