Make this simple 4-ingredient sweet salted caramel sauce at home with ease—no candy thermometer required! Ready in just 10 minutes, this rich homemade caramel is perfect for drizzling over cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pound cake, ice cream, cheesecake, scones, salted caramel apple pie, and more!
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and additional success tips. This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
What once intimidated me became the subject of my 2nd cookbook: Sally’s Candy Addiction. As it turns out, homemade candy isn’t all that difficult. And salted caramel sauce is one of the easiest. There’s only 4 ingredients required: sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt.
This salted caramel is a reader favorite recipe, consistently marking its spot in the top 10 most popular recipes on my website and published in 2 of my cookbooks. It’s sweet, buttery, and tastes phenomenal on anything it touches. (Though you really only need a spoon to enjoy.)
Trust me, after trying this 1 time, you’ll be hooked like the rest of us!
How to Make Salted Caramel
Use the written out instructions below, but here’s the basic process: The first step is to melt sugar, which is called caramelization. This requires 1 small (stainless steel, not nonstick) pot/saucepan and a wooden spoon. Stir until melted and caramelized. Stir in butter, then stir in heavy cream and let it boil for 1 minute. Finally, add the salt.
That’s it, the caramel is done.
As always, use caution when cooking over the stove because the hot liquid, butter, and cream may splatter. If needed, kitchen gloves come in handy.
No Candy Thermometer Required
Unlike most caramel recipes, this salted caramel doesn’t require a candy thermometer. Instead, I encourage you to follow the recipe and use your eyes to determine when to add the next ingredient. If you’d like to be precise and use a candy thermometer, the temperature will rise to about 220°F (104°C), and that’s when the caramel is done on the stove.
The caramel thickens as it cools.
What to Eat With Salted Caramel?
You will love homemade salted caramel with sweets like cinnamon rolls, cheesecake, and apple pie bars. Use it as a dip for apples, spoon over ice cream, or pour into decorated jars and gift it for the holidays.
The possibilities for salted caramel are endless:
- Turtle Brownies
- Burnt Sugar Caramel Cake
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
- Caramel Coconut Macaroon Thumbprints
- Chocolate Caramel Toffee Icebox Slice & Bake Cookies
- Butterscotch Pudding
- Snickers Caramel Tart
- Apple Cupcakes (pictured above)
- Caramel Dipped Pretzels
- Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie & Apple Cake
- Cheesecake Pie
- Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Apple Turnovers
- Caramel Turtle Cheesecake
- Apple Cider French Toast
- Dutch Baby Pancake
- Cake Mix Chocolate Cupcakes
- Skillet Brownie
- Apple Cobbler
- Apple Cinnamon Scones
- Topping for Homemade Eclairs
- Drizzled on cookies like Shortbread, Brownie Cookies, and Snickerdoodles
- As a filling for your favorite cupcake recipe (see my How to Fill Cupcakes post for all the details)
- Butterscotch Pie & Apple Pie Bars (both pictured below)
What Is the Consistency Like?
The caramel is liquid as it comes off heat. As the caramel cools, it solidifies into a chewy texture. After refrigerating, the caramel is hard and you must heat it up to bring it back to a liquid consistency. Do you need a thinner caramel? Feel free to add 2 more Tablespoons of heavy cream to the recipe.
Can I Skip the Salt to Make Regular Caramel?
If you’re looking for a sweet caramel, rather than a salted caramel, you can still use this recipe. Do not cut out the salt completely because the caramel’s sweetness will be overpowering. Instead, reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
No. You can’t really turn this sauce into a homemade wrapped candy. Instead, try my soft caramel candies recipe which is a little different.
This caramel is not thick enough to coat apples for caramel apples. Instead, I recommend my homemade caramel apples recipe.
Yes. When the caramel is done, it’s thin and liquid. As the caramel cools, it thickens. After refrigerating, it thickens even more and must be reheated to thin out and use as a topping or dip.
This caramel isn’t ideal to layer between cake layers because it will just spill out the sides under the weight of top layers. However, it’s great as a filling for cupcakes, such as these chocolate caramel coconut cupcakes. See How To Fill Cupcakes for more info!
How to Store Salted Caramel
After the caramel cools down, pour it into a glass jar or container. Refrigerate for up to 1 month. The caramel solidifies as it cools, but you can reheat in the microwave or on the stove so it’s liquid again. You can freeze the salted caramel, too. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm up before using.
Print
Homemade Salted Caramel Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup (290g)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made from only 4 simple ingredients, this homemade caramel is salty, sweet, and irresistibly buttery. No candy thermometer required and the possibilities for serving are endless. (Though just a spoon is acceptable!) Use caution as the cooking caramel may splatter. Stand back and wear kitchen gloves if desired. Review recipe notes prior to beginning. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar (make sure it’s labeled “pure cane”)*
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 6 pieces
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium heavy-duty stainless steel saucepan (do not use nonstick) over medium heat, cook the sugar, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-safe silicone spatula. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. On my stove, this takes about 6 minutes. Stir constantly, especially around the bottom edges, and be careful not to let it burn.
- Once the sugar is completely melted, reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added. (If you’re nervous for splatter, wear kitchen gloves.) Cook and stir constantly until the butter is melted and well combined. If you notice the butter separating or if the sugar clumps up, remove the pan from heat and vigorously whisk to combine it again. Keep whisking until it comes back together, even if it takes 3–4 minutes. It will eventually—just keep whisking. Return to heat when it’s combined again.
- Very slowly and carefully pour in the heavy cream, stirring constantly. Since the heavy cream is colder than the hot caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and steam when added. When all of the heavy cream has been added, stop stirring, increase the heat to medium, and let it boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils. If you’d like to be precise and use a candy thermometer, the temperature should reach 220°F (104°C).
- Remove from heat and stir in the salt. The caramel will be a thin liquid at this point. Allow to slightly cool and thicken before using. Caramel thickens considerably as it cools.
- Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Caramel solidifies in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove to desired consistency.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make this caramel in advance. Make sure it is covered tightly and store it for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. Warm the caramel up for a few seconds before using in a recipe. See “What Is the Texture of This Salted Caramel?” in the post above. This caramel is OK at room temperature for a day if you’re traveling or gifting it. You can freeze the salted caramel, too. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm up before using.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Medium Heavy-Duty Saucepan (do not use nonstick) | Wooden Spoon | Candy Thermometer (like this one or this one)—optional
- Sugar: This recipe is most successful using granulated sugar that’s labeled “pure cane” on the packaging. I usually use and recommend Domino brand regular granulated sugar which says “pure cane granulated” on the packaging.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream (approximately 36% milk fat) may also be sold as whipping cream. Light whipping cream (30% milk fat), or double cream (48% milk fat) may be substituted. Do not use half-and-half or milk. Room-temperature cream is best.
- Salt: Use regular table salt or kosher salt. If using larger flaky salt, add 1 teaspoon, taste, then add more if desired. This recipe works with 1 teaspoon of any variety of salt. You can always add 3/4 teaspoon, taste, then add more if desired.
- Caramel Candies: This caramel is great as a sauce, topping, or filling, but won’t set up properly to make soft caramel candies. Here is my soft caramels recipe.
- Regular Caramel Sauce: If you want to make regular caramel, reduce salt to 1/2 teaspoon. Do not leave it out completely.
- Larger Batches: Avoid doubling or tripling this recipe. The added volume could prevent the sugar from melting evenly and properly. Make multiple batches instead.
Reader Comments and Reviews
So yummy! Can it be reheated and cooled over and over again?
Sure can!
I would like to try this, but can I use fresh coconut milk/cream (the first extraction)? I quite literally live next to the market with a few stalls that sell fresh coconut cream, and I find it tastes better than the canned versions. Thank you!
Hi J, We typically use heavy cream which is approximately 36% milk fat, but we have also tested this with light whipping cream which is 30% milk fat and it works well. Any lower fat content (fresh cream is typically 25%) the caramel may not set up properly but let us know what you try!
I’ve never made caramel before, and the instructions were very easy to follow! For my personal taste though, next time I will half the salt. Beautiful recipe!
Can this caramel sauce be used to make Caramel popcorn?
Hi Shuping, This is not ideal for caramel corn, as it doesn’t set into the same candy consistency needed for caramel corn. It’s solid when it cools, but it’s more chewy than hard. For caramel corn, it’s best to use a caramel with baking soda in it, such as this caramel corn recipe.
Amazing recipes, I’m going to test the caramel sauce today ,any salt is good to use on this sauce.
delicious, but to me it was wayyy too salty. I added two teaspoons of honey, vanilla abstract and more heavy cream and it helped the taste, now it’s perfect, but a little more liquid.
Amazing recipe. Made it for the first time myself after my sister made some for me and it turned out perfect. So good in latte’s. I can’t wait to make chocolate caramel cupcakes with it!
I cannot use cane sugar; will coconut sugar work?
Hi Ingrid, We haven’t tested this recipe with coconut sugar. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for coconut sugar. Thank you!
? Can I use Splenda or half sugar, half Splenda?
Hi Auntie Em, no, do not use Splenda to make this caramel. I’m sure it would simply evaporate or burn. You need pure cane sugar.
Have made the salted caramel a number of times now, easy recipe to follow, and it comes out perfect every time. Tastes delicious
Can I use this in a drink like a caramel macchiato?
Hi Ester, absolutely.
The absolutely worst caramel sauce I’ve ever tasted! Too much salt! I served it on your recipe for no bake cheese cake. Again the worst filling. Store bought Edward’s cream pie, which tastes like Cool Whip in a crust is better.
I would like to be reimbursed for the wasted ingredients for your lousy recipes.
HOW mean!!! sally has wonderful recipes
Just made this, a lot of crystals on the side of the pan. Kept going , and it seems OK, cooking now.
Super Easy!
Hi Sally, I haven’t made the recipe yet but I wanted to know if I could put the caramel inside cupcakes and if I can cut the recipe in half. Thanks!
Hi Sophia, if halving the recipe, the cooking times will be different. Many readers have successfully halved the recipe. In step 3, you may need to reduce the time to 30-45 seconds. And in step 4, you may need to reduce the boil time down to 30-45 seconds as well. It works great for filling cupcakes!
I made this today and God,Oh God!! This is so yum.
Just made this. Had never made anything like it. Used my cast iron pot. WOW!!! This is AMAZING!!! Ended the process with mixing in nice flaky salt and an increased amount of it. Cannot wait to use this salted caramel as the primary topping on French Toast tomorrow. THANK YOU FOR PUBLISHING THIS INFORMATION AND YOUR VIDEO!!!
What kind of salt should be used in this recipe?
Hi Peggy, We use regular table salt in this. Some readers have replaced it with kosher salt (1 teaspoon) and reported back with delicious results. See recipe note.
I m making apple cobbler very easy directions
Thanks sean
I have made this recipe twice and each time the caramel was very dark and bitter. Any ideas on what I might be doing wrong? I purchased a heavy bottomed sauce pan but the results were the same.
Hi Jack, if it tastes bitter and looks darker than the photos, it’s likely been cooked for too long – an easy fix for next time! Try turning your heat down a bit.
fantastic recipe, i make this all the time! however, for anyone who wants to use milk in place of heavy whipping cream, dont. absolutely no fault of the recipe, i just got too cocky for my own good and ruined the texture of a batch still tastes great tho! maybe i’ll use it an a cake or something where it can blend in a bit
Can I use salted butter in this recipe? I don’t usually have unsalted butter around. Thanks, Cynthia.
Hi Cynthia, here’s everything you need to know about salted vs. unsalted butter and how to swap it in recipes.
I use salted butter in most recipes. I don’t think you can though taste it in this caramel, as I taste it before adding my flaky sea salt.
Delicious sauce! I only had salted butter, so reduced the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. I could eat this by the spoonful. It is that good.
Writing from Brittany, France, home of salted caramel! Just made this within the past hour, and followed the recipe exactly as written. Perfect results and fairly simple to make.
It tastes more like butter than salted caramel
When I make this the salt never dissolves and I’m left with crunchy pieces….what am I doing wrong?
Hi Sylvia, are you using a non-stick pan by chance? Sometimes nonstick works, but we have much better and more consistent luck (and others do as well) when using a stainless steel pot. Using a nonstick pan can often cause the caramel to burn and/or crystallize, and generally just make it harder to cook properly. Crystallization can also happen when the heat is too high, so for your next batch, you can try turning down your heat a bit and continue to whisk vigorously until it smooths out. Hope this helps!
One thing about cooking is that every recipe isn’t for everyone. This one didn’t work for my taste. That said, there is nothing wrong with it. It is exactly as described. It gets harder as it cools so it doesn’t lend itself to storing in a bottle to be poured directly from the refrigerator. It is extremely easy to make compared to my usual recipe. The recipe is easy to follow. I liked it with a little less salt (I made it twice) but again, that is personal preference. I made a caramel poke cake and timed it so that I finished the caramel sauce at the same time that I needed to pour it onto the cake. This sauce isn’t as sweet as some so putting it on the sweeter cake worked well. I would recommend this recipe because I think it would be a great one for many people.
Can I use coconut milk instead of heavy cream?
Hi Cobi, yes, canned coconut milk should work in the place of the heavy cream.
The flavor of this salted caramel sauce is fantastic! The only issue I had with it was when putting it on vanilla ice cream, it really got hard and was difficult to keep it from getting too hard. Is there any way to keep it thin enough without it getting too hard for ice cream? Thanks!
Hi Diana, we’re so glad you enjoyed it! That’s normal here—it will solidify when topped on the ice cream, but you can also try thinning it out a bit when cooking. We recommend adding 2-3 extra Tablespoons of heavy cream to the recipe when you stir in the heavy cream. This will thin out the caramel so it’s softer!
This Salted Caramel Sauce recipe is brilliant. So many uses. I most recently used this as part of a many layered Chocolate Mousse Trifle. The mousse I used was Sally’s filling for French Chocolate Silk Pie.
So yummy! I didn’t think it was going to work when the sugar clumped up, but it did and is really delicious.