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This easy Caramel Sauce with Sweetened Condensed Milk is foolproof! It only uses four ingredients and takes 10 minutes without a candy thermometer. It’s the perfect topping for many desserts, coffee drinks, or for dipping apples!
Looking for more delicious dips? Try my Chocolate Ganache or Easy Fruit Dip!
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Pin ItHere’s why you’ll love making this homemade caramel sauce again and again:
Easy 4-Ingredient Caramel Sauce (No Thermometer Needed!)
So Easy: Just four simple ingredients and no candy thermometer needed. You can whip it up anytime a caramel craving hits!
Instant Dessert Magic: Drizzle it over ice cream, pound cake, chocolate cake—you name it. It turns anything into a decadent treat.
Perfect for Entertaining: Pour it into a cute jar and add it to a fruit board or dessert platter. It’s simple, charming, and always impresses guests!
Easy Caramel Sauce Ingredient Notes
Butter: Gives it a buttery, creamy flavor. Use pure butter for this recipe. You can use salted or unsalted butter. If you use unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the recipe while it’s heating.
Dark Brown Sugar: Creates a sweet flavor and a deep amber color, giving the caramel a sweet taste.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: The base of the sauce. It has a thick texture and is used in pies and desserts.
Corn Syrup: Helps give it a smooth texture and thickens it. You can try an alternative to this if you prefer.
Recipe Tips
Don’t Boil: Cook on low heat and stir often to keep the sauce smooth and creamy.
Use Salted Butter: Or sprinkle a little sea salt on top for a simple salted caramel version.
Coffee Twist: Add 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder for a rich coffee caramel flavor.
Chocolate Caramel: Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips while the sauce is warm for a decadent chocolate caramel sauce.
Make it Ahead: Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let the sauce cool longer or refrigerate it for a thicker texture. Warm it slightly or add a splash of milk to thin it out.
Light brown sugar will create a lighter, milder caramel flavor, which works well for a more subtle caramel taste.
However, I prefer using dark brown sugar because it gives the sauce a deeper, richer flavor and darker color.
If your caramel sauce starts to curdle, you can often save it by stirring in an extra tablespoon of butter or sweetened condensed milk, which can help smooth out the texture. Be sure to keep the heat low and stir gently.
Use small glass jars for individual servings and tie them with ribbon or twine. Add a custom label with serving suggestions like “Drizzle over ice cream” and include a small spoon for a cute touch.
Pair with treats like apples or hot chocolate mix for a bigger gift to create a thoughtful, cozy gift set. Perfect for any occasion!
More Recipes with Caramel
Leave a comment and review if you make this caramel recipe. I’d love to know your thoughts!
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Easy Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 14 ounces
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
Instructions
- Melt the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan on low heat. Never bring this mixture to a boil, or it will curdle – always low heat.
- Then, add in the sweetened condensed milk and corn syrup.
- While the sauce thickens, use a whisk to mix until it thickens and the sugar melts gently. Scrape the sides of the pot, too. Please pay close attention to the texture of the caramel as it simmers.
- Lastly, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool a bit.
- Let it sit in the refrigerator to thicken.
Video
Notes
How to Store
Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge, then bring to room temp or reheat before using. Refrigerate: Store in an airtight glass jar for up to 3 weeks. It will firm up, so let it sit out or warm it gently before serving.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So we made this during quarentine for a pumpkin cheesecake topping and with slight modifications it was delicious. I followed all instructions all the way to to cooking 5-7 minutes. We found that at 5 minutes over low to medium heat the sauce still just tasted like sweetened condensed milk so we put it back on a low flame and cooked an additional 8 minutes with constant stirring. We also added salt to taste. We love salty with sweet. We didn’t measure the salt but probably put at least a teaspoon of sea salt and half a teaspoon of kosher salt. Mmmm. Delicious!
This sauce is so easy! I’ve made it twice and will make it again. I agree with the reviewer who cooked it an additional 8 minutes and added some salt. I’ll try that next time. It’s very good, but I think extra cooking would add more depth to the flavor. Great recipe…thank you!
So happy this worked for you! Good idea on letting it cook even more and salt is always good!
Almost did the same thing, but I added 4 tbsp of dark baking cocoa at the butter and brown sugar stage…. pretty much our go-to topping now.
Love hearing this!!
So easy to make; I’ve been using it in my lattes and its 10x better than the fake tasting sauces from the store.
Thank you Bells! We love hearing that!!
So good and easy! Thanks for the recipe!
I love caramel sauces, I can’t wait to try this. Thank you! 😉
This was SO GOOD! Thanks so much for sharing!
Yummy! I love caramel sauces, and this is super easy! Love it. 🙂
This is so easy and absolutely delicious!
We’re under COVID-19 stay-at-home order and I didn’t have the ingredients for the carmel glaze I wanted to use on a cake. I found this recipe and used it as a cake topping. It was a hit and there’s more in the fridge. I’ll definitely be making it again.
oh yay! thank you Kayla!! stay healthy and safe!!
Looks yummy. Easy to make sauce for sweet lovers. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Really loved making this and not having to use a candy thermometer! So easy!
So easy and so delicious! You can’t go wrong with a great caramel sauce to put on so many things.