This easy caramel sauce recipe 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!
My delicious caramel sauce has a creamy, rich, buttery flavor. It can be used as a topping for desserts like pound cake, chocolate cake, and apple crumble bars or as a dipping sauce for fruit.
Add it to a fruit board with apple slices, pears, and other delicious fruit, and dip away! It also makes the perfect dip for a dessert platter.
What I love about this recipe is that it’s straightforward to make. With just four ingredients, you will get a creamy sauce perfect for dipping and desserts. It’s the best caramel sauce!
Also, no candy thermometer is needed – many recipes call for a thermometer, but this is simple and makes a creamy caramel without it.
It also makes the perfect topping for an ice cream, waffle bar, or drizzled all over our gooey monkey bread or apple crisp. It’s a great addition to fall desserts.
Caramel Sauce Ingredients
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 dark 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.
Tips for Making Easy Caramel Sauce
- Make it ahead of time. Store it in an airtight glass container, such as a Mason Jar, and leave it in the refrigerator for 3 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. If you’re gifting it, it can stay out for 1 day.
- Do not boil this recipe; only cook it on low heat, or it will start to curdle and become chunky.
- Never leave the sauce unattended. It can quickly burn, so you should watch it closely as it cooks.
- Use salted butter for the salted caramel sauce, or add a little salt. Something like fleur de sel is lovely sprinkled over the top.
- Use a wooden spoon or heatproof silicone spatula to stir.
How to Store
Caramel sauce keeps well for up to two weeks. It must be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to three months while maintaining its quality.
Once the caramel cools, add it to a glass container that you can seal with a lid. Weck or Ball jars are perfect for storing caramel sauce.
Refrigerate: You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. However, it will become hard in the fridge, so you must reheat the sauce before serving.
You can reheat in a microwave-safe container or on the stovetop. Reheating it will slightly change the texture, but it will still work well as a good dipping sauce.
Freezing: You can freeze homemade caramel sauce for up to 3 months. Place it in a freezer-safe container, properly sealed. Just note that the texture will become a little more liquid when reheated.
Recipe Variations
Salted Caramel Sauce – Add a pinch of salt to the recipe while it’s heating for a delicious salty-sweet twist on this classic caramel sauce.
Coffee Caramel Sauce – Add 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the mixture for a warm coffee flavor.
Chocolate Caramel Sauce – Stir 1/4 cup of chocolate chips into the sauce while it’s still warm and allow them to melt for a decadent sauce perfect for drizzling over ice cream or dipping fruit in.
Texture and Flavor Adjustments
Creamy vs. Rich Caramel: Adjust the texture by adding a tablespoon of heavy cream if you want it even creamier or reduce the corn syrup for a slightly thicker consistency.
Adding Spice: For a spiced caramel, add a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice while cooking for a warm, cozy flavor perfect for fall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can let it cool for a few extra minutes after cooking, or refrigerate it longer to achieve a denser texture. To make it thinner, warm the sauce slightly, or stir in a small amount of milk or cream to reach your desired consistency.
Absolutely! Light brown sugar will create a lighter, milder caramel flavor, which works well for a more subtle caramel taste. However, using dark brown sugar gives the sauce a deeper, richer flavor and darker color.
When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this caramel sauce can last up to three weeks. You can also freeze it for up to three months for longer storage. Just remember that freezing may slightly alter the texture, making it a bit thinner once reheated.
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.
How to Gift Caramel Sauce
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!
Delicious Ways to Use Caramel Sauce
This caramel sauce is incredibly versatile! Here are some tasty ideas for topping and pairing:
- Drizzle over ice cream, brownies, or cheesecake for a rich, buttery touch.
- Dip apple slices, pears, or pretzels for an easy snack or dessert board addition.
- Swirl into coffee, hot chocolate, or milkshakes for a cozy caramel flavor.
- Spread over pancakes, waffles, or crepes for a sweet breakfast treat.
- Add as a filling in cupcakes or drizzle over pies and tarts for extra decadence.
Now that you know how to make one of my favorite caramel sauces, let us know what you think.
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
- Make it ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container and leave it in the refrigerator for one month. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. If you’re gifting it, it can stay out for one day.
- Never leave the sauce unattended. It can quickly burn, so you want to watch it closely as it’s cooking.
- For salted caramel sauce, use salted butter.
- Always cook on low heat only; do not boil, or it will be ruined.
Loving this caramel sauce! It’s amazing on so many things!
I love how easy and delicious this caramel sauce is! My kids would love it!
Such an easy caramel sauce recipe! It was amazing over our vanilla ice cream.
Yum – my kids went crazy for this! Great recipe!
This recipe is delicious! I used it as a caramel layer for a Frankenstein batch of homemade twix bars after my first recipe for the caramel layer turned out so hard it was inedible! I will definitely make this again!
Yum!! Thank you for sharing this! Homemade twix bars sound amazing!
This recipe is delicious! For the 1/2 cup of corn syrup I used mostly molasses and some dark corn syrup. I also added some coconut oil, vanilla, and a bit of salt and it is absolutely divine. I will totally be making it again!
Does sweetened condensed milk come in different size cans? I have a 14oz can. What size do you use?
This was so easy to make and absolutely delicious! I love serving it with sliced fruit.
I really love how easy this is to make!! Thanks for the recipe!
Yum! Anything with condensed milk is seriously so good. I’m going to use the caramel sauce to try to get my son to eat his fruit!
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.