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    Home » Dessert

    How to Make Sweet and Bittersweet Caramel Sauce

    Published: Jun 20, 2023 by Muna · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Follow this Easy homemade caramel sauce recipe to make sweet and bittersweet versions; they taste much better than store-bought. You need 5 simple ingredients and 15 minutes top to make them. Enjoy silky and smooth caramel sauce on your Vanilla Cheesecake, Chocolate cake, or even drizzle some on an apple pie slice. You won’t need a candy thermometer to make this delicious caramel sauce!

    Caramel sauce feature image.
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 INGREDIENTS  
    • 🔪 HOW TO MAKE
    • 💭 COOKING TIPS
    • 💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
    • 🍲 USE CARAMEL SAUCE WITH 
    • 🌡️ STORING HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Please, don’t hesitate to try this recipe. Many choose the easy way and buy caramel sauce from the store, but homemade caramel sauce is far better. It is buttery, delightful, and with no preservatives. Try the sauce with my fluffy Chocolate Pancakes.

    I teaching you two ways to make sweet and bittersweet caramel sauce, using the same ingredients. You just need to know when to stop caramelizing the sugar, and that's made easy by watching the video below and the step-by-step images. Make some at home and store it. You can freeze the sauce for up to three months.

    🥘 INGREDIENTS  

    Five simple ingredients are all you need. If you don’t have them at home, you can easily get them from the store, and they are budget-friendly.

    Butter – Use quality unsalted butter to have the maximum flavor. You can go for salted butter, too; if you do, omit the salt from the recipe.

    Sugar – It is best to go for fine white sugar. Brown sugar is good but will make the caramel darker, slightly different in texture and taste.

    Heavy cream – We can’t have rich and smooth caramel sauce without heavy cream. Don’t go for low-fat cream.

    Water – It prevents the sugar from burning quickly.

    Salt – You might think adding salt to caramel sauce is strange, but it enhances the flavor.

    Drizzling caramel sauce.

    🔪 HOW TO MAKE

    Making a delicious caramel sauce is super easy; you only need 15 minutes to go through the process. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below, but here are the main steps.

    Step 1

    Add sugar and water to a heavy bottom saucepan and cook on medium heat. When the sugar melts, Swirl the pan carefully and occasionally. This way, the caramel will cook evenly.

    Pouring water on sugar.
    Swirling the pan with melted sugar.

    Step 2

    When the melted sugar turns golden, Turn off the heat to prepare the sweet caramel sauce. For the bittersweet caramel, continue cooking until the sugar turn amber or deep amber, then add the butter and whisk until it dissolves.

    The sugar turning amber in color.
    Adding butter to caramel.
    Mixing butter with caramel.

    Step 3

    Gently and carefully pour the heavy cream while whisking (careful, it will splash a bit).

    Pouring heavy cream to caramel.

    Step 4

    Add the salt and whisk for a few seconds. Allow the caramel sauce to cool a little while in the pan, then pour it into a jar to cool completely. The caramel sauce will be thin but will get thicker as it cools.

    Two version of caramel sauce.

    💭 COOKING TIPS

    • To enjoy a flavorful caramel sauce, use European butter because it has less water.
    • Using a heavy bottom pan, help the heat to spread evenly and prevent the sugar from burning.
    • After adding the water to the sugar, swirl the pan to distribute the mixture, but you have to leave the pan alone until the sugar dissolves to prevent crystallization.
    • Instead of white sugar, you can use raw sugar but avoid using brown sugar.
    • Resist stirring the sugar and water mixture with a spoon.
    Freshly prepared caramel sauce.

    💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    Do I have to refrigerate the caramel sauce?

    Yes. The caramel has cream, which will spoil if not refrigerated.

    How long can caramel sauce keep?

    You can use properly refrigerated caramel sauce for up to one month.

    How to heat homemade caramel sauce?

    You can microwave it or heat it on gentle heat over the stovetop.

    Can you prevent the sugar from crystallizing?

    Do not stir the sugar and water mixture when adding it to the pan. Give it time to dissolve. You gently swirl the pan to help it dissolve evenly.

    What will be the caramel’s consistency?

    When hot, the caramel will be thin. When at room temperature, it will have a pouring consistency, but it will get thicker after you refrigerate it, the caramel will get thicker, but you can still spoon it out of the jar.

    Do I need a candy thermometer to make this sauce?

    There is no need for a candy thermometer. This is an easy caramel sauce recipe with no complications. You can figure out when to add the next ingredient and when to stop caramelizing the sugar. Here I want to say that the color of the caramel sauce depends on how dark you allow the sugar to get.  

    Can I use this recipe to make Caramel apples?

    No, the caramel sauce recipe I share here is not thick enough. However, you can use it to dip apple slices in it.

    What if my caramel crystallizes?

    Add three tablespoons of water to the pan and swirl gently; this should take care of any crystallization.

    What other desserts can I drizzle caramel sauce on?

    You can drizzle it on cinnamon rolls and brownies and use it in cold coffee.

    🍲 USE CARAMEL SAUCE WITH 

    • Small image of apple galette
      Apple Galette Recipe With Caramel Sauce
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      Best Egg Free Brownies Ever
    • vanilla Cheesecake with Butterscotch Sauce 3
      Vanilla Cheesecake with Butterscotch Sauce
    • Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe feature image
      Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
    Close up image of caramel sauce.

    🌡️ STORING HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE

    Refrigerate: You can refrigerate the caramel sauce in a jar with a tight container for up to one month.

    Freeze: To freeze the caramel sauce, pour it in a freezer-friendly container, and it will keep for 3 months.

    To thaw the frozen sauce, place it in the refrigerator overnight and then heat it in the microwave or gently over the stovetop.

    📖 Recipe

    Caramel sauce feature image.

    Homemade Sweet and Bittersweet Caramel Sauce Recipe

    This is an easy recipe for sweet and bittersweet caramel sauce. A complimentary topping for cakes, brownies, ice cream, and apple pie.
    3 from 1 vote
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    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Caramel sauce
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 Servings
    Calories: 209kcal
    Author: Muna

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream At room temperature
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 5 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup water
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional

    Instructions

    • In a heavy bottom pan, add the sugar and water. Swirl the pan to spread the mixture evenly. Let it cook on medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Avoid using high-heat.
    • When the color of the sugar changes to light brown on the sides of the pan an come to a boil, swirl the pan carefully and gently to allow the caramel to cook evenly.

    For Sweet Caramel Sauce

    • When the mixture turns a light amber color, turn off the heat. Add the butter and whisk until the butter dissolves.

    For Bittersweet Caramel Sauce

    • When the mixture reaches a deep amber color, turn off the heat. Add the butter and whisk until the butter dissolves.

    Steps After Adding the Butter

    • Add the cream while whisking (careful, it will splash a bit).
    • Add the salt and vanilla and whisk for a few seconds. Allow the sauce to cool a little while in the pan.
    • Pour the caramel sauce into a jar to cool completely, then place it in the fridge.

    Video

    Notes

    1. Heat the caramel sauce before using it.
    2. If you are using salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.
    3. Add half a teaspoon of salt to the sauce to make the salted caramel sauce. You can use sea salt.
    4. I suggest you read the tips and FAQs in this post, which will guide you through the process.
    5. A tablespoon of this sauce can go a long way, so you don't have to worry much about the calories.
    6. If you make a big batch, the cooking time might increase slightly.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2 Tablespoons | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Please let me know how you liked it! Tage me @MunatyCooking
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. IRENE RILEY

      June 20, 2023 at 10:44 am

      3 stars
      I ONLY SEE RECIPE FOR SWEET SAUCE.

      Reply
      • Muna

        June 20, 2023 at 4:05 pm

        Hi Irene, Thank you so much for the heads up I have edited the subtitle in the recipe card.

        Reply

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    Hello there, and welcome! I’m Muna, the writer, food photographer, and videographer at Munaty Cooking. I’m also the mother of a handsome young man. I’m from and reside in Sharjah. Oh, and there are more fun facts. 

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