Everything’s Better With Salted Caramel
Well, ok…maybe not everything, but a lot of things! Ice cream, cake, pie, brownies, popcorn, nuts, cookies, apples and bananas…oh the possibilities! Creamy, buttery, sweet and salty…the combination is irresistible!
You can have a rich caramel sauce whenever you need it (want it?), in about 20 minutes with only a few ingredients. How easy is that? And it will taste better than anything you can buy at the store (with less chemicals and preservatives). I know caramel seems scary at first, but it’s really not hard once you make it a few times and get a feel for it.
The first step is to gather all of the ingredients and utensils and have them ready. You don’t want to be looking for something once you start this as it will cook quickly. All of your ingredients should be at room temperature to prevent the sugar from seizing up.
Use a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. It may seem larger than you need, but when you add the butter and cream it will bubble vigorously so you need the bigger pan.
Add the granulated sugar and water to the saucepan and stir until well combined. Some recipes don’t call for water, but I find it helps melt the sugar better so the finished sauce won’t be grainy. Once the water and sugar are well combined don’t stir again or you will get crystals (grains) in your silky sauce, or your sauce will seize. You can gently swirl the pan if needed, but don’t get the caramel up the sides of the pan. When the mixture begins to gently bubble, turn up the heat and bring it to a boil.
If you prefer to use an instant read or candy thermometer, heat the sauce to 350 degrees. It will be a light amber color at this point. Don’t leave your pan during this process as it takes only a few moments for it to go from golden to amber to burnt.
Once you hit that sweet spot, add your butter pieces to the saucepan and whisk until the butter is fully incorporated. The caramel will bubble, but you should keep whisking to make sure the butter melts completely.
Remove the pan from the heat and slowly (the key word is slowly!) pour in the cream, whisking continuously. Your sauce will vigorously bubble up again, but continue to whisk until the cream is incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla and salt at this point (you can use sea salt per this recipe, or use sea salt flakes, but you will need to use about a tablespoon of the flakes).
Set aside to cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools. You will love this sauce on so many things, and it will keep for about a month in the refrigerator…if you don’t eat it all before that!
I hope you love this recipe, and that it puts a Slice of Spice in your day!
Michele
Easy Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
A creamy, buttery, sweet-salty sauce that is delicious on so many things!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, in pieces
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
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In a 3 quart saucepan, heat the water and sugar over medium heat. Make sure you use this larger size saucepan as the mixture will bubble vigorously when you add the butter and cream. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture bubbles slightly.
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Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Do not stir any more. Let the mixture boil until it becomes an amber color (350 degrees if using an instant read or candy thermometer).
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Add in butter and whisk constantly until it is completely melted.
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Remove from heat and very slowly whisk in cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously, so be very careful as you whisk. Once the cream is incorporated whisk in the vanilla and the salt.
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Pour into dish or jar and allow to cool completely before you use or store. It will thicken as it cools. Will keep in the refrigerator for a month.
Recipe Notes
If you prefer to use salt flakes, increase the amount to 1 tbsp. If you prefer regular caramel sauce use just a pinch of salt.
Yield is about 1 1/2 cups.
