Skip to Content

Best Homemade Caramel Sauce

The best homemade caramel sauce uses only 4 quality ingredients to create one of the simplest but most luxuriant dessert sauces ever.

Homemade Caramel Sauce pictured in a glass jug with ice cream in the background

Homemade Caramel Sauce using only 4 ingredients!!

This is the best caramel sauce I have ever tasted. It’s time to master the method for making this simple but amazing 4 ingredient caramel sauce, once you’ve tried it a few times you will perfect it to your own taste.

The colour of the caramelized sugar will determine the depth of flavour in the sauce. Keep it lighter for a a lighter caramel flavour.

From ice cream sundaes to the perfect accompaniment for apple pie, you will find a thousand ways to use this gorgeous sauce. Isn’t everything better with caramel?

Chocolate Banana Caramel Walnut Coffee Cake image with title text

Chocolate Banana Caramel Walnut Coffee Cake click photo for recipe.

Tips and advice for Homemade Caramel Sauce.

You will want to prepare the ingredients and have them at the ready. Timing is very important in a good caramel sauce, so having the butter and cream ready at the crucial point is critical to the success of your sauce.

You will also want to be very careful when preparing caramel sauce; when the sugar syrup hits the right stage to add the butter and cream it will be over 300 degrees F so it is important to take particular care.

It is also very important to use a proper sized pot. Although the recipe only makes about 2 cups, you will need a 2 1/2 to 3 quart/litre heavy bottomed saucepan.

This is because the sugar syrup will foam up considerably. It will also produce a considerable amount of steam when the butter is added, and again when the cream is added.

These safety tips are not meant to deter. It’s just good advice to make these sorts of things when you can take the time without distractions and give it your full attention.

A successful caramel sauce is also one that has been given careful attention. With a little practice you will be a caramel ace in no time.

butter photographed on a wooden cutting board.

Use only real dairy butter.

Like this Homemade Caramel Sauce recipe?

You’ll find hundreds of other sweet ideas in our Cakes & Pies Category and even more in our Desserts Category.

It’s easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram

Plus you’ll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too. 

Homemade caramel sauce with title text added for Pinterest

You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter to know immediately when we add new recipes. You’ll also get weekly suggestions for great family friendly  meals and desserts too!


Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
 
Visit my Amazon Store for my favourite kitchen gadgets and appliances, plus recommendations from my personal cookbook collection.
Homemade Caramel Sauce pictured in a glass jug with ice cream in the background
Yield: 24 servings of 2 tbsp. Makes about 3 cups

The Best Homemade Caramel Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

The best homemade caramel sauce uses only 4 quality ingredients to create one of the simplest but most luxuriant dessert sauces ever.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup butter cut in small cubes
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 1 cup whipping cream

Instructions

  1. Begin by mixing the sugar and water in a large saucepan. NOTE: I use a large saucepan of about 3 quarts or larger because the sugar foams up when you add the butter and cream so make sure you have a large enough pot.
  2. Boil the sugar and water over medium heat until the mixture begins to turn a light to medium amber color. The real skill in making caramel sauce does come with experience and knowing the point at which the color is perfect. Good advice for beginners is that it is better to be a little too light in color rather than a little too dark because too dark a caramel can often taste a little burnt. It is very easy to burn this mixture which can happen very quickly once the proper color is achieved, so have your butter and cream at the ready, as timing is crucial for this recipe.
  3. Do not stir the boiling sugar, this can cause it to crystallize. If you find the sugar starts to crystallize, use a pastry brush to brush water around the inside edge of the pot as it boils. You may have to do this several times. Carefully swirling the pan occasionally is also helpful to avoid crystallization of the sugar.
  4. When the color is right, quickly add the butter and stir quickly until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat immediately and pour in the whipping cream, stirring constantly until the sauce is uniformly smooth. Cool completely. Store in an airtight plastic container or in a mason jar. This sauce is fantastic with almost any apple dessert or for great caramel sundaes.

Notes

You will want to prepare the ingredients and have them at the ready. Timing is very important in a good caramel sauce, so having the butter and cream ready at the crucial point is critical to the success of your sauce. You will also want to be very careful when preparing caramel sauce; when the sugar syrup hits the right stage to add the butter and cream it will be over 300 degrees F so it is important to take particular care. It is also very important to use a proper sized pot. Although the recipe only makes about 2 cups, you will need a 2 1/2 to 3 quart/liter heavy bottomed saucepan because the sugar syrup will foam up considerably and produce a considerable amount of steam when the butter is added and again when the cream is added. These safety tips are not meant to deter, it's just good advice to make these sorts of things when you can take the time without distractions and give it your full attention. A successful caramel sauce is also one that has been given careful attention. With a little practice you will be a caramel ace in no time.

Nutrition Information

Yield

24

Serving Size

2 tbsp (30ml)

Amount Per Serving Calories 144Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 25mgSodium 44mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 0gSugar 17gProtein 0g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

Did you like this recipe?

Do you love our "Real food recipes for real people'? Share the recipe on Facebook to let your friends know about us. They'll thank you for it.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Jan

Wednesday 2nd of March 2022

Could you use Monk fruit sugar instead of the real sugar in this recipe?

Eileen

Saturday 29th of August 2015

From my experience in making caramel, the secret is melting the sugar in the water under low heat - you can stir at this point to make sure there are no granules of sugar. Then boil until the desired color of amber is reached. It works beautifully.

Noelle Perry-Earle

Friday 24th of April 2015

Just before Christmas I tried this sauce and it was my Waterloo. A complete disaster of clumped, crystallized and totally seized sugar. Since than it has eaten at me and so today, having a carton of whipping cream in the fridge that was nearing it's best before date, I gathered my courage and gave it another go... I have no idea what I did the first time but this time it was perfection! Thanks Barry, now I feel I can look you in the eye again. ;)

MaryAnn

Thursday 14th of August 2014

This is an amazing sauce, however mine took a little detour but still came out beautifully. My sugar clumped and crystalized but I carried on with the directions as written from start to finish. In the end, I poured the clumpy sauce thru a strainer and ended up with a rich buttery cream sauce that was the best thing I've ever tasted over ice cream. Pure heaven. I also added some sea salt as other reviewers posted and it was fabulous. I hope I can recreate my mistake again. :-)

Barry C. Parsons

Friday 22nd of August 2014

I've never had it happen but crystallization can happen at the first stage if you stir it. Avoid stirring until the final 2 ingredients are added.

Lauren

Wednesday 16th of July 2014

I was wondering how you store this. Do you refridgerate it or keep in the pantry? And how long will it keep before going bad? Looks amazing!

Barry C. Parsons

Wednesday 16th of July 2014

I keep it int the fridge. It should be good for a couple of weeks but it NEVER lasts that long.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to Recipe

Sharing is Caring

Help spread the word. You're awesome for doing it!