The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
Homemade caramel sounds much more intimidating than it actually is.
With just sugar, water, butter, cream, and vanilla, you can make a rich, buttery caramel sauce with that deep cooked-sugar flavor you just don’t quite get from a bottle.
Is store-bought caramel easier? Absolutely. And there are plenty of times when I’ll happily use it. But when you want the caramel to be part of what makes a dessert special, homemade is worth knowing how to make.
Drizzle it over apple desserts, cheesecake, brownies, bread pudding, ice cream, or anything else that could use a little buttery caramel situation happening on top.
The sugar does get extremely hot and the mixture bubbles dramatically when the butter and cream go in, so this is one recipe where paying attention matters. Don’t let that scare you, though. Give it a roomy saucepan, have your ingredients ready before you start, and let the sugar do its thing.
Homemade Caramel Sauce
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: MediumPrep time
5
minutesCooking time
15
minutesYield
1 1/4
cupsTotal time
20
minutesA simple homemade caramel sauce made with sugar, butter, cream, and vanilla. Rich, buttery, and deeply caramelized, with an optional touch of salt for homemade salted caramel.
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons salted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature or slightly warmed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, optional for salted caramel
Directions
- Before beginning, measure all of your ingredients and have them within reach. Once the sugar begins caramelizing, the process moves quickly.
- Add the granulated sugar and water to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Gently stir just enough to evenly moisten the sugar.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Once boiling, stop stirring. If needed, gently swirl the pan occasionally to encourage even cooking.
- Continue cooking until the sugar syrup changes from clear to golden and then reaches a deep amber color. Watch closely as it darkens because caramel can go from perfectly browned to burned very quickly.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Carefully add the butter a few pieces at a time, whisking until combined. The caramel will bubble and steam vigorously when the butter is added. This is normal.
- Slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking. The mixture will bubble again, so add the cream gradually and keep your hands and face away from the steam.
- Whisk until the caramel is smooth. If the caramel seizes or develops a few firm pieces, return the saucepan to low heat and stir gently until everything melts back together.
- Remove from the heat and allow the bubbling to settle for a minute or two.
- Stir in the vanilla extract. For salted caramel, stir in the optional sea salt.
- Allow the caramel to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before transferring it to a heat-safe jar or container. The sauce will thicken considerably as it cools.
- Use warm for drizzling or allow it to cool completely before covering and refrigerating.
