Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 10 minutes Servings: 1 ½ cups

This Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce is easy to make and perfect for topping on ice cream or almost any dessert!

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions

  • Cut the butter into tablespoon size pieces.
  • In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the water and sugar over medium heat. Make sure to use a saucepan that's a little bigger than what you think you will need. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture starts to bubble just a little.
  • Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stop stirring completely. Let the mixture continue boiling until it turns an amber color, this could take anywhere from 4-12 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit, so make sure to do this very carefully. Then, mix in the butter, vanilla, and salt one at a time.
  • Pour the caramel sauce into a dish and allow to cool completely; cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. The caramel sauce will thicken up some once it is cooled and refrigerated.
  • Notes:
  • For a regular caramel sauce, just use a pinch of salt or about ⅛ teaspoon.
  • Store any leftover salted caramel sauce in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
  • Reheat in the microwave before using.