You guys. I literally did a happy dance when I made this salted caramel sauce. I've tried many, many times. And I finally nailed it. NAILED IT! And not like the show that bakers flop their creations... like I was legit impressed with my self.
I text my husband while he was at work and told him he HAD to try it as soon as he got home! As soon as I could, I gave him a spoon of this perfectly buttery, sweet and salty caramel. He said it tasted just like Werthers Original! That was such a compliment to me because I am a Caramel GIRL! Like, if I had to pick between chocolate or caramel, I would pick caramel. So you KNOW this recipe is stellar! Now if you don't get it perfect on the first try, don't worry. This is probably the third time I've tried this recipe, and I have perfected it! Don't give up! As long as you are patient and follow the directions, you can be successful.
Grab your ingredients and a pot with tall sides, to avoid any bubbling caramel from spilling over.
Grab some granulated white sugar, unsalted butter, heavy whipping cream, water, salt and vanilla extract.
Whisk together the granulated sugar and water in a medium-sized saucepan with tall sides. I had the heat of my burner around medium-low. Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved; about 3-5 minutes. Add in your butter and allow it to return to a boil.
Now, you want to watch it very carefully to make sure it doesn't overheat. You want to allow the mixture to boil, but not scorch to the bottom of the pan.
Use a whisk to mix the sugar, water and butter together well. Then, do not stir until it is finished. Slide the pot around occasionally to prevent sticking, but resist the urge to stir.
After about 10 minutes of a low boil, you should begin to notice the color of the butter and sugar mixture turning more golden brown.
Keep going. This is the most important step. The first few times I did this, I did not cook it long enough and it was a gritty runny mess. If you run into this problem, chances are, you did not let it boil long enough.
I actually ended up boiling the butter and sugar mixture for about 20 minutes total. There was a distinct moment when the smell of the "caramel" began to smell almost "burnt." This is when I removed it from the heat and moved on to adding the cream.
After you remove the pot from the heat, very slowly add your heavy whipping cream. I would recommend using a measuring cup that has a pointed pour spout to help with a slow steady pour.
There will be some "hissing" and bubbling up as you're adding the cream, so be careful. This is why you want a pot with high sides, to prevent it from bubbling over.
After you add the cream, do a quick mix with the whisk. Add your vanilla extract and salt quickly, and continue to combine.
Once you have finished combining all ingredients and you have a smooth mixture, let it cool slightly in the pot on the stove.
After about 5 minutes, transfer it to a container that you can cover and refrigerate. A mason jar would work perfectly, I just didn't have one available at the time.
Cover your caramel sauce and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
After your caramel cools and sets a little bit in the fridge, grab a spoon and dig in to this DELICIOUS creation. I'm telling you... you will sit there and eat it with a spoon if you're a caramel lover like me... because I certainly did.
You can add this sauce to ice cream, frosting or buttercreams, as a filling in cupcakes, drizzled on cookies, drawn through brownies, or in between cake layers. The possibilities are endless. If it's a dessert, I bet it would taste delicious paired with it.
I hope you enjoy this easy, homemade recipe as much as I do! Don't forget to save this blog and share it with your favorite caramel loving friend!
Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe:
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup water
4 ounces (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon flaky kosher salt or sea salt
Can be stored in an air-tight container for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. You can serve chilled, room temperature or reheat in the microwave (or on the stove top) if desired.
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