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The finished salted caramel recipe in a glass jar with a spoon in it.
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Salted Caramel Sauce

My Salted Caramel Sauce is a game-changer! It's rich buttery, perfect for drizzling everything from ice cream to waffles.
Course condiment, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword caramel, sauce
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 7 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 225kcal
Author Jillian Wade
Cost $3.03

Equipment

  • heavy-bottomed saucepan
  • heat-resistant rubber spatula
  • vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste
  • storage jar

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter see note below
  • 1 vanilla bean seeds removed (optional)
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, heat the sugar. Stir constantly with a heat-resistant rubber spatula.
  • The sugar will clump, but it will eventually melt. Keep stirring until the sugar melts into a light brown liquid, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Once the sugar melts, immediately add in butter and vanilla bean seeds (if using). Stir constantly until butter is melted, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Slowly pour in heavy cream while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the mixture comes up to a boil. Keep stirring and boil for 1 minute.
  • Remove pan from heat and add salt, stirring until combined.
  • Let the sauce cool for 10 minutes, then pour it into a glass jar.
  • Cool completely with the lid open, then cover and store in the refrigerator. The salted caramel sauce will thicken as it cools.

Notes

  • With this salted caramel recipe, you must constantly stir the entire time it's on the stovetop. It only takes 7 minutes, so put down your phone and make sure the kids are occupied for those 7 minutes. Keep the mixture moving because it can burn quickly!
  • If you use unsalted butter, add ¾ teaspoons of salt to the caramel sauce in step 5. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to the caramel sauce in step 5 if you use salted butter.
  • The vanilla bean seeds are optional, but I love using them because they enhance the luscious caramel flavor! You can also use ½ teaspoon of vanilla bean paste instead of the seeds.
  • I don't recommend doubling this recipe. I've tried it a few times, and the sugar doesn't melt properly, leaving sugar shards in the sauce—not ideal!
  • I make back-to-back batches when I want to make a lot of salted caramel sauce for gifting or other purposes.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 11mg | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 481IU | Calcium: 12mg