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This easy caramel sauce is rich and buttery, and you have my step-by-step photos to help you along when you make it!
Let's be real...I was super concerned the first time I made caramel from scratch, and I'm normally a "I can do anything in the kitchen" kind of gal. Caramel sauce can be intimidating to make with the molten sugar and how fiercely it can boil up when you add the cream. But when you get through making it once, you'll realize that there is nothing to fear. Now, I don't necessarily make caramel all the time, because it is not the most healthy thing in the world. However, it really is a breeze with nothing to worry about when you follow this awesome recipe.
Recipe
Easy Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Pinch kosher salt for salted caramel use 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into 8 pieces
Instructions
- Measure out all of your ingredients (and keep your butter in the fridge!) and pull out all of the tools you need (you will need a 2-quart heavy bottomed pot with a lid, a candy thermometer, a small heavy bottomed pot, and a whisk).
- Pour 1 cup water into your 2-quart pot, and pour the sugar into the center of the pot. You want to create a little mound of sugar submerged under the water, so make sure to pour the sugar into one spot of the pot!
- Cover the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat, which will take about 3 minutes.
- Remove lid and insert your candy thermometer. Keep boiling the sugar until it reaches 300 degrees, which will take about 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium.
- Place the cream in the small pot and bring to a simmer over high heat. (In a perfect world your cream will reach a simmer once the sugar reaches 350 degrees in the next step, but if it reaches a simmer early, just remove it from the heat)
- Once the sugar reaches 350 degrees (this will happen about 5 minutes after you reduce the heat to medium in step 4), it will be a dark amber color and begin to smoke, turn off heat. (If you have an electric stove remove it from the burner).
- Very slowly stream in the warm cream. The sugar will bubble, but as long as you do this step slowly, you will be good to go!
- Once all of the cream is added whisk the mixture well. Add the salt and butter and whisk until it is completely incorporated (the butter will probably bubble a bit too!)
- Let it cool and then pour over a large scoop of vanilla ice cream or store in an airtight container in the fridge!
STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS WITH PHOTOS
Step 1 - Measure out all of your ingredients (and keep your butter in the fridge!) and pull out all of the tools you need (you will need a 2-quart heavy bottomed pot with a lid, a candy thermometer, a small heavy bottomed pot, and a whisk).
Step 2 - Pour 1 cup water into your 2-quart pot, and pour the sugar into the center of the pot. You want to create a little mound of sugar submerged under the water, so make sure to pour the sugar into one spot of the pot!
Step 3 - Cover the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat, which will take about 3 minutes.
Step 4 - Remove lid and insert your candy thermometer. Keep boiling the sugar until it reaches 300 degrees, which will take about 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium.
Step 5 - Place the cream in the small pot and bring to a simmer over high heat. (In a perfect world your cream will reach a simmer once the sugar reaches 350 degrees in the next step, but if it reaches a simmer early, just remove it from the heat)
Step 6 - Once the sugar reaches 350 degrees (this will happen about 5 minutes after you reduce the heat to medium in step 4), it will be a dark amber color and begin to smoke, turn off heat. (If you have an electric stove remove it from the burner).
Step 7 - Very slowly stream in the warm cream. The sugar will bubble, but as long as you do this step slowly, you will be good to go!
Step 8 - Once all of the cream is added whisk the mixture well. Add the salt and butter and whisk until it is completely incorporated (the butter will probably bubble a bit too!)
Step 9 - Let it cool and then pour over a large scoop of vanilla ice cream
Recipe
Easy Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Pinch kosher salt for salted caramel use 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into 8 pieces
Instructions
- Measure out all of your ingredients (and keep your butter in the fridge!) and pull out all of the tools you need (you will need a 2-quart heavy bottomed pot with a lid, a candy thermometer, a small heavy bottomed pot, and a whisk).
- Pour 1 cup water into your 2-quart pot, and pour the sugar into the center of the pot. You want to create a little mound of sugar submerged under the water, so make sure to pour the sugar into one spot of the pot!
- Cover the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat, which will take about 3 minutes.
- Remove lid and insert your candy thermometer. Keep boiling the sugar until it reaches 300 degrees, which will take about 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium.
- Place the cream in the small pot and bring to a simmer over high heat. (In a perfect world your cream will reach a simmer once the sugar reaches 350 degrees in the next step, but if it reaches a simmer early, just remove it from the heat)
- Once the sugar reaches 350 degrees (this will happen about 5 minutes after you reduce the heat to medium in step 4), it will be a dark amber color and begin to smoke, turn off heat. (If you have an electric stove remove it from the burner).
- Very slowly stream in the warm cream. The sugar will bubble, but as long as you do this step slowly, you will be good to go!
- Once all of the cream is added whisk the mixture well. Add the salt and butter and whisk until it is completely incorporated (the butter will probably bubble a bit too!)
- Let it cool and then pour over a large scoop of vanilla ice cream or store in an airtight container in the fridge!
Sheri says
Perfect instructions and perfect results. Thank you!
Michelle Ferrand says
Yay! You are welcome and I'm so glad you like it!