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READY IN 55 mins

Dessertlover's Classic Caramel Sauce

Read Reviews (80)

"This is your basic caramel sauce, nothing fancy. In my opinion, a good starter recipe to maybe change to your liking afterwards." — Dessertlover

Ingredients Edit and Save

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Original recipe makes 2 cups Change Servings

1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

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Directions

Bring the water, sugar, and butter to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not stir the mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved in the water. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the caramel has turned golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
Carefully pour in a slow, steady stream of cream into the caramel while stirring constantly. The hot caramel will boil vigorously when the cream is added and solidify in areas. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Continue stirring over low heat until the caramel is smooth and creamy, 5 to 10 minutes more. Allow to cool for at least half an hour before using.

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PREP 10 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 55 mins

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The only way to get a nice dark color... is to put the sugar in a pan by itself, sugar melts when heated...then browns. Then add butter, then hot Boiled water & hot boiled cream...then the vanilla extract and salt.

—Eileen

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Mar 15, 2011

Against my better judgement, I decided to give this recipe a try. This absolutely didn't work for me. I followed the recipe (and ingredients) exactly and ended up with a watery, sugary...?....something. It couldn't be called a sauce. Maybe using brown sugar will help, but as is, this recipe doesn't work !! Boiled for about 20min to try and get the sugar to caramalize - didn't happen. Added the cream anyway (hoping for a miracle) and let it boil for another 20min..... Sorry - won't be using again.

—Melissa Scholte

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99 Ratings

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Jul 06, 2009

This is the perfect "base" recipie! I did use half brown sugar and half white sugar to give it a little bit more chew. Also, I was using this caramel for a topping on my Snickers Brownies so I added about 1 cup of marshmallows at the end with the cream to give the sauce a bit of the nougat taste that I was looking for. This sauce turned out great!

—mexican lover

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Nov 03, 2009

So delicious! I used Spiced Rum instead of water and evaporated milk instead of cream and it was delicious!

—Lady A.

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Oct 13, 2009

This sauce turned out wonderfully. It seemed like a large quantity so I halved the recipe prior to making it, and I still had plenty. A nice smooth texture.

—heidi

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Jan 19, 2010

This is absolutely delicious! Important to do exactly as the directions indicate and DON'T stir until the sugar dissolves. I made only 1/2 of the recipe and it made about 3/4 of a cup. Easy, delicious, and gorgeous color!

—GJS

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Sep 07, 2010

Mmm this is recipe is just what I was looking for in a caramel sauce. It is a bit tricky to make though...after reading reviews I decided to add 1/4 c. brown sugar and 1/2 c. white (for a half batch of the sauce). I tried to melt the sugar first and after waiting for it to melt (or even start to melt) after about 15 minutes I added the butter to the sugar, I heated up the water and half and half (which I used in place of the heavy cream) to a low boil and added this to the sugars and stirred until the sugar was dissolved. I simmered this for 10-15 more minutes, then put it in the fridge to cool. I was a bit conserned that this was going to be to thin, but after being in the fridge it did thicken up. I used this with the Butter Brickle Freezer Dessert Recipe, making 8 servings of the sauce I had enough for the 2 layer dessert, plus more to drizzle on top. Yum, definetly a keeper!

—Jog Dish

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Feb 24, 2010

This recipe was fantastic; exactly what I was looking for to make a caramel dip for snacking on apple slices. To those who had this turn out as a thin, creamy mess, you must simmer the sugar until it is a rich, golden brown before adding the sugar. It can't just be thick and boiling. It has to be darkening, all the way through. A thick-walled saucepan is best, and yes, the times are probably for a gas range, so plan on more time with a coil or flat top range.

—Chef W

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Nutrition

Calories
150 kcal
7%

Carbohydrates
19.3 g
6%

Cholesterol
29 mg
10%

Fat
8.3 g
13%

Fiber
0 g
0%

Protein
0.4 g
< 1%

Sodium
32 mg
1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Dessertlover's Classic Caramel Sauce

Serving Size: 1/16 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 150
Calories from Fat: 75

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8.3g 13 %
Saturated Fat 5.2g 26 %
Cholesterol 29mg 10 %
Sodium 32mg 1 %
Potassium 15mg < 1 %
Total Carbohydrates 19.3g 6 %
Dietary Fiber 0g 0 %
Protein 0.4g < 1 %
Sugars 18.8g
Vitamin A 6 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium 2 %
Iron < 1 %
Thiamin < 1 %
Niacin < 1 %
Vitamin B6 < 1 %
Magnesium < 1 %
Folate < 1 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.