And if you’re looking for a perfect dessert to pair with your homemade caramel sauce, why not give these Carmelitas a try? This delicious recipe originally uses caramel made from melting Werther’s or Kraft soft caramels with heavy cream. But, imagine replacing that with your homemade caramel sauce – it would be even more delicious! You can also stir it in your coffee, or drizzle it over pancakes or waffles.
Why Make Caramel Sauce From Scratch
Ingredients Needed
The cool thing about homemade caramel sauce is how simple it is. My recipe needs just four basic ingredients, and each one has a special job in making that perfect, shiny caramel drizzle. Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Granulated sugar is the most important part of our caramel sauce. When you cook the sugar, it turns into a dark amber liquid that is the main part of this sauce. Unsalted butter makes the sauce creamy and thick, and it adds a lot of flavor. If you only have salted butter, that’s okay—just don’t add extra salt. Heavy cream makes the caramel sauce super smooth, perfect for pouring over your favorite desserts. If you need a non-dairy substitute, coconut cream works pretty well. Salt makes the sweetness of the caramel sauce just right. You can use any kind of salt you like, but remember, you only need a little.
How to Make Caramel Sauce
Making your homemade caramel sauce is pretty easy. You just need to be careful when you cook and mix everything. Here’s how to do it:
Recipe Tips
Use a thick-bottomed saucepan to stop the sugar from burning. Take your time. Melting the sugar slowly makes your caramel sauce smooth, not gritty. Always use room temperature butter and heavy cream. Cold stuff can make the hot caramel go hard. Be careful when adding the cream to the hot sugar and butter mixture, it can splash. Always stir your caramel sauce with a heat-resistant spatula or wooden spoon to stop it from sticking to the pan. Keep Stirring to a Minimum: When it comes to making caramel sauce, it might be tempting to stir the mix as it heats. But hold off on that! Stirring can cause tiny sugar bits to form, and that won’t give you the smooth and creamy caramel we’re after. Instead, if you feel the need to mix things up, simply give the pan a gentle swirl. But remember, keep the caramel low in the pan. If it splashes up the sides, it might make the sauce turn grainy, just like stirring. Stick to these simple tips and you’ll have perfect homemade caramel sauce every time!
Storing Tips
Homemade caramel sauce is pretty easy to store. Once it has cooled down, put it in a clean jar with a lid and keep it in the fridge. It should last for up to two weeks. When you want to use it, you might need to warm it up a little in the microwave to make it runny again. Just follow the same steps for the caramel sauce, and when you reach the point where you stir in the salt at the end, simply use the larger amount. It’s important to add the salt at the end of the process, as adding it too early can interfere with the caramelization of the sugar.
How to Use Homemade Caramel Sauce
You can use this homemade caramel sauce in so many ways! Pour it over ice cream, drizzle it on pancakes or waffles, mix it into milkshakes, or use it as a filling for cakes and cupcakes. It’s also great on apple slices or other fruit. Making caramel sauce at home isn’t hard, it just needs a bit of care and patience. I hope you enjoy making and using your homemade caramel sauce as much as I do. If you love the recipe, please give it a rating and review. Also, don’t forget to pin it to Pinterest, so you can find it easily next time. © Little Sunny Kitchen
