I was hot, tired, overstimulated by small children, and will they slice that caramel apple for you? NO, so 3 broken plastic knives later, sitting on my knees in the grass because all the picnic tables are taken, we finally split the apple into chunks and take our first bite. And in spite of it all, I had one of those euphoric moments that Remy describes on Ratatouille: pure bliss from a combination of flavors. She told me the caramel is homemade on site, and I could buy a tub of it over there (for 20 bucks a pop). I bought it, came home and tried to recreate it, and failed miserably. I have bought a $20 tub of this caramel EVERY year since 2016 and tried a new version every single fall, to no avail…until now. Today I’m bringing you the culmination of all these years of testing! The salted caramel sauce of my dreams. I will do an entire post on Caramel Apples later; I have to research all the details and play with the recipe to see if it needs any minor adjustments (but it will be VERY close to this recipe, I know.) I have found a thousand ways to eat this caramel, sandwiched between Salted Caramel Cookies being one of my very favorites! I remember the year that I tried several top-rated caramel recipes, to see if any of them had these magic qualities. None of them did, so I gave the jars of caramel to whoever was around at school pick up that day. My friend Jenny still talks about how she ate that whole jar of caramel single handedly (but it wasn’t the one…not for me.) But here, in my kitchen, just on Monday actually, I finally figured it out. First we are going to make regular caramel; then we’re going to add all the ingredients for Caramels. Not caramel sauce, but actual parchment-wrapped caramel candy squares. It’s like a hybrid recipe. This recipe is different from the classic version. If you want a “classic” salted caramel, go make My Favorite Caramel Sauce, and add some more salt. That’s really all there is to it. It is smooth, glossy, and has a thin, rather honey-like texture when heated. It stretches like candy, and it is delicious. Today’s recipe starts out the same as regular caramel: we are adding sugar to a pot with some water, and heating it until it turns amber and we see wisps of smoke. But then, we are taking a big turn: a turn into the land of caramels. Like, the parchment-wrapped kind that you see at Christmas. This recipe is basically a sauce version of the wrapped up caramels. To get there, we need a whole different set of ingredients: corn syrup, evaporated milk, and butter. This is where the magic happens. It’s a whole second process beyond the initial caramel-making. Can you see the texture in the photos? This caramel does not melt into itself immediately the way that normal caramel does. It’s thick, it’s sturdy, it leans a little in the direction of Chocolate Fudge but is a pure caramel flavor.
Heavy bottom pot
Next we’re going to talk about your pot. Yes, this really does matter! You need a heavy 3-quart pot for this recipe. That means when you pick it up, it should feel HEAVY. Give it a swing! A cheap thin pan will heat your caramel unevenly, creating “hot spots” and causing it to scald. This means that you might get caramel that burns instead of caramelizes properly. The pan quality REALLY CAN BE the difference between perfect caramel and a burned sticky mess. Trust me! Pour the sugar in, being careful not to get sugar on the sides of the pot. Use your spoon to draw the moisture in to the sugar in the center: If you do get any sugar crystals on the edge of the pot, like this: Then use a moistened pastry brush to swipe it back into the liquid. My mother-in-law taught me this trick for candy-making! Set the pot over high heat and bring to a full rolling boil. Once you’ve reached a full boil, turn the heat down to medium and toss your spoon in the sink. You don’t need it for this part, and you don’t want the sugar crystals it probably has on it anyway. Then, it’s a waiting game. Don’t walk away! But don’t stir either. After a few minutes, your caramel will start to turn yellow. Then orange…look at this color! Then amber color. Take the pot off the heat ONLY when the color looks like this, AND you just barely start to see wisps of smoke coming off the top of the caramel. Then move fast! It’s gonna burn soon ahhh!! Carefully start adding butter to the pot, off heat. Whisk it well and add in the corn syrup. Put the pot back on the burner and slowly start to add the evaporated milk, whisking as you go. Once the milk is all added, bring it back up to a boil. Boil another 15 minutes or so, until a candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees F. This temperature is magical, I tell you! Perfect caramel, every time. At this point, if you are using this recipe as a sauce or dip, add in a little extra cream to make it ultra smooth and stirrable. If you are using this caramel for these Salted Caramel Cookies, or to make Caramel Apples, then leave the extra cream out. But don’t forget the salt! I added 1 and 1/2 teaspoons and thought it was perfect. If you don’t have kosher salt, start with less. Salt amplifies the flavors and gives your tongue a break from tasting just “sweet”! Note the dramatic color change in the two above photos!! I made this recipe many, many times, and took final photos of a version where I hadn’t cooked the caramel quite so amber in the first part. The texture is the same, but the flavor and color are not as deep. If you make the recipe as written, your caramel will be with deeper darker color you see. The fudgy texture will be the same either way.
as a dip for any kind of fruit, cookies or even some breads in the MOST incredible Salted Caramel Sandwich Cookies on top of ice cream, or in delicious shakes like this Caramel Apple-Cider Reduction Shake! speaking of apple, caramel and apple go together like peas and carrots. Try it drizzled over Apple Crisp, Homemade Apple Cobbler, the very best Apple Pie ever, Dutch Apple Pie, or super easy Apple Pie Bars. And if you’re feeling particularly naughty at breakfast time, you can even try it on Caramel Apple Upside Down French Toast! I can think of about a dozen kinds of pie that would be amazing with caramel sauce on them. Of course the Apple Pie already mentioned, but there’s also Cheesecake Pecan Pie, The BEST Banana Pie Recipe, Pumpkin Pie Bars, or even Sweet Potato Pie. I want to try it on top of Snickerdoodle Cookie Pie from Sugar Spice and Glitter. And I don’t drink coffee, but I’m guessing a lot of you would love it on this Coffee Cream Pie from Dough-Eyed! Salted caramel goes perfectly with all of The Best Fall Recipes! Be sure to scroll through all the amazing things on that page that you could pair with this sauce, including all things Pumpkin, Cinnamon, more Apple, and so much more!
There’s so much sugar in caramel that it can be left out at room temperature for up to two weeks. In the fridge it can last up to 6 months! (Or more, I wouldn’t know.) It won’t go bad on it’s own; if something else gets in it (like, if you lick your spoon and double dip…) then eventually something could go fuzzy. Use a clean spoon and it should last a long time. They’ve found 2,000 year old honey in Egyptian tombs, you know… To make it smooth and ready to serve again, just pop your jar (without the lid) into the microwave and heat for about a minute or two, stirring every 15-20 seconds until it’s at the consistency and temperature you like.
Caramel Cake with Caramel Icing Recipe » it’s hard to get more caramely than this, guys Homemade Salted Caramel Brownies » one of overall favorite desserts. And that’s truly saying something!! Soft Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns Recipe » take cinnamon rolls, and take them to level 1,000. The sticky caramel sauce and toasted pecans are chef’s kiss Caramel Nougat Pecan Rolls » I make these every year during the holidays and they’re always so perfect Peach Pull-Apart Bread with Caramel Sauce » this recipe always makes me think about how there should be more pull-apart bread with caramel sauce in this world Dreamy Coconut Cream Pie with Caramel Layer » who knew that coconut and caramel were a match made in heaven?? No Bake Salted Caramel Cheesecake with Caramelized Bananas » no bake filling (= EASY) and pretty addictive Bananas Foster from Grandbaby Cakes
The Best Homemade Caramel Sauce » my original, not-so-salty caramel sauce with a bit of a tang. This caramel is thinner, stretchier, and more glossy than today’s recipe, and has a deeper, less butterscotchy flavor. If you’re not sure which sauce to use for a topping, try making both and see what flavors you would like better with each dessert you want caramel for! Dulce de Leche from Condensed Milk » kind of like an ultra thick, caramel-butterscotch sauce that I happen to eat by the spoonful Easy Lemon Curd Recipe » I looove this curd, and it works on cookies, cakes, you name it Fresh Strawberry Topping »one of my favorites! I use it on Crepes, in Strawberry Shortcake, and so much more! Buttermilk Syrup » PLEASE try this on Pancakes or Sour Cream Coffee Cake and thank me later Blueberry Ginger Dessert Topping from Sense & Edibility
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
