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Pouring caramel sauce into a bowl.
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4.60 from 5 votes

Homemade Thick Caramel Sauce

Delicious, easy-to-make homemade caramel sauce. Use it to make caramel buttercream or drizzle it over your favorite pancakes, cakes, and waffles. Or eat it with a spoon straight from a jar.
This recipe yields 2 cups
Serving Size 2 tablespoons (30 ml)
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Cooling1 hour
Course: Candy, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, French
Keyword: caramel, caramel sauce, homemade caramel
Servings: 32 servings
Calories: 75kcal
Author: Hani

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water (120 grams, 120ml)
  • 1 3/4 cup sugar (350 grams)
  • 1 cup heavy cream (240 ml) preferably warm
  • 3 tbsp butter (45 grams)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Instructions

Sugar Syrup

  • In a nonreactive 3 quart pan combine the sugar (1cup and 3/4cup), water (1/2cup).
  • Stir with a wooden spoon. Cover the pot, heat sugar, and water on low heat until sugar is completely dissolved. 3-5 minutes.
  • Remove the lid, swirl the pan to see if all the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, increase the heat to medium and bring the sugar syrup to a simmer. DO NOT STIR. The mixture will appear cloudy at first. It will clear up as it starts to boil.
  • To remove any sugar spots on the sides of the pan, either brush the sides with a pastry brush dipped in water or cover the pot again for 2-3 minutes. Steam/condensation will wash down the sides of the pan clean.
    If there are any stubborn areas, use a pastry brush. It is important to keep the sides of the pan clean. This helps to prevent sugar crystallization and grainy caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce

  • Keep an eye on the caramel. Once you see the sugar syrup is changing color, it is important to monitor it closely as it can burn in seconds.
    Continue to cook until the caramel turns amber color, then remove from the heat and pour in about 1/2 of warm heavy cream (1/2 cup, 60 grams, 60 ml).
    The mixture will foam up significantly, stir it, and then pour in the remaining heavy cream (1/2 cup, 60 grams, 60 ml). Stir in the room-temperature butter (3 tablespoons, 45grams).
    The mixture will be thin and very HOT!
    Pour it into a heatproof dish and let it cool slightly, about 20-30 minutes.
    Then stir in 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Bean Paste.
    Alternatively, flavor with other flavorings as desired. Use sea salt, coffee, maple, and pecan flavoring sparingly.
  • Cover the bowl/container with cooled caramel sauce, plastic wrap, and a lid. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • DON'T BE TEMPTED TO TASTE CARAMEL SAUCE BEFORE IT COOLS. THE MIXTURE IS EXTREMELY HOT.

Notes

  • Where should I store caramel sauce? Store it in the fridge; it contains dairy, and it's best to keep it refrigerated.
  • How long does caramel sauce keep? From my experience, it keeps for at least a month if stored in the refrigerator. Be sure to let it cool completely before storing it in the fridge.
  • The sauce is very thick. Can I reheat it? Yes, re-heat it in the microwave in 5-second intervals or use gentle heat on the stove.
  • How can I prevent my caramel sauce from becoming grainy?
  1. Dissolve all the sugar on low heat.
  2. Don’t stir the sugar syrup once it starts to simmer.
  3. Make sure the sides of the pan are clean, with no sugar spots clinging to them. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash down the sides of the pan. 
  4. Or use the steam/condensation method. I employ the stem method twice during the caramel sauce cooking process.
  • Are there other ways to prevent crystallization and graininess?
  • Corn Syrup - add 3 tablespoons into the pan with sugar and water, then heat the mixture to dissolve the sugar.
  • Invert Sugar Syrup - an excellent substitute for corn syrup. If using, use 2 tablespoons in this recipe. Add it to the pan with sugar and water, then continue with the recipe as written.
  • Acid - the addition of cream of tartar, citric acid, or lemon juice can also help prevent crystallization. You can only use small amounts.  Too much of it can affect the caramel taste. All of them must be added to the pot with water and sugar.
  1. Cream of Tartar - use 1/8 teaspoon per cup of sugar. ( In this recipe, use a little less than 1/4 teaspoon)
  2. Citric Acid -  1/16 (a pinch) per cup of sugar. (In this recipe, use a little less than 1/8 teaspoon)
  3. Freshly squeezed lemon juice - use 1 teaspoon per cup ( In this recipe, use 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 teaspoons)
  • Can I use it to make cake drips? Absolutely.