Thick Caramel Sauce - Rich and Buttery

A thick caramel sauce recipe that makes a deliciously buttery caramel sauce.

A quick caramel sauce recipe is a staple for desserts. A jar of thick caramel sauce in the fridge at all times is a lifesaver when it comes to making delicious sweet treats. It can be used in so many ways.

This recipe shows how to make a basic caramel sauce. If you prefer a salty caramel recipe, it’s as simple as adding extra salt at the end. This sauce takes less than 15 minutes to make.

The Ingredients

There are only 4 ingredients in this recipe. This is a caramel sauce with white sugar.

Sugar - A granulated white sugar is needed. This is cooked slowly over medium heat until it melts and turns amber brown.  

Butter + Cream - The butter and cream give the caramel sauce flavor and a silky smooth texture. Ensure this is at room temperature so it doesn't splatter too much when being added to the melted sugar.

Salt - A pinch to add a depth of flavor, or add more to make a salted caramel sauce. 

Dry caramel

This caramel is made using a dry caramel method. This means sugar is melted slowly, without the addition of water until it becomes amber brown and caramelized.

Wet caramel is when sugar is melted alongside a little bit of water.

A dry caramel method is faster than wet caramel and it's a little easier and gives the best results. It can also be stirred with a wooden spoon or whisk, which you can't do with a wet caramel method.

Stirring a wet caramel causes sugar crystals to form on the side of the pot which can make a gritty caramel sauce. Dry caramel is easy and fast BUT it does need close attention because it can burn very quickly.

Method

The first step is to set out the ingredients needed. Measure and set aside the butter cubes and the heavy cream. 

In a deep, medium saucepan over low to medium heat, melt the sugar. Stir it gently with a rubber spatula while it melts. It will first clump together, then gradually melt into an amber-brown liquid. 

Don't turn the heat up high or let it cook for too long or the sugar will burn and the caramel will be bitter.

Once melted, switch to using a whisk and add in the cubes of butter. Start whisking straightway while you do this and don't stop until all the butter has melted. It will form a thick caramel but initially, the mixture may look like it has split.

Once the butter has completely melted into the sugar, pour in the cream and keep whisking. Take extra care here as the cream will make the caramel bubble and rise. Whisk it and let it keep cooking until it turns into a runny and deep brown caramel sauce.

It may look split initially as the cream hits the hot caramel, but just keep whisking. Afterward, take it off the heat and stir in the salt.

Leave the sauce to cool for 5 minutes, then pour it into a clean jar. It will thicken up into a thick caramel sauce as it cools down. If you want a pourable caramel sauce, don't let it cool down completely.

How to store the sauce

Store the caramel sauce in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to a month. It will thicken up considerably once cooled but it can be gently rewarmed when needed to make it liquid again. 

You can scoop some of the thickened caramel into a small bowl and place it over a larger bowl of boiled water. Let it gently warm up and soften.

Caramel sauce can be frozen too, for up to three months.

How to use caramel sauce.

There are so many ways to use homemade caramel sauce.

• Use caramel sauce for ice cream. Drizzle warm caramel over ice cream sundaes.
• Swirl it into yogurt 
• Add it to apple pie to make a delicious caramel apple pie 
• Pour warm caramel sauce over fruit crumbles or use it in a pear or apple upside-down cake. 
• Swirl it into a cheesecake or drizzle it over freshly baked brownies 
• Fill doughnuts or cupcakes with a burst of caramel sauce.