This Homemade Caramel Sauce tastes a hundred times better than what you can buy from the store, and it's simple to make.
Ingredients
1cupgranulated sugar
1/3cupwater
3/4cupheavy whipping cream
2tbspsalted butter*
1tspvanilla extractoptional
Instructions
Add the sugar to a heavy bottomed saucepan, then shake it so it lies in an even, flat layer.
Add the water to fully moisten the sugar. Do not stir or agitate the sugar in any way once the water has been added. It's okay if a few spots didn't moisten, don't touch it.
Place the pot over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and turns clear, a few minutes.
Raise the heat to medium high, and cook the caramel until it turns amber colored**, about 10 minutes.
Turn the heat off and immediately add the heavy cream. It's okay (and expected) if the caramel seizes up when adding the cream.
Add the butter and stir everything together until the caramel smooths out. If it's still clumpy, turn the heat back on to low, and gently stir for a few minutes until it's smooth. When finished cooking, add vanilla extract, if desired.
Let the caramel sauce cool to room temperature, then transfer to a jar and refrigerate.
Notes
If you want to add salt to the caramel, stir in 1/2 tsp at the end along with the vanilla extract.Yield: about 1 cup caramel sauce.*You can also use unsalted butter, then salt to taste. Start with 1/8 tsp.**If you have a thermometer, the temperature target window is between 338 and 350F. Above 350 and you'll start to smell (and later taste) a burned, bitter quality. Below 338, and you won't have proper color and caramelization.Storing leftovers: Keep in the fridge for 1 month, or in the freezer for 3 months. Store in an airtight container so the caramel sauce doesn't absorb any off odors.Freezing: Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave in the fridge overnight, or to quick thaw, place into a warm water bath until it thaws.Reheating: In a microwave-safe container, microwave in 15 second intervals until warm and able to be drizzled. Or, heat over medium low heat in a saucepan on the stove, until warm. Heating the caramel makes the consistency thinner and runnier.Crystallization: See the blog post for in-depth discussion on crystallization. It is absolutely essential to not stir or move the pan at all once the sugar has been moistened with water, and before the cream is added. Once the cream is added, its fat will fortify the mixture and allow the mixture to be stirred without risk of crystallization.How to fix crystallized caramel: Add 1/4 cup of water and bring the sugar back to a boil. Heating it up with the water should re-dissolve and moisten the crystals. Then you can proceed with the recipe and start getting some color on the sugar.