Caramel Sauce – A Beautiful Mess

The caramel sauce recipe is an easy recipe that only requires 5 ingredients and can be completed in about 20 minutes. If you want a salted caramel sauce, just add a little sea salt at the end. Hmm!

I love this homemade caramel sauce on ice cream or on top of a caramel macchiato. Whether you’re using this for desserts, drinks, or your next baking project, you’ll love this easy caramel sauce recipe.

Related: Check out our post on caramel apples to learn how to make the perfect caramel coating for apples and more. This recipe is a pour-over sauce.

material

• granulated sugar
• brown sugar
• water
• unsalted butter
• thick whipped cream

and flaky sea salt If you want salted caramel sauce.

direction

Combine sugar, brown sugar, and water in a medium saucepan or saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, begins to bubble, and turns amber. This may take 5 to 7 minutes, depending on how hot your body is. It’s best to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too black or burnt.

Do not stir the mixture during this process. You can swirl the pan if you like, but don’t stir as the sugar can crystallize if the mixture splatters on the sides of the (cold) pan.

When it becomes a deep candy color, add the remaining ingredients. Be careful as the mixture will bubble.

Continue to simmer on medium heat for another 3-4 minutes.

Let the mixture cool for 10-15 minutes before storing.

Do I need a candy thermometer?

No, but it’s useful to have! Caramel sauce can be made using visual cues (it deepens in amber color) and smell (it starts to smell bitter and burnt if cooked too long).

That being said, if you already own a candy thermometer, use it. The caramel sauce should reach approximately 220°F to 230°F (approximately 110°C). Some candy thermometers mark this as the “softball” stage, but avoid heating the sugar to the “hardball” stage. This is to create a chewy, hard candy as opposed to a pourable sauce.

Why is the caramel sauce grainy?

If your caramel sauce is grainy, the sugar may have crystallized. This happens when you stir or turn the pan too much while cooking, causing the sugar to coat the sides of the pan, where it cools.

To fix this, add a few tablespoons of water to the sauce and heat it to dissolve the crystals.

How to store caramel sauce

This sauce recipe should be refrigerated after making (contains dairy). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks, or longer if frozen.

Caramel sauce will solidify when refrigerated, so storing it in a microwave-safe container will soften it and make it easier to reheat. You can also do this on the stove if you don’t want to use the microwave.

Why did my caramel sauce curdle?

Perhaps the sugar has gotten too hot, exceeding 240°F or the “hardball” stage. Again, you don’t necessarily need to use a candy thermometer with this recipe, but it will help keep the sugar from getting too hot.

See more caramel recipes