Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (2024)

Homemade Ingredients

4.63 from 200 votes

  • Jump To Recipe
  • Loading…Save Recipe

Learn how to make caramel sauce with this salted caramel recipe that’s a staple in many of Big & Bold desserts!

By Gemma Stafford | | 596

Last updated on August 13, 2022

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (1)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for details.

Hi Bold Bakers!

Create a Profile!

Already have an account?

I receive a lot of requests to post my Signature Salted Caramel Sauce. I’m happy to share it because I believe everyone deserves a great caramel sauce recipe.

This sauce is a staple in my fridge. I make it every few months and it instantly transforms any dessert you put it on. I don’t recommend you get into the habit of eating it off a spoon. That’s a slippery slope, trust me.

It goes great in ice cream, trifles, and as the finishing touch of roasted banana, or whatever your heart desires.

And you can use it in my Big & Bold baking recipes, like my , my Secret Monkey Bread, and my Starbucks Ultra Caramel Frappuccino.

What Is Caramel?

It’s easy to write off caramel as just heated sugar, but it’s so much more. When you heat sugar to a certain temperature, its molecules break down and are then reformed into compounds. Now, whenever you make this recipe, you can say that fact out loud, and pretty much anyone will think you’re the baker version of Walter White.

What Is The Difference Between Caramel And Salted Caramel?

The only difference between the two is the ingredient of salt, which should be pretty obvious. However, while some recipes use sea salt, like Fleur de Sel, mine just requires regular salt for all intents and purposes.

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (2)

Salted Caramel Recipe Ingredients

Thankfully this caramel sauce recipe only needs a few simple ingredients: granulated sugar, water, cream, unsalted butter, and salt.

What You’ll Need For This Easy Caramel Sauce

This homemade caramel sauce only needs a few tools of the trade:

How To Make Caramel Sauce

Making caramel sauce is easy if you follow the steps and have patience. I love this recipe. You get to watch the chemical reactions that turn sugar into caramel right in front of you. Here’s how to make salted caramel that will make anyone tries ask which store you bought it. (And don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below).

  1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the water and sugar over medium heat. I recommend medium because medium-high heat runs the risk of burning it later on.
  2. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture starts to bubble. Then turn the heat to medium and bring to a simmer.
  3. Once it simmers, you can stop stirring. Watch as your mixture transforms into a beautiful amber color – taking somewhere between 15-20 minutes.
  4. Once you’ve achieved that pretty gold color, carefully and slowly whisk in the heavy cream and the mixture will bubble.
  5. Mix in the butter, one cube at a time, and then remove your pan from the heat.
  6. Allow the salted caramel sauce to cool to room temperature before enjoying.

Taste And Consistency

The end result should taste sweet and briny like you want a salted caramel sauce recipe to end up like. If it tastes burnt, it’s probably because you cooked it a bit too long. If the caramel is cracked, it’s probably because you stirred the mix after it came to a simmer. Following the recipe is easy, but it can be a bit exact.

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (3)

What Can You Use This Caramel Sauce Recipe With?

There is seriously no shortage of recipes that this caramel sauce goes with. Here are a few of my favorite uses for caramel sauce:

  • 2-Ingredient Ice Cream
  • Starbucks Ultra Caramel Frappuccino
  • Salted Caramel Brownie Trifle
  • Caramel Apples

How Long Can You Store Caramel Sauce

One of the best traits of salted caramel sauce is its longevity. You can refrigerate caramel sauce for up to one month. When you want to use it again, reheat the sauce either in the microwave or as I prefer, on the stove.

Can You Freeze Caramel Sauce?

Yes, salted caramel sauce and your freezer are friends. As long as you seal the sauce in an airtight container, you can freeze it for up to three months. When you want to use your delicious caramel sauce again, just remember to defrost it in the fridge overnight.

Then, just reheat the sauce and you’re good to go.

My Favorite Uses for Caramel Sauce:

  • 2-Ingredient Ice Cream
  • Starbucks Ultra Caramel Frappuccino
  • Salted Caramel Brownie Trifle

Make More Toppings!

  • Spiced Rum Caramel Sauce
  • Best-Ever Buttercream Frosting
  • How to Make Whipped Cream

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Try These Recipes!

Homemade Dumpling Wrappers
O’Driscolls Irish Cream Recipe (Coffee Creamer for Irish Coffee)
Sweet and Boozy Peach Whiskey Jam Recipe
How to Make a Raspberry Curd Recipe

Gemma's Signature Salted Caramel Sauce

4.63 from 200 votes

Print Recipe

Author: Gemma Stafford

Servings: 1.5 cups

  • Dessert
  • Caramel
  • Limited Ingredients
  • Stovetop
  • Saucepan

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Author: Gemma Stafford

Servings: 1.5 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8oz/225g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 - 1/2 cup (2oz / 57g) water, enough to just cover the sugar*
  • ½ cup (4oz/115g) cream
  • 6 tablespoons (3oz/85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Heat granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Don't let it simmer at this stage.

  • Whisk constantly until all the sugar has dissolved, then bring the mix to a simmer on medium heat. Do NOT stir the caramel once it comes to a simmer or it can crack.

  • Cook steadily until you reach a rich amber-colored caramel, ROUGHLY 15-20 minutes. Be careful not to burn.

  • Once you have a rich caramel immediately add the cream. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the cream is added.

  • Next, very slowly, drop in the butter. Since the butter is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.

  • Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.

  • Remove from heat and stir in the salt. Allow to cool down before using.

  • * The more water you use the easier it will be to control the caramel - the less water the quicker the process - do stand over caramel until it is finished.

Subscribe

596 Comments

most useful

newest oldest

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (10)

Jopie

3 years ago

Hi Gemma. I hope you’re well and safe. Thank you for sharing your recipes and tips. 😊
My question is, can I use all-purpose cream instead of the heavy cream? If yes, what is the measurement?

14

Reply

View Replies (5)

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (11)

Farilyn

3 years ago

Hi Gemma, do you have a video of you making this caramel, it would be awesome to watch the process. Thanks

7

Reply

View Replies (3)

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (12)

Sonia Wahdud

3 years ago

Hi Gemma, I made the caramel today! The taste is 10/10 😍. It hardened in the fridge so I popped it in the microwave for a few seconds and it was perfect again. The only problem is that I tried to drizzle it over ice cream and it hardened again (it tasted almost chewy)! Do you know how to prevent this?

Reply

View Replies (3)

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (13)

Joni

3 years ago

Hi Gemma! I’m drooling over this right now! I’m curious – would this recipe work for making Turtles?
Thank you so much!

3

Reply

View Replies (3)

Madiha Siddiqui

4 years ago

P.s. it is super yummy.. cant stop tasting it.. wow

3

Reply

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (15)

Ian Sammons

3 months ago

Hi Gemma.
I’d just like clarification. When adding the cream and butter. Are you stirring these into the caramel sauce?
Thank you.

1

Reply

View Replies (2)

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (16)

Hira Ziad

2 years ago

Hi Gemma.. this is my go to recipe for salted caramel. ♥️ please tell me if this can be used as drip on whipped cream frosted cake?
Thanks 🙂

1

Reply

View Replies (1)

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (17)

kiara

2 years ago

Hello Gemma
every time i make this caramel sauce while the taste is fantastic and the sugar doesn’t crystalise, it sets as though its praline for some reason. What should i do next time since i love the flavour and would make it again

1

Reply

View Replies (2)

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (18)

Joanna

1 year ago

Hi, thanks for the recipe! This caramel turned out amazing and it wasn’t that difficult to make. I used it as a topping for brownies and it made them so delicious 🙂

Reply

View Replies (1)

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (19)

Mehd

1 year ago

Hi Gemma! This is my go-to caramel recipe It’s so easy and simple to make I always thought caramel was hard to make until I found this recipe It’s so easy and the results are better than restaurant quality, it’s honestly to DIE FOR! I only face one issue with this caramel recipe: Whenever I pour something cold like milk or add it on top of Icecream or use it for a frappe, the caramel just hardens up. I dunno why, but it just doesn’t stay liquid like store bought Caramel Sauces like Hersheys. Do you have a solution toRead more »

Reply

View Replies (1)

This Recipe Made By Bold Bakers

35 Images

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (20)

Keenie28

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (21)

ceo38

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (22)

Hannah.C

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (23)

MummyForLife

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (24)

Alanrulz10

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (25)

Sasu

About Us

Meet Gemma

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (26)

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

Read More

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (27)

Gemmas Signature Salted Caramel Sauce recipe | Bigger Bolder Baking (2024)

FAQs

How do you make salted caramel sauce thicker? ›

If you're using heavy cream, note that it contains more water (less butterfat) than double cream. If your caramel sauce ends up too runny, cook it for a few minutes longer to remove some of the moisture – this will thicken it up. (And next time, try using a slightly smaller amount of heavy cream.)

How do you harden store bought caramel sauce? ›

I emptied the bottle into a small saucepan and brought it to a boil. Then I added about half a teaspoon of kosher salt and let it continue boiling for 10 minutes. It thickened and darkened significantly, which I took as a good sign.

Why did my caramel sauce harden? ›

The water evaporates, leaving sugar crystals behind. If even one sugar crystal falls back into the pan of cooking caramel, it starts a chain reaction of sugar crystals and the entire pan will harden. The result? Gross, grainy caramel that is unusable in most recipes.

Why is my homemade caramel sauce not thickening? ›

Add more sugar to the sauce.

Most caramel sauces are made by caramelizing sugar and adding milk and a little salt. If you increase the amount of sugar in the recipe you'll end up with a thicker caramel. Try increasing the sugar by about 1/3.

How long does it take caramel sauce to thicken? ›

If the caramel is too thin, simmer the caramel on medium heat for 5-10 minutes to thicken it (the caramel will not continue to darken). Keep in mind that the caramel will thicken significantly once cool. Likewise, if the caramel is too thick, thin by stirring a tablespoon or two of heavy cream.

Does caramel sauce thicken when cooled? ›

As it cools, it will thicken. You will need to store the caramel sauce in the refrigerator, so it will firm up even more once chilled. Just bring it back to room temperature and microwave before drizzling or dipping! Note: Add 1-2 tablespoons more cream to thin it more before serving, if preferred.

What makes homemade caramel hard? ›

Temperature is key when making candy. The difference between a soft caramel and one that's hard and overcooked is all in the temperature. Candy thermometers—like this instant-read thermometer—let you know exactly what stage the caramel is in (thread, soft-ball, firm-ball, hard-ball, soft crack or hard crack).

What temperature does caramel harden? ›

If you let the temperature reach 355 – 360°F, the caramel will turn medium brown, and when cooled, it still will be hard, but not quite as brittle as its previous version. Once heated to 365 – 380°F, the caramel will get very dark brown, and once cooled, it will have a stickier, softer texture.

How do you thicken dessert sauce? ›

Cornstarch imparts a glossy sheen to the liquids it thickens, so it tends to be used more in sweet sauces and pie fillings than in savory sauces and gravies. Still, it works really well, and it's easy to use: For each cup of liquid, you want to thicken, start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl.

Why is my salted caramel sauce bitter? ›

Once it starts, the caramelization process moves very fast and is irreversible. If you cross the line into truly bitter, you can't go back. This just means you need to have your liquid-enriching ingredient, which will cool down the sugar, measured and ready to deploy.

How do you fix hard caramel sauce? ›

If your caramel sauce has become hard, you might be able to salvage it by gently reheating it over low heat and adding a small amount of liquid, like cream or water, to help soften and reconstitute the caramel.

What is the difference between hard caramel and soft caramel? ›

If the caramel forms a pliable soft ball, for instance, it's around 240°F. If it forms a hard ball, it's between 250°F to 260°F, etc. Sometimes recipes will even use the descriptors below to specify the stage your caramel should be cooked to.

What happens if you add butter too soon to caramel? ›

If you add the butter too early while the caramel is still pale yellow, the sauce will be too sweet and lack flavor. and if you wait too long and the caramel turns brown, the sauce will taste bitter and burnt.

Why is my homemade caramel sauce chunky? ›

Graininess occurs when the sugar in caramel sauce hasn't completely dissolved before adding in butter and heavy cream or if the caramel is cooled too quickly. Luckily, you can bring grainy caramel sauce back to a smooth, creamy consistency with an easy fix. Simply reheat it on the stovetop and add more liquid.

Why is my caramel sauce sticky? ›

There are a number of possibly reasons. Certain ingredients like corn syrup can make it sticky. Not cooking the candy all the way to hard crack stage can make it more sticky. High humidity in the air can make it sticky.

How do you fix caramel that is too soft? ›

If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough. Again place the caramel back into a sauce pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and heat to 244°F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can test with a cold water test. Details on how to use this method can be found here.

What happens if you add too much butter to caramel? ›

When making caramel, it is important to use a small amount of butter, as too much can make the caramel grainy. A good rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of butter for every cup of sugar.

Why add water to caramel sauce? ›

When making a wet caramel, water is added to help dissolve the sugar before cooking. Like dry caramel, you want to gently move the sugar mixture in that same side-to-side paintbrush-like fashion until the sugar dissolves.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Van Hayes

Last Updated:

Views: 6324

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (66 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Van Hayes

Birthday: 1994-06-07

Address: 2004 Kling Rapid, New Destiny, MT 64658-2367

Phone: +512425013758

Job: National Farming Director

Hobby: Reading, Polo, Genealogy, amateur radio, Scouting, Stand-up comedy, Cryptography

Introduction: My name is Van Hayes, I am a thankful, friendly, smiling, calm, powerful, fine, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.