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    Home » Desserts

    Homemade Caramel Sauce

    By Jill Baird · Published September 24, 2022 · Updated February 20, 2023 · 2 Comments

    Homemade Caramel Sauce

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    homemade Caramel Sauce recipe

    This easy Homemade Caramel Sauce is ooey-gooey, silky smooth and salty sweet.  It’s perfect for drizzling over vanilla ice cream, serving as a dip for apples or even eating by the spoonful.

    Jump to:
    • Easy Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
    • Ingredients in Homemade Caramel Sauce
    • How to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Storing and Freezing
    • Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce

    Easy Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

    As long as you have this easy-to-follow recipe for delicious Homemade Caramel Sauce, you'll never even consider buying it from the jar again.  Our recipe uses butter, white sugar, brown sugar, Karo syrup, sweetened condensed milk, and a touch of salt to make the most delicious amber-colored caramel sauce that is smooth as can be.

    This recipe is also great for anyone who fears making caramel because you literally toss all of the ingredients into the pot at the same time and cook.  As long as you constantly stir and use a thermometer, there’s no risk of burning your caramel or over or undercooking.

    You can use this as a sauce for caramel apples, ice cream, pie, cheesecake or even just eat by the spoonful.  If you want to give it as a gift, pour into small jars, seal, and attach a little tag or sticker.  It's also great as a caramel dip for apples and so much more.

    A spoon dripping with caramel sauce.

    Ingredients in Homemade Caramel Sauce

    • Butter - you can use unsalted or salted butter, depending on how “salted” you want your caramel to be.
    • Sugar - regular granulated white sugar.
    • Brown Sugar - we use light brown sugar for this recipe.  You can use dark brown sugar, too, which will make a slightly darker caramel sauce.
    • Karo Syrup - this is sometimes called corn syrup.  It’s added in order to keep the sauce from getting grainy.
    • Sweetened Condensed Milk - be sure you purchased sweetened condensed and not evaporated milk.
    • Salt - sea salt or kosher salt works great.
    Three photos showing ingredients for caramel sauce in a pot, the ingredients cooking and the finished sauce.

    How to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce

    1. Melt ingredients together.  In a heavy bottomed sauce pot over medium heat, add the butter, sugar, brown sugar, Karo syrup, sweetened condensed milk and salt.  Cook over medium heat, stirring with a flat bottomed wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.  Be sure and scrape the bottom of the pan constantly until all of the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
    2. Cook to 225 degrees F.  Increase to high heat and cook the caramel mixture, stirring constantly, until it reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
    3. Remove from heat and cool.  Once it reaches 220 degrees, remove from the heat immediately to stop the cooking.  Allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.  Or, cool completely and then store.
    4. Store or serve.  Pour the caramel into a serving dish, or a jar for storing.  Serve with sliced apples, over ice cream or by the spoonful.  Enjoy!
    A hand holding a slice of an apple that has been dipped into caramel sauce.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do I soften the caramel sauce after it hardens in the fridge?

    Because of the butter and the sweetened condensed milk, this Homemade Caramel Sauce will thicken as it cools.  In order to get it back to it’s silky smooth self, you can either microwave it for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, or reheat gently in a sauce pot with a couple tablespoons of heavy cream.

    Do I need to use a candy thermometer?

    Yes - in order to make sure the sugars caramelize correctly, you’ll need to use a candy thermometer.  Cooking to the correct temperature also ensures that the appropriate amount of water evaporates and helps make sure that the caramel doesn’t burn.

    Can I freeze caramel sauce?

    Yup!  Let it cool completely before transferring to freezer bags or an airtight container where it can be stored frozen for up to 3 months.  

    Caramel sauce overflowing out of a small mason jar.

    Storing and Freezing

    • Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
    • Freezer: store Homemade Caramel Sauce in freezer bags, or an airtight container, in the freezer for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the fridge overnight.
    • To reheat: add the Homemade Caramel Sauce into a saucepan, add a couple tablespoons of heavy cream and warm over medium heat.  Stir and heat until the caramel is smooth and warmed through.
    Homemade Caramel Sauce
    Print

    Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce

    This easy Homemade Caramel Sauce is ooey-gooey, silky smooth and salty sweet.  It’s perfect for drizzling over vanilla ice cream, serving as a dip for apples or even eating by the spoonful.
    Course Dessert, Sauce
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 25 minutes
    Servings 24 people
    Calories 228kcal
    Author The Carefree Kitchen

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Butter
    • 1 cup Sugar
    • 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
    • 1 cup Karo Syrup
    • 1 14-oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
    • 1 teaspoon Salt

    Instructions

    • In a heavy bottomed sauce pot over medium heat, add the butter, sugar, brown sugar, Karo syrup, sweetened condensed milk and salt. 
    • Cook over medium heat, stirring with a flat bottomed wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Be sure and scrape the bottom of the pan constantly until all of the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
    • Increase to high heat and cook the caramel mixture, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes, or until it reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer. 
    • Once it reaches 220 degrees, remove from the heat immediately to stop the cooking.  Allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Or, cool completely and then store.
    • Pour the caramel into a serving dish, or a jar for storing. Serve with sliced apples, over ice cream or by the spoonful. Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 76mg | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg

    Here are more of our favorite caramel recipes:

    • Caramel Pecan Pie
    • Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread
    • Homemade Caramel Popcorn
    • Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Rods
    • Cream Cheese Caramel Apple Dip
    • Homemade Caramel Apples
    • Caramel Candy
    • Caramel Apple Nachos
    • More Homemade Desserts
    • More Homemade Sauces

    More Sauces to try:

    • Hot Fudge Sauce
    • Homemade Chocolate Syrup
    • Macerated Strawberries
    • Strawberry Sauce for Desserts

    If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest,  feel free to leave a comment and photo there too.  Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!

    pinterest pin for caramel sauce

    This recipe for Homemade Caramel Sauce is super simple and perfect for serving with apples, vanilla ice cream, cheesecake and more. It's ooey-gooey, silk smooth and salty sweet.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brandy

      November 07, 2021 at 12:06 pm

      So much better than store bought. Easy and delicious. Loved it on top of some ice cream the other day.

      Reply
    2. Ashley

      November 07, 2021 at 7:52 am

      So easy to make and delicious on apple desserts!

      Reply

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    131 shares