Whether you are hosting an ice cream sundae bar or want to give someone a homemade gift, this salted caramel is the perfect thing! It’s the perfect dessert topping but it’s so good you will probably want to eat it by the spoonful. 

This recipe came from a distant family member. My mother in law went to a shower where they had an ice cream sundae bar for dessert and had to get the recipe. Making this caramel perfectly comes down to the technique so make sure to read the helpful tips before making it! 

Ingredients

This salted caramel only has 4 simple ingredients – well 5 if you count water!

• Water
• Sugar – I use the organic cane sugar from Costco
• Heavy Cream – any heavy cream/heavy whipping cream will work!
• Butter – can be either salted or unsalted
• Salt – a fine salt, I use Redmond Real Salt (code HAPPYHOME saves 15%)

Its very important that the heavy cream and the butter are at room temperature!

How to make salted caramel

1. Measure out the heavy cream and allow it to come to room temperature. 
2. Measure out your butter and make sure it is at least room temperature or slightly melted. 
3. Make sure you have a hot pad, an oven mitt and a small whisk ready. 
4. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, add 1 cup of sugar and ¼ c of water. 
5. Shake the pan back and forth without tipping it so that the water coats all the sugar. 
6. Turn the stove to medium heat and allow to cook for 9-12 minutes, or until the mixture turns amber. *Look at the photo below to match the color.*
7. Once the mixture turns to amber remove the pan from heat. 
8. Put the oven mitt on your dominant hand and be ready to whisk with the same hand as you slowly pour in the heavy cream with your non-dominant hand. Whisk quickly until all the cream is in the pan and it is incorporated. 
9. Add butter and salt into the pan and stir until the butter is melted. 
10. Transfer the salted caramel to a glass jar or glass measuring cup (if pouring into something plastic) to cool. 

Helpful tips for the perfect salted caramel sauce

• Have everything set up before you start!
  • Measure out the heavy cream and allow it to come to room temperature. 
  • Measure out your butter and make sure it is room temperature or slightly melted.
  • Have your salt and teaspoon out and ready. 
  • Have a hot pad, oven mitt, and a whisk out and ready. 
• When to remove the caramel from heat?
  • Use the photo above to match the color! I still do this every time I make it!
    • If you don’t cook it long enough the caramel will taste like a butterscotch sauce. If you cook it too long it will taste burnt so this step is really important! 
  • I will use my phone flashlight to make sure I’m seeing the color correctly. 
• When stirring in the heavy cream, use an oven mitt on the hand with the whisk. The steam from the cream can be hot!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to use the caramel

• Topping for ice cream
• Topping for dessert – brownies, cheesecake, cookie sundae, etc!
• As a syrup in a latte
• As a topping for pancakes or waffles

How do I store the caramel?

I prefer to store this salted caramel in a plastic squeeze bottle. You could also store it in a glass jar. Store it in a cool dark place for up to a month. No refrigeration is necessary. 

What is the texture of this salted caramel?

This salted caramel has a thick syrup consistency. It’s stored at room temperature so the consistency doesn’t change once it has cooled.