Caramel Recipe: Ultimate No-Fail Sauce You’ll Love
A smooth, buttery homemade caramel sauce made with the beginner-friendly wet method (sugar + water first). Includes color cues for medium amber and simple fixes for seized, grainy, or separated caramel.
Equipment
- 1 Heavy-bottom saucepan (medium, deep-sided)
- 1 whisk
- 1 Heatproof spatula
- 1 Measuring cup with a spout
- 1 Jar or heat-safe container for storage
- 1 pastry brush (for brushing down sugar crystals)
- 1 candy thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, warmed (not boiling)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 tsp fine salt (plus more to taste, if you want it saltier)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Optional (only if you often get crystals)
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
- Prep your station: Warm the heavy cream until it’s no longer fridge-cold (do not boil). Set it next to the stove with the butter pieces, salt, vanilla, whisk, and jar ready.
- Start the syrup: Add the sugar and water to a heavy-bottom saucepan. Stir briefly until the sugar looks evenly wet, then stop stirring. If using cream of tartar, add it now.
- Boil without stirring: Bring the mixture to a steady boil over medium heat. Once it boils, do not stir. You may gently swirl the pan if needed. If you see sugar crystals on the sides of the pot, brush them down with a damp pastry brush.
- Cook to medium amber: Continue boiling until the color turns medium amber (warm honey moving toward copper). Remove from heat right away.
- Add warm cream slowly: While whisking, slowly pour in the warmed cream. The caramel will bubble up vigorously for a few seconds. Keep whisking until it calms and looks smooth.
- Finish with butter, salt, and vanilla: Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until glossy and fully combined. Stir in the salt and vanilla off heat.
- Cool and store: Let the caramel cool in the pot for 10–15 minutes, then pour into a jar. Cool completely before sealing and refrigerating.
Notes
Color cue: Caramel looks darker in the pot than it does on a spoon. If you’re unsure, check a small drip on a light-colored spatula and stop at medium amber.
If it seizes (hard clumps): Return the pan to low heat and whisk gently until smooth; the clumps will melt back in.
If it turns grainy: Add a small splash of water and warm gently until smooth again. Next time, avoid stirring once it boils and brush down the sides early if you see crystals.
If it separates (oily layer): Lower the heat and whisk gently. Add 1–2 tablespoons of warm cream and whisk slowly until it comes back together.
Consistency: Caramel thickens as it cools. For a thinner drizzle, warm gently. For a thicker sauce, cool fully (it will thicken more in the fridge). If it’s too thick after chilling, add warm cream 1 tablespoon at a time while warming. Based on your ingredient list, the whole batch is about 1,782 calories total. (about 12 servings, where 1 serving = 2 tablespoons):
If it seizes (hard clumps): Return the pan to low heat and whisk gently until smooth; the clumps will melt back in.
If it turns grainy: Add a small splash of water and warm gently until smooth again. Next time, avoid stirring once it boils and brush down the sides early if you see crystals.
If it separates (oily layer): Lower the heat and whisk gently. Add 1–2 tablespoons of warm cream and whisk slowly until it comes back together.
Consistency: Caramel thickens as it cools. For a thinner drizzle, warm gently. For a thicker sauce, cool fully (it will thicken more in the fridge). If it’s too thick after chilling, add warm cream 1 tablespoon at a time while warming. Based on your ingredient list, the whole batch is about 1,782 calories total. (about 12 servings, where 1 serving = 2 tablespoons):
- Per 2 Tbsp serving: about 149 calories
- Per 1 Tbsp: about 74 calories