Quick and Easy Homemade Salted Caramel
These are just a few of the reasons why we love this caramel so much:
- it keeps so well (up to 3 months in the fridge)
- you can eat it straight from the fridge, but we prefer heating it to make it runny, luscious, and delicious
- it's gluten-free
- makes a fantastic homemade gift for Christmas, or other special occasions
- an amazing topping for so many desserts (like ice cream, apple pie, chocolate cake, brownies...)
- only 5-ingredients, one pot, and 10 minutes needed for this recipe
How to make Salted Caramel at home
It's so so easy to make this recipe at home. This is how you make the best Salted Caramel.
- Add sugar to a saucepan and leave it to dissolve.
- Carefully add the butter and stir well to incorporate it into the sugar.
- Add the whipping cream and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the sea salt and lemon juice.
- Keep tightly sealed in a jar or serve at room temperature.
Essential ingredients
This recipe calls for 5 simple ingredients that are probably already in your fridge and pantry.
Sugar - use white sugar, other type of sugar won't work for this recipe. We always encourage you to make the recipes your own, but adjusting the amount of sugar won't work in this recipe. Use the same amount as written in the recipe, or the texture and consistency won't be the same.
Butter - feel free to use your favorite unsalted butter.
Whipping Cream - should be at room temperature. It makes the caramel creamy and perfect for all those sweet toppings.
Salt - just makes it 100x better.
Lemon juice - adds a bit of much-needed freshness. We wouldn't skip it.
How to store my salted caramel
Keep your caramel tightly sealed in a jar in a fridge for up to 3 months. The caramel will harden in the fridge and won't be runny anymore. Sure, you can always eat it straight from the jar, but if you want to drizzle it over desserts or use it as a topping, then you'll need to heat it in a saucepan over medium heat for a couple of seconds or in a microwave for a couple of seconds too.
Where to use salted caramel
This homemade sweet Salted Caramel can be used as a topping over ice cream or apple pie. You can use the chilled caramel (straight from the fridge) as a spread for cookies or other homemade goodies like:
- Foolproof Chocolate Lava Cake
- Old Fashioned Rice Pudding
- Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Chocolate Brownies with Hazelnut Ice Cream
- Stuffed Apples with Hazelnuts and Vanilla Ice Cream
- Dutch Pancake
METHOD
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caramel
Add sugar to a heavy-bottom saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Cook for about 6 - 8 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves and the caramel is beautifully golden brown. Don't stir the sugar, but feel free to shake the saucepan in a circular motion from time to time to evenly distribute the sugar.
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add the butter
When the sugar is dissolved and the caramel is dark and luscious, remove the saucepan from the heat and add small cubes of butter. Using a heat-proof rubber spatula, stir vigorously until the butter melts, then place back over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar and butter are incorporated, for about a minute.
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the best salted caramel
While stirring with a rubber spatula or a metal spoon, gradually and slowly pour in the whipping cream. The saucepan should be on medium-low heat at this point. Stir until the ingredients combine, then bring to a boil. When the caramel starts to boil, remove from the heat and stir in the sea salt and lemon juice. Transfer the caramel to a glass jar and set aside until it comes to room temperature, then store in a fridge for up to 3 months. The caramel will thicken in the fridge and that's okay. You can always heat it in the microwave or on a stove before serving.
