Make a batch of delicious Homemade Caramel Sauce using only 3 ingredients! This sauce is a perfect topping for ice cream and other desserts!
Did you know it actually is very simple to make homemade caramel sauce at home? YEP… it sure is! The only ingredients needed to make it are butter, sugar and whipping cream (or half and half). That’s it! Best of all, you can make it in under 10 minutes! The recipe as written below, will yield about 1½ cups of sauce, and can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator.
This creamy caramel sauce is lip-smackin’ good, too! Buttery and smooth, you may find yourself dipping a big old spoon into it, in order to get a good taste. Knowing how to make homemade caramel sauce can save you yet another trip to the grocery store to buy it, which is a plus in my book! Here’s how to make this delicious dessert sauce:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Let’s Make Some Caramel Sauce
Place 4 Tablespoons of softened butter into a large skillet (non-stick or cast iron work best!). Add 1¼ cups of granulated sugar, and then cook on Medium-High heat and stir, as the sugar begins melting. Keep an eye on the pan, because the sugar will slowly start to lightly brown. Stir it occasionally, and watch it carefully, so it doesn’t burn. In the 3rd photo below, you can see the sugar has begun to melt at the bottom of the skillet.
Keep cooking until the sugar turns amber in color (as shown below), stirring as it cooks. The heating time will usually be about 3-5 minutes total, so keep an eye on it! Once the sugar has completely melted, and the caramel sauce is smooth (no lumps), remove the skillet immediately from the heat.
Time To Finish The Caramel Sauce!
When the skillet is OFF the heat, slowly pour a cup of heavy whipping cream (or half and half) into the skillet. The COLD cream will sputter and bubble as it is added to the smooth, HOT caramel mixture! Keep stirring or whisking in the cream until it has fully been incorporated into the homemade caramel sauce.
Serving Homemade Caramel Sauce
Once the cream has been incorporated fully into the sauce, the homemade caramel sauce is ready to go! We usually let it cool slightly, then spoon the WARM sauce over a favorite dessert.
Homemade caramel sauce tastes wonderful drizzled over ice cream, or on top of a slice of pound cake! We also love to drizzle it over apple pie, apple bars, or my Apple Shortbread Tart (seen in 2nd photo below). I’ve also been known (*cough, cough) to enjoy a spoonful of it all by itself… YUM!
The homemade caramel sauce leftovers can be stored up to a week, when covered and refrigerated. It will solidify some as it is chilled. To re-use it, gently reheat the sauce and then give it a good stir before serving.
I hope you have the chance to make this simple homemade caramel sauce. It tastes great on a variety of desserts, and is simple to make, from the convenience of home. Thanks for stopping by today, and I invite you to come back soon for more delicious, family-friendly recipes.
Looking For More DESSERT SAUCE Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have several delicious dessert sauces for you to enjoy, including:
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Recipe adapted from a recipe (page 114), torn out of an old issue of Sunset Magazine (original month and year are unknown)
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Make a batch of delicious Homemade Caramel Sauce using only 3 ingredients! This sauce is a perfect topping for ice cream and other desserts!
- 4 Tablespoons butter (don't use margarine)
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream or half and half
Place butter in a large skillet. Add 1¼ cups of granulated sugar; cook on Medium-High heat and stir, as sugar begins melting. Keep an eye on the pan-sugar will slowly start to brown. Stir occasionally, and watch carefully, so it doesn't burn. Sugar will begin to liquefy.
Keep cooking until sugar turns amber in color; keep stirring as it cooks. Total cooking time is usually 3-5 minutes total, Once sugar has completely melted, and sauce is smooth (no lumps), remove skillet immediately from heat.
Slowly pour whipping cream (or half and half) into skillet. The COLD cream will sputter and bubble as it is added to HOT caramel mixture! Keep stirring or whisking in the cream until it is fully incorporated into caramel sauce.
Let sauce cool slightly, then serve WARM sauce over a favorite dessert. Leftover sauce can be stored in a covered container in refrigerator for up to a week.
NOTE: Caloric calculation was made using heavy whipping cream.
**If you are using half and half instead, each serving (1 Tablespoon) will be approx. 70 calories.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!