Guys, this recipe is going to be my downfall. Â Not because it's bad-- oh no. Â Quite the opposite, really.
A simple caramel sauce that requires only 5 ingredients (well, I guess 6 if you count the 2 tablespoons of water) and 15 minutes? Â You know a caramel overdose is in my near future.
This Easy Salted Caramel Sauce is sweet, rich, creamy, buttery, and better than any caramel sauce I've ever bought off of a grocery store shelf! Â It never becomes tooth-shatteringly hard like a lot of other caramel sauces, but it does stiffen as it cools so it doesn't just run off of your sweet treats.
Best of all, you can eat it on almost anything!  Serve it on pancakes, waffles, or french toast for a glorious breakfast.  Eat it with sliced apples, strawberries, pretzels, or bananas for a sweet-tooth-satisfying snack.  Drizzle it into brownie batter, over ice cream, or onto cakes and pies to take your favorite desserts to the next level.  Eat it with a spoon!  (You probably shouldn't do that, but I did.)
Salted Caramel Sauce makes a great gift-- just divide it up in mini mason jars and add a nice ribbon and a tag with suggestions on how to use it. Â Oh, or can you imagine little jars of homemade caramel sauce with "Love is Sweet" written on them for wedding favors? Â Talk about adorable and inexpensive!
There are so many reasons to make this Easy Salted Caramel Sauce, and even more ways to eat it.  Try it out and let me know how you use it in the comments section!
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Easy Salted Caramel Sauce
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- â…” cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, water, and butter. Stir until the butter melts entirely. Bring to a boil.
- Let the caramel boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent any burning on the bottom. You want it to be decently thick and sticky at this point-- the evaporated milk and vanilla extract will thin it and make it creamy. However, don't let it get too hard. It will also stiffen up as it sets and cools.
- Remove the caramel from heat and mix in the evaporated milk and vanilla extract. Stir in the salt and taste-- add more if desired. You can use the sauce immediately or refrigerate it for up to a week. You can also freeze it, if desired. Warm before using.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
Ashley says
We should have thought of this for my wedding!
Morgan says
I know, I was thinking that when I wrote this!!!
Abigail says
Hi! I just made this earlier and it is so good! I may or may not have eaten a generous spoonful of it. Haha! But I would like to ask if, as it continues to cool, would it thicken up? Thanks for the recipe!
Morgan says
Yes, it does continue to thicken as it cools! I am glad you like it, Abigail!
And don't worry, I usually eat several generous spoonfuls when making it. It's pretty much a requirement.
Morgan says
Thank you Soo much for this recipe. I buggered up a Martha Stewart one and was out of cream and this was a life saver!
Knew I could trust the recipe when I saw your name xx
Linda says
If I want a filling for cupcakes would I just use less evaporated milk?