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  • Γ—

    Homemade Caramel Sauce

    03/07/2020 by thebakingexplorer 34 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Homemade Caramel Sauce

    I have had many requests for this recipe, and it's finally here! This recipe for Homemade Caramel Sauce is a big favourite of mine! I make a lot of recipes using caramel sauce, and now you can use this homemade version if you can't get hold of a shop bought one, or if you just want to make it extra special! I've listed all my recipes that require a caramel sauce further down in the post so if you're looking for ways to use caramel sauce then I've got plenty of recipes for you! You only need 3 ingredients to make this caramel sauce, although there are two extra ingredients you can add for extra flavour or to make it into a salted caramel sauce. Either way, it's rich, decadent and super smooth!

    Homemade Caramel Sauce

    For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

    How to make Homemade Caramel Sauce

    To make the caramel sauce, put the water and sugar into a saucepan and heat it on a low-medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Then turn the heat up to medium-high, and it will start to bubble.

    Wait and watch the mixture until it turns golden brown, do not stir it while this is happening. Then take it off the heat and add the butter and whisk it in, then the double cream and whisk that in too. Pour it into a container or bowl to cool down, then put it in the fridge to thicken it up even more.

    For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

    Homemade Caramel Sauce

    How much caramel sauce does this recipe make?

    It makes 415g of caramel sauce.

    Tips for making the Homemade Caramel Sauce:

    • For the best results, use a high sided non-stick pan, this will stop the caramel from sticking and reduce the chance of it catching, it will also mean you can really give it a good whisk when mixing in the butter and cream, without it splashing over the sides. It will be extremely hot so you don't want to get any on your skin!
    • I really recommend using proper butter for this recipe, not a baking spread or margarine. The butter can be salted or unsalted, depending on if you want a salted caramel flavour or not.
    • I also recommend using double cream (also known as heavy cream) rather than single cream, for a richer flavour. You can use single cream though if you can't get hold of double cream.
    • Get all of your ingredients measured and ready before you start making the sauce, as you will need to add them quickly to the pan once the caramel is ready.
    • This homemade caramel sauce will last for 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
    Homemade Caramel Sauce

    Troubleshooting

    My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

    Recommended equipment & ingredients*

    • Saucepan
    • Whisk
    • Kilner storage jars
    • Kitchen scales

    *I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!

    Homemade Caramel Sauce

    Recipes using Caramel Sauce...

    • Salted Caramel Cheesecake (No Bake)
    • Salted Caramel Cupcakes
      Salted Caramel Cupcakes
    • Apple Cinnamon Cake
      Apple Cinnamon Cake
    • Snickers Cupcakes
    • Chocolate Snickers Cake
      Chocolate Snickers Cake
    • Salted Caramel Cake
      Salted Caramel Cake
    • Salted Caramel Egg Brownies
      Salted Caramel Egg Brownies
    • Millionaire's Shortbread Cupcakes
      Millionaire's Shortbread Cupcakes
    • Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
      Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
    • Banoffee Cheesecake
      Banoffee Cheesecake (No Bake)
    • Galaxy Caramel Cheesecake
      Galaxy Caramel Cheesecake (No Bake)
    • Banoffee Dessert Pots
      Banoffee Dessert Pots (No Bake)
    • Spiced Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
    • Gingerbread Bonfire Cake
      Gingerbread Bonfire Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce
    • Caramel Egg Cupcakes
    • Banoffee Cupcakes
    • Biscoff & Banana Cake
      Biscoff & Banana Cake with Caramel Drip
    • Snickers Cheesecake
      Snickers Cheesecake (No Bake)
    • Salted Caramel Rocky Road
      Salted Caramel Rocky Road
    • Amarula, Chocolate & Caramel Cake
      Amarula, Chocolate & Caramel Cake
    Homemade Caramel Sauce

    Homemade Caramel Sauce

    Delicious rich caramel sauce with many uses, easy and quick to make
    5 from 13 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Keyword: Dessert
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 17 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 27 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10
    Author: thebakingexplorer

    Ingredients

    • 200 g Caster sugar (superfine sugar)
    • 60 ml Water
    • 60 g Butter
    • 175 ml Double cream
    • 1 tsp Vanilla extract optional, adds extra flavour
    • Β½ tsp Salt optional, if you'd like salted caramel sauce
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    • Get all your ingredients measured out and ready before you start
    • Place the caster sugar and water into a high sided non stick pan, and heat on a low-medium heat. You can stir the mixture a little if needed
    • When the sugar is dissolved (this takes about 5 minutes), and the mixture turns clearer and doesn't feel grainy, turn the heat up to medium-high so the mixture bubbles, and do not stir it at all
    • Keep a very close eye on the pan, it will eventually star to turn golden, don't take your eyes off it as it happens all of a sudden! For me this takes about 11 minutes, but all hobs and stove tops are different
    • Once it's all nicely golden, take off the heat and add the butter, whisk it in quickly
    • Then add the cream and whisk that in as you pour it
    • If you like, add the vanilla and/or salt
    • Pour into an airtight container, or a bowl, and leave to cool on the side, then put in the fridge to thicken up
    • Stored in the fridge, the caramel sauce will last for 2 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months
    • To drizzle the caramel onto ice cream, heat some of the caramel in a bowl in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to loosen it. Any caramel that you re-heat must be consumed or disposed of, do not put it back in the original container
    Made this recipe?Share on Instagram with me @TheBakingExplorer or tag #thebakingexplorer!

    Video

    Notes

    This recipe makes 415g of caramel sauce.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 16mg | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 407IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

    If you like this, check out more of my Dessert recipes!

    I'm linking this recipe up with Cook Blog Share hosted by Recipes Made Easy.

    « Biscoff Cake
    Victoria Sponge Cake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lucy Smith

      July 03, 2020 at 9:09 pm

      5 stars
      I was so excited to see this on the blog...My mum makes an amazing caramel sauce and it’s famous with my kids! Due to COVID-19 we haven’t seen her over four months and we are all missing her. So when this came on the blog I just had to try it!!
      It is super simple and quick! Great advice to keep your eyes on the pan, it’s turns quickly!

      So I wanted to say thank you for putting on the recipe - we had it for tea over ice-cream, a great way to make a Friday night teatime a lot more exciting!!! Give it a try, it’s delicious! Lucy x

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        July 03, 2020 at 9:31 pm

        Thank you so much Lucy! I'm so pleased you enjoyed the recipe and my tips were helpful!

        Reply
    2. Michelle Mota

      July 04, 2020 at 10:32 pm

      Is this thick enough to use as a filling in a cake? Thanks x

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        July 05, 2020 at 5:43 pm

        Hi Michelle, yes once it's made, keep it in the fridge and it will set and go lovely and thick πŸ™‚

        Reply
        • Darren flynn

          February 03, 2022 at 10:10 am

          Does this work for banoffee?

          Reply
          • thebakingexplorer

            March 05, 2022 at 10:26 pm

            Hi Darren, apologies for my late response I think I missed your comment, yes it would be lovely in a banoffee pie! πŸ˜€

            Reply
        • Cathy

          May 14, 2023 at 6:55 pm

          Would vegan/dairy free cream work OK for this?

          Reply
          • thebakingexplorer

            May 14, 2023 at 10:04 pm

            Hi Cathy, I've never tried it so I can't say for sure sorry.

            Reply
    3. Chloe Edges

      July 05, 2020 at 3:30 pm

      5 stars
      I could bathe in this!

      Reply
      • Cara

        January 20, 2024 at 7:13 am

        Hi I’ve made this sauce twice without fail twice but last 2 x my sugar starts to crystallize and then just goes into a hard ball
        What am I doing wrong

        Reply
        • thebakingexplorer

          January 20, 2024 at 12:52 pm

          Hi Cara, has anything changed since the two times you made it successfully? Such as using a different pan, a different hob, different ingredients, different temperature etc.

          Reply
    4. Jacqui – Only Crumbs Remain:Recipes Made Easy

      July 05, 2020 at 8:44 pm

      5 stars
      I've made a fair bit of caramel sauce myself this one looks perfect just the right degree of delicious sticky gooeyness . Thank you for sharing your recipe with #CookBlogShare

      Reply
    5. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie

      July 07, 2020 at 11:15 am

      5 stars
      OM NOM! This looks soooo good πŸ˜€ Eb x

      Reply
    6. Aleya @cupcakesbyaleya

      July 19, 2020 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      I just made this recipe, it tastes and smells awesome! I can’t wait to make salted caramel cupcakes!. Thank you so much, your recipe was ready to follow x

      Reply
    7. Suzanne

      March 01, 2021 at 8:47 pm

      5 stars
      This is a full proof recipe! It actually works and I can't believe I can now make salted Caramel! Thank you so much for sharing πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        March 01, 2021 at 9:11 pm

        I'm so thrilled to hear this Suzanne, thank you!

        Reply
    8. Jo

      April 13, 2021 at 9:26 pm

      5 stars
      I have tried SO many times to make a caramel sauce and its never worked. I even had a pastry chef friend walk through the steps with me and her mind was boggled that the 3 attempts didn't work.

      This did. I'm extatic. It's delicious and even my husband - who doesn't like caramel! - said its amazing as it's not sickly sweet but just right.

      Thank you soooo much!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        April 13, 2021 at 10:53 pm

        Thank you for such lovely feedback Jo, I'm so thrilled that you like the recipe and you love the caramel sauce!! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    9. Koko

      April 21, 2021 at 8:21 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe with us. I made this as decorative sirup for a caramel birthday cake for my friend. They were so in love with the sauce, they asked to keep the jar. When it was empty they sent a distraught videos of them scraping the leftovers out of the jar.
      You're brilliant! πŸ˜€

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        April 22, 2021 at 10:17 am

        Ah haha that's made me giggle! πŸ˜€ Thanks so much Koko for such wonderful feedback!!

        Reply
    10. Darren Flynn

      April 22, 2021 at 10:14 pm

      How much sauce does this reciepe make? I need 400g and just wondering.

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        April 23, 2021 at 7:45 am

        Hi Darren, it fills a 0.5L jar so I would say yes you will get 400g out of it.

        Reply
    11. Mina

      May 09, 2021 at 2:05 am

      How long does the caramel take to set?
      Also, is it alright if I don't have a non-stick pan? How would I make sure that the caramel won't stick?

      Quite excited to use this recipe, the caramel looks fantastic in the photos!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        May 09, 2021 at 2:38 pm

        Hi Mina, it depends on the container you put it in. A deeper container will take longer to cool that a shallow/wider one. I usually leave it in the fridge overnight. You can make the caramel in a non stick pan, but do keep a close eye on it while it's cooking. Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    12. Jody Lye

      August 22, 2021 at 2:54 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely divine 😁
      Taste just like a werthers caramel, the salt makes it better!
      this will be my go to caramel recipe from now on

      Reply
    13. Anne Marie

      May 02, 2023 at 10:12 pm

      Hi kat!
      I've just found your site and can't wait to try the salted caramel cheesecake. Just wondering your home made recipe for the caramel would it be enough for the cheesecake or would I have to double the quantity?

      Reply
    14. Anne

      May 04, 2023 at 12:50 am

      5 stars
      Made this recently.
      Took roughly 5 min for the sugar to turn a golden color after turning up the heat to med-high.
      My husband is a caramel lover and absolutely adored this over vanilla ice cream and berries. I enjoyed it also.
      Still very spreadable from the fridge which is good for me for other decorating options. Will definitely make this again, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        May 05, 2023 at 9:33 am

        Thanks so much for your feedback Anne, I'm so pleased you both enjoyed it!

        Reply
        • Anne Marie

          May 06, 2023 at 12:20 pm

          Hi kat! I've just tried making the caramel sauce and my hasn't turned golden brown. What am I doing wrong?

          Reply
          • thebakingexplorer

            May 06, 2023 at 9:13 pm

            Hi Anne Marie, try adjusting the heat it may not be hot enough.

            Reply
    15. beverley

      January 18, 2024 at 7:04 pm

      5 stars
      Hi kat i made this caramel for your amarula cake.First time making it wont be my last .It was really easy to make and came out lovely and thick but also tasted amazing.I put it in some vanilla muffins and used some in the buttercream. everyone who ate the amurula cake and muffins said it was truly amazing

      Reply
    16. Netta Rebello

      December 07, 2024 at 9:34 am

      Hi can you please tell me how much this recipe yields

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        December 07, 2024 at 10:22 am

        Hi Netta, I have detailed this info in the blog post, it makes 415g of caramel sauce. I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    17. Daria

      June 01, 2025 at 9:33 am

      I am DYING!!!! I COULD EAT IT BY THE SPOON FOR GODS’S SAKE

      Reply

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