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This salted caramel recipe will be the reason you’ll never have to use a store-bought version ever again. It’s made with only 4 ingredients and is perfect for filling cakes, drizzling on ice cream, flavoring buttercreams, etc., or even just eating in spoonfuls!

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About This Recipe

I’ve tried a couple different salted caramel recipes, but this is my favorite by far, here’s why: It’s made with only 4 ingredients (not counting water), it has the perfect balance between sweet and salty, it’s made with no corn syrup, turns out perfect every single time, and can be made by anyone regardless of their experience or knowledge in baking or cooking (if you follow this recipe exactly as it is 🙂 )!!

Let’s talk about how you can use this salted caramel sauce. It can be used to fill cakes and cupcakes, drizzle on ice cream and cupcakes, drip on cakes, coat apples, and flavor frostings. Basically, you could use it on any dessert you’d like, or eat it by itself. Oooh, it also makes for a great gift, especially if they have a sweet tooth!

We all know caramel loves to burn when left unattended, even for a few seconds, so one thing I would highly recommend is to have all your ingredients measured and ready to go so you can focus on stirring the caramel and making sure it doesn’t burn!

What You Need To Make This Recipe

Heavy Cream: Use a cream that has a fat percentage of 35% or above.

Sugar: Use regular granulated sugar, not powdered sugar.

Salt: You can adjust the amount of salt to how salty you want your salted caramel sauce to be.

Butter: Use unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt in the salted caramel sauce.

Water: Although this recipe can be made without water, I believe it reduces the chances of the sugar burning. Also, because of the water, the sugar caramelizes equally, rather than some of the sugar turning brown faster than the rest. It also prevents the sugar from forming lumps while melting.

How To Make Salted Caramel No Corn Syrup

Step 1: Spread the sugar on a pan or saucepan, add in the water, and it a mix.

Step 2: Place the pan on medium-low and cook until the sugar turns a golden amber color. Do not mix the mixture while it’s browning. You can use the handle of the pan to move the caramel around a bit if needed.

Step 3: Add in the butter and mix until fully incorporated. Be very careful while doing this, as a lot of steam will be produced by the caramelized sugar. Cover your hand with an oven mitten if needed.

Step 4: Add in the heavy cream and mix until fully incorporated, again being very careful. Let the caramel cook on medium-low without stirring for a minute or 2. The caramel will look runny at this point; this is totally normal, as the sauce will thicken significantly once it cools.

Step 5: Take the caramel off the heat and mix in the salt. Let it sit at room temperature to cool slightly.

Step 6: Transfer the warm salted caramel sauce into a jar or air tight container and refrigerate until fully cooled. Once cooled, the salted caramel can be used.

How To Store The Salted Caramel Sauce

The salted caramel sauce can be stored in a jar or an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or refrigerated for up to two weeks. It can easily be reheated in a microwave to get it to the consistency you like.

Pro Tips

Use room temperature butter and heavy cream to reduce the steam and bubbles that form in the caramel when they’re added to it.
If you’re using this salted caramel to fill cakes or cupcakes, make it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. If it’s too thick, then warm it up in a microwave for a few seconds before using it.
The caramel only needs to be cooked for 1 or 2 minutes after you add in the heavy cream; it will look runny, and you will be tempted to cook it for longer to thicken it up, but trust me, the caramel will thicken as it cools.
Using brown sugar instead of granulated sugar will result in a butterscotch sauce rather than a salted caramel sauce! What’s the difference between caramel and butterscotch? Read here.

Check out my YouTube Channel for detailed recipe tutorials! Made one of my recipes? Tag me on Instagram, I would love to see your creations!

Salted Caramel Sauce Without Corn Syrup

This salted caramel recipe will be the reason you’ll never have to use a store bought version ever again. It’s made with only 4 ingredients and is perfect for filling cakes, drizzling on ice cream, flavoring buttercreams, etc., or even just eating in spoonful’s!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Course Sauces

Cuisine American

Servings 24 servings

Calories 67 kcal

Equipment

1 Medium-sized saucepan
1 Spatula
Heat safe air-tight conatinar or jar

Ingredients

200 g granulated sugar (1 cup)
80 ml water (1/3 cup)
30 g butter (2 tbsp) room temp.
180 ml heavy cream (3/4 cup) room temp.
1 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Add the granulated sugar to a medium saucepan and pour in the water. Gently mix just until the sugar is evenly moistened.
Place the saucepan over medium–low heat and allow the mixture to cook undisturbed until the sugar dissolves and turns a deep amber color, about 5–6 minutes. Do not stir while the caramel is forming. If needed, gently swirl the pan by the handle to help the sugar cook evenly.
Once the caramel reaches an amber color, carefully add the butter. The mixture will bubble vigorously, so be cautious. Stir continuously until the butter is fully melted and incorporated, about 2–3 minutes.
Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring. The caramel will bubble again. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
Let the caramel boil for about 1 minute without stirring, then remove it from the heat and stir in the salt.
Pour the salted caramel into a heat-safe airtight container or jar. Let it cool uncovered at room temperature.
Once it has cooled to room temperature, cover the container and place it in the refrigerator until fully chilled.
When ready to use, allow the caramel to sit at room temperature for a few minutes or gently warm it so it becomes pourable again.