Easy Salted Caramel Sauce

a lot of velvety salted caramel sauce in a glass jar.

5 from 1 vote

YOU! GUYS! Finally, the salted caramel sauce of my dreams. This recipe is different from your average salted caramel; it's thicker, richer and has a slightly FUDGY texture that will absolutely send you over the edge. I have been testing versions of this recipe every autumn for over 7 years; it's exactly like the fudgy salted caramel they sell at Apple Hill near Sacramento. And bonus, it's easy. You can knock this out in 30 minutes. Try it drizzled on ice cream, sandwiched in cookies, as a dip for apples, or naked on a spoon.

Prep Time5

Cook Time23

Total Time28

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 140kcal

Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

1/4 cup water
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup salted butter chopped
1 cup corn syrup
1 (12-ounce can) evaporated milk
3 tablespoons heavy cream optional
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt (you can add up to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons)

Instructions

Get everything ready to go, so you're not rushing later! Caramel-making is a fun process but you have to move quickly at times, so look alive. Measure out 1 cup of corn syrup and set it near the stove. Shake the can of evaporated milk and remove the lid. Unwrap 1/2 cup of butter (this is 1 stick) and use a butter knife to chop it into a few pieces. Set the cream carton and a tablespoon nearby.
Add 1/4 cup water to a heavy bottomed 3-quart pot. (Do NOT use a cheap pot to make caramel, it might not turn out!) Swirl your pan around to get the sides of the pot wet, a few inches up the sides. Turn the heat up to high.
Slowly pour 2 cups of granulated sugar to the center of the pot, making sure not to get any sugar crystals on the sides. With your wooden spoon, draw the water in from the edges toward the center, going slowly all the way around the pan until all the sugar is moistened. Do not leave any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. The goal is to dissolve all of the sugar. If there are sugar crystals on the edge of the pot, dip a pastry brush in water and swipe them into the liquid.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then once boiling, reduce the heat to medium. Toss your wooden spoon (that likely has sugar crystals on it) in the sink; you don't need to stir for this part (but don't walk away.) Let the crystal-free pot of sugar bubble and boil for about 6-8 minutes undisturbed; read cues below.
Eventually, the mixture will start to turn a light yellow color, then darker and darker until it reaches amber. The cue you are looking for is smoke. Once you see any signs of yellow, do not take your eyes off the pot as the color deepens and deepens. Eventually you see the first wisps of smoke. As soon as the caramel is evenly amber in color all the way across, AND you see smoke,* remove the pan from the heat right away. You have just made caramel.
Off-heat, use a flat whisk to gently stir pieces of butter into the pot, 1/2 cup of butter total, whisking well for every addition. Be careful, splashes will hurt like heck! The caramel will start to become creamy and thicker as you add butter and stir.
Add 1 cup corn syrup** and whisk completely. Be sure to scrape the sides and corners and bottom of the pot well; the corn syrup tends to lump up, so be thorough.
Move the pot back onto the burner and turn the heat to medium. It should start to boil again fairly quickly.
Slowly add the 12-ounce can evaporated milk. Add a little bit, whisk completely, add a bit more, stir completely. Once all of the evaporated milk is added, settle in for the long boil. Keep whisking, only taking short breaks, and making sure to get into the corners of the pan. Boil, whisking for about 14-17 minutes; read on.
It's best to use a candy thermometer to know when this step is complete. You want to boil the mixture until it reaches 234 degrees F. The time this takes can vary a lot because there are so many, well, variables (like pot-thickness, burner level, humidity level...) I recommend a Thermapen, the best thermometer on the market, but any old candy thermometer will do. Don't go much above 234 or 235 degrees F, or your caramel will be the wrong texture.
Remove the pot from the heat as soon as it has reached 234 degrees. Continue whisking.
Add 3 tablespoons cream, if you are using this caramel as a sauce or dip. Be careful not to splash yourself. Whisk completely. (If you are making Salted Caramel Sandwich Cookies or Caramel Apples, leave out the 3 tablespoons of cream for a firmer caramel.)
Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or sea salt). Start with less salt if you are nervous, add up to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons if you like it salty.
Let the mixture cool completely, or at least cool enough that you don't burn your tongue on hot caramel lava, before tasting it.
Use this caramel sauce as an ice cream topping, as a dip for apples, as the caramel for dipping caramel apples (full recipe and instructions coming soon), drizzled over Pumpkin Pie, or Apple Pie, over Pumpkin Dump Cake, or sandwiched between these Salted Caramel Sandwich Cookies...the possibilities are endless!
Storage: I like to store my caramel in a mason jar. One batch fits nicely in a quart size jar. Any airtight container will do. This caramel is just fine kept on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, perfect for the random spoonful as you pass through the kitchen, ask me how I know. After 2 weeks, store it in the fridge for up to 6 months (or longer, probably!)
Reheating: The fudgy caramel will be soft and dip-able, but not quite drizzle-able at room temperature. Heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, before drizzling over desserts or ice cream.

Notes

*Use medium heat: One time when I made this, I left the heat on HIGH. It started smoking way faster than usual, even though it was just barely starting to yellow. So this process must be done over medium heat.

** Corn Syrup: I experimented with both dark corn syrup and light corn syrup, and like them both. Either one is fine. The only difference between the two is that dark corn syrup has molasses in it; it lends a slightly deeper flavor.

COLOR: An important thing to note for this recipe: your caramel might turn out a lot darker than the caramel in these photos! It all depends on how deep your sugar caramelizes before you add the butter. I photographed this recipe a little early on in testing, and realized later that I liked the flavor a little deeper. The process photos show a more accurate color of this caramel than the final "glam" shots. Just something to be aware of! If it's dark, I promise, it's just right.

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