When it comes to salted caramel, this recipe is as versatile as can be. I’ve used it to drip cakes, drizzle cupcakes, dip apples, top ice cream, and have even used it to make salted caramel buttercream! With only four ingredients and fail-proof instructions, it is truly the easiest caramel I’ve ever made and has never let me down. If you’ve ever struggled with making salted caramel before, I hope recipe changes everything for you.
One Reader, Hilary, Says: “This was my first attempt at anything caramel. I was scared to death to heat a pile of sugar and was sure it was going to burn. I did what you suggested and had everything pre-measured and room temperature, followed all the steps, and once it cooled and I ventured a taste, it was AMAZING! I was stunned. Thank you for taking the fear out of caramel for me!” ★★★★★
Why You’ll Love This Salted Caramel Recipe
While I’ve tried my hand at some more intricate salted caramel recipes before, this one is my favorite for a few reasons:
- Only four ingredients. All it takes to make this salted caramel is granulated sugar, unsalted butter, heavy whipping cream (or double cream), and salt.
- No candy thermometer necessary. Unlike other salted caramel recipes, you won’t need a thermometer to measure this one! Instead, you’ll be going by time markers and simple visual cues.
- It’s nearly fail proof with consistent results. I’ve written super detailed instructions to help you make this recipe, and when followed properly you’ll always end up with amazing salted caramel.
- Perfect amount of sweet and salty. The flavor of this salted caramel is absolutely divine! I’ve been known to eat it by the spoonful.
- It’s versatile. You can use this recipe as a caramel sauce, as a cake drip, drizzle it in between cake layers, or use it in my salted caramel buttercream recipe.
Homemade Salted Caramel Ingredients
There are only four ingredients needed to make this salted caramel:
- Granulated Sugar. The recipe begins with cooking the granulated sugar until it melts into an amber-colored liquid. Heating the sugar breaks down its molecules, transforming them into a new compound and giving the caramel its signature rich and nutty flavor notes.
- Unsalted Butter. The butter gets combined with the melted sugar to add a velvety texture, rich flavor, and stability.
- Heavy Whipping Cream. The cream provides the liquid base that makes the caramel smooth, pourable, and creamy. It’s important to use heavy whipping cream that contains at least 36% milkfat, as milks with lower fat will cause the final caramel to be too thin and possibly lead the mixture to separate.
- Salt. To create the best salty caramel flavor, use kosher salt or a flaky sea salt like Maldon.
Tips for Best Results
Like I mentioned previously, you’ll find detailed instructions on how to make this salted caramel below. Here are some tips for success that will keep you cool, calm, and collected throughout the entire caramel-making process:
- Read through the entire recipe first. You’ll want to know what’s coming next in this recipe. It involves a lot of stirring and whisking, and it’s a known fact that caramel likes to burn when you top stirring even for a few seconds to read your next step (it’s sneaky like that!). Having even a vague idea of what’s involved will be a key to your success.
- Prepare your ingredients. Have your ingredients pre-measured, room temperature, and ready to go.
- Protect your hands. There are some points in this recipe where ingredients will bubble up and cause a lot of steam, like when adding the butter and the heavy whipping cream. Keep an oven glove nearby to protect your hand while you whisk and stir if needed.
- Allow time for cooling. This caramel will thicken beautifully as it cools. It takes a few hours left on the counter or one hour in the refrigerator to cool to room temperature.
How to Make Homemade Salted Caramel
Here’s how to make this salted caramel from start to finish:
Step 1. Melt the sugar. Add the granulated sugar into a medium saucepan set over medium heat and stir frequently until it melts into an amber colored liquid. Here are the changes you’ll see in the process:
Step 2: Add the butter. Whisk the butter into the melted sugar until the mixture is uniform, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: Add the heavy whipping cream. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream, then let the mixture boil for one minute without stirring it.
Step 4: Add the salt. Whisk the salt in and remove the salted caramel from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools.
Salted Caramel Buttercream Recipe Video
Here’s a quick video of the process before you read all about it below:
PS: If you’re into recipe videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube Channel! You’ll find more of my favorite recipes, cake decorating tutorials, and so much more. Click the Subscribe button while you’re there so you never miss a new video!
How to Use Salted Caramel
Here are some of my favorite ideas + recipes to use with this salted caramel:
- Salted Caramel Apple Cake
- Chocolate Caramel Pecan Pie Cake
- Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Salted Caramel Banana Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
- Use it as an ice cream topping
- Gift it in cute jars for the holidays
- Use it as a cake drip! Just make sure it’s slightly above room temperature to achieve the perfect drip consistency.
- Drizzle it onto cupcakes or in between cake layers.
- Use it as a dip for apples
I hope you love this salted caramel recipe as much as I do! Let me know if you make it in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Salted Caramel
Ingredients
- 1 Cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Have everything pre-measured and ready to go (you’ll be constantly stirring). Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until it melts into an amber-colored liquid and no sugar clumps remain, 5-6 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Carefully add the butter (it will bubble up when you do) and use a whisk to combine it with the sugar mixture until the butter is fully melted and incorporated, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the heavy whipping cream in a steady stream while whisking. As soon as the cream is incorporated, let the caramel boil for a full minute before removing it from the heat and stirring in the salt.
- Let the caramel cool to room temperature* before using it in a buttercream recipe or as a cake topping. If you’re using it to drizzle over ice cream or warm baked goods, you only need to cool it slightly (20 minutes or so). It will thicken as it cools.
I made this recipe TIMES 5 for the first time ever making caramel and everything went perfectly. I will say the exact measurements for 5x recipe is very VERY salted but when using it for the buttercream recipe it leaves it perfectly salted without being too overpowering. (That being said I did not add the suggested salt amount into the buttercream recipe and left it out completely.) Absolutely in love with this and it will forever be the only recipe ill ever use. Thank you so much!
Yay, Gisela! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit and it worked to scale it up that much!
I tried a different recipe before I tried yours, the first one didn’t work but yours worked perfectly. I’m currently stopping myself from eating anymore as I need some for a drip tomorrow! I also made your salted caramel buttercream and Oh My God! I could sit in it, it is so delicious! Thank you for both recipes!
Yay, Franziska! I’m so happy to hear that both this recipe + the salted caramel buttercream went so well! I feel the same way about both of these recipes – could totally eat them by the spoonful!
Hi Whitney,
Would this amount be enough to use it as a filling in a 3 layer 6 inch cake as well as a drip for the top?
Hi Mary! I would make two batches just to be safe.
Do I have to keep cake refrigerated if I use this Carmel recipe in the buttercream and drip?
Hi Patty! The cake should be totally fine to leave out at room temp for a day or two. After that I would refrigerate the leftovers just to keep the cake fresh. Hope that helps!
Hi there! Have you ever tried this with adding browned butter instead? Super curious as I’ve been loving anything and everything with browned butter lately.
Hi Jordanne! I haven’t tried this with browned butter but that sounds amazing!
This was my first attempt at anything caramel. I was scared to death to heat a pile of sugar and was sure it was going to burn. I did what you suggested and had everything pre-measured and room temperature. Step by step when just as you said and at the end … once cooled a bit … I ventured a taste. AMAZING! I was stunned!
Thank you for taking the fear out of caramel for me!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that, Hilary!
I’ve made this twice now but vegan-ized it (used earth balance butter and almond milk) and it came out perfectly! Thank you for this excellent recipe!
That’s amazing, Wanda! I need to try the vegan version now!!
How does it end up tasting like caramel when the ingredients don’t list caramel?
Hi Andrea! Cooking these ingredients together is how you make caramel from scratch. I hope you give it a try sometime!
This salted caramel came out beautifully! It is cooling now because I am using it for the salted caramel buttercream recipe you have posted on here. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. I can’t wait to make the butter cream in a couple hours. Going to let this caramel cool while I bake the cakes now!
Yay!! So happy you love the caramel recipe and I can’t wait for you to try the salted caramel buttercream!
Does this freeze well? I’m hoping to make it to use In your buttercream recipe for my Macarons but don’t The excess want to go to waste! Thanks!
Hi Desiree! I’ve never frozen this recipe before, but it will store wonderfully in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
If I only have salted butter should I omit some of the salt? If so, how much? Thanks so much!
Hi Bridget! You can use salted butter and just half the amount of salt at the end. Enjoy!
Made this tonight and so far it looks and tastes good. Going to use it in the buttercream to spread over an apple spice cake tomorrow. I used Himalayan pink salt and the saltiness really cuts through the sweetness of the caramel. The only thing i didnt do was stop stirring it for the minute boil at the end. All the other directions were saying whisk or stir so i just kept on. Hoping it won’t make any difference.
Hi Vicky! So happy that the salted caramel sauce seems to have worked out beautifully. I bet it’ll taste amazing on apple spice cake!
Great recipe! We used this to make your salted caramel frosting and it was AMAZING! Thank you!
Yay, Jes! So happy you love this recipe and used it to make my salted caramel buttercream! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
I just made this caramel to add to buttercream for some cupcakes. It goes from what is seemingly perfect to having a burnt aftertaste in a matter of seconds. I’ll try another batch before I give up and go buy some caramel.
Hi Richelle! If the caramel has a burnt aftertaste, it means it’s been burnt in the cooking process, particularly the part where you melt the sugar. Next time, try melting the sugar over medium instead of medium-high, stir constantly in the melting process, and add the butter as soon as there are no lumps remaining in the amber liquid. Let me know how it goes!
WHOA….I’ve only just found you. This recipe is just….WHOA. It’s not your fault, but I’m going to get diabetes…..just keep eating by the spoonful.
Haha I’m so happy you love the recipe, Nancy!!