Homemade salted caramel adds the perfect balance of sweet and salty to drinks, desserts, and more! You just need sugar, butter, half & half, and salt.
When it comes to specialty lattes, there’s an invisible line separating those who love pumpkin spice from those who love salted caramel.
Apparently, you can’t love both.
Personally, I’m more of a pumpkin fan. I could take or leave salted caramel (and I usually leave it).
I will admit though, that while I’m not a big fan of salted caramel on a spoon, just add it to my food and it’s a completely different story. Scoop some into my coffee with splash of half and half and I’ll make the stuff disappear lickety split! It’s like a hot cup of heaven!
These days I have a hard time even finding salted caramel drinks in the fall, and what if I want to enjoy a salted caramel mocha in April?
My cup of salted caramel coffee was so good, it would have been a severe injustice not to share the recipe with the frugal folks who enjoy their salted caramel lattes and don’t enjoy paying big bucks for them.
So here it is, a homemade caramel sauce recipe in its full glory.
HOMEMADE SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
Before we get started, there’s a negative stigma associated with making caramel and candies and such – and rightly so. Cooking with sugar can be dangerous, scary, and finicky. Clear the kids out of the kitchen, wear long sleeves (trust me on that one), and do not multi-task while making caramel!
Read the directions in their entirety, twice, and have all ingredients on hand before you begin. Homemade caramel is NOT impossible, but it requires your full attention. Once you make it – and oh yes, you will want to make this – you’ll understand what I mean. And then you won’t be scared to make it again!
SALTED CARAMEL RECIPE INGREDIENTS
This simple salted caramel sauce only has 4 ingredients!
- Granulated Sugar. I used organic cane sugar.
- Unsalted Butter. Make sure it’s room temperature and cut into pieces.
- Half & half. Also room temperature – you don’t want your dairy to curdle when it hits the hot sugar! Some sputtering and splattering is normal.
- Kosher Salt. Use kosher salt for salted caramel – the perfect mix of salty and sweet! A flaky sea salt will work as well!
Psst! Not all salts are made the same! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!).
HOW TO MAKE SALTED CARAMEL INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1. In a large 5–6-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour the sugar in an even layer. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking as the sugar begins to melt. The sugar will be clumpy at first but will melt down as it continues to cook.
Step 2. When the sugar has completely melted, stop whisking. Tilt the pan or use the whisk to gently move the sugar around in the pan as the sugar cooks. When the sugar reaches 350F on a candy thermometer, or turns a light amber color, add all the butter at the same time. The sugar will bubble angrily when you do this, so be careful.
Whisk the butter into the sugar until it is completely melted and then remove the pan from the heat.
Step 3. Slowly add the half & half to the sugar, whisking as you pour. Again, the sugar may splatter, so be careful. Whisk until all the half & half is incorporated and smooth. Scraping the sides of the pan to mix it all in. Add the kosher salt and whisk to blend well.
(Note: I like my caramel on the saltier side, so I add a full Tablespoon. If you’re not sure about the amount of salt, start with 1 ½ teaspoons and taste. You can always add more!)
Step 4. Let the caramel mixture cool for 15 minutes before storing it in a glass mason jar or airtight container. Allow the caramel to completely cool to room temperature before storing it in the refrigerator.
Homemade salted caramel will keep for up to two weeks.
This salted caramel recipe will harden in the fridge, so allow it to come to room temperature before using it in recipes requiring a pour or drizzle. For recipes in which it will be mixed right in, cold caramel is fine.
Each serving is approximately 1.5-2 Tablespoons, to taste.
CARAMEL SALTED BEVERAGES
Once you’ve made a batch of this creamy, delicious, sweet stuff, you’ll want to add it to everything. Enjoy these caramel salted drinks!
- Caramel Coffee Creamer: one serving of salted caramel + 2 Tablespoons of half & half
- Salted Caramel Latte: one serving of caramel sauce salted + 1 cup strong coffee + ½ cup preferred hot milk (or serve over ice to enjoy cold)
- Homemade Salted Caramel Mocha: one serving of caramel sauce + 1 cup strong coffee + ½ cup preferred hot milk + single serving of Homemade Instant Hot Cocoa (or serve over ice to enjoy cold)
- Salted Caramel Chai Tea: one serving of salted caramel + 1 cup of chai tea (or serve over ice to enjoy cold)
- Kids’ Caramel Warmer: one serving of caramel sauce + 1 cup warm milk
- Caramel Hot Chocolate: one serving of salted caramel + a single serving of Homemade Instant Hot Cocoa
- Kid-Friendly Caramel Apple “Latte”: one serving of caramel + 1 cup warmed apple juice/cider + 1 Tablespoon half & half (or serve over ice to enjoy cold)
SALTED CARAMEL TREATS
Or try another yummy recipe with salted caramel!
SALT AND CARAMEL FAQS
What is the difference between caramel and salted caramel?
The salt! Regular batches of caramel have just sugar, butter, and heavy cream. You mix salt and caramel ingredients for that yummy sweet and salty flavor you get in salted caramel.
Is salted caramel just butterscotch?
They’re similar, but salted caramel starts with white sugar and is cooked to a higher temperature, while butterscotch starts with brown sugar and doesn’t get quite as hot. Butterscotch will also have a higher proportion of butter to sugar, and a bit more of a toffee flavor from the molasses.
Is salted caramel the same as dulce de leche?
Not quite! Dulce de leche includes milk along with the sugar, and you make it by simmering slowly over a lower heat rather than cooking more quickly to a higher temperature. That’s why you’ll sometimes find imitation dulce de leche recipes that start with a can of sweetened condensed milk.
HOW TO INCLUDE SALTED CARAMEL TREATS IN YOUR DAY
Even real foodies get to have treats! This homemade salted caramel is going to be far better than any caramel sauce you find at the store, since it has just 4 simple ingredients rather than the long list of high fructose corn syrup and preservatives we want to avoid.
However, since this is a sugary treat, you’ll still want to enjoy it in moderation. When you’re including something like salted caramel in your day, keep these tips in mind:
- Accurately track what you’re eating. That means figuring out the nutrition information for the salted caramel recipe AND knowing that the portion size you’re writing down is actually the portion you ate.
- Keep your goals on track for the day as a whole. Include plenty of produce and lean protein and adjust your meals so that your macros for the whole day make sense.
- Don’t fret over one snack! Consistency is key to hitting your nutrition goals, and one snack is not going to change that. What you do consistently day after day is what matters.
- Eating well is a lifestyle. We aren’t dieting here, folks! Real life includes treats, and you can fit them into a balanced day.
MORE DIY SPECIALTY BEVERAGES
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Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Homemade salted caramel adds the perfect balance of sweet and salty to drinks, desserts, and more! You just need sugar, butter, half & half, and salt.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: approx 3 cups 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Instructions
- In a large 5-6 quart, heavy-bottomed pot, pour the sugar in an even layer. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking as the sugar begins to melt. The sugar will be clumpy at first but will melt down as it continues to cook.
- When the sugar has completely melted, stop whisking. Tilt the pan, or use the whisk to gently move the sugar around in the pan as the sugar cooks. When the sugar reaches 350F on a candy thermometer, or turns a light amber color, add all the butter at the same time. The sugar will bubble angrily when you do this, so be careful. Whisk the butter into the sugar until it is completely melted and then remove the pan from the heat.
- Slowly add the half & half to the sugar, whisking as you pour. Again, the sugar may splatter, so be careful. Whisk until all the half & half is incorporated and smooth. Add the kosher salt and whisk to blend well.
(Note: I like my caramel on the saltier side, so I add a full Tablespoon. If you’re not sure about the amount of salt, start with 1 ½ teaspoons and taste. You can always add more!) - Let the caramel cool for 15 minutes before storing it in a glass jar. Allow caramel to completely cool to room temperature before storing it in the refrigerator. The caramel will keep for up to two weeks.
- The caramel will harden in the fridge, so allow it to come to room temperature before using it in recipes requiring a pour or drizzle. For recipes in which it will be mixed right in, cold caramel is fine.
Notes
Each serving is approximately 1.5-2 Tbsp, to taste.
