Homemade Caramel Sauce (no corn syrup!)
ByA few weeks ago, Busy Mom in AL left a comment stating that she’d used my Caramel Frosting recipe to make Caramel Sauce. Then, a little while later, the people at Challenge Butter sent me a package and asked me to come up with a recipe using their butter. Well, what’s a girl to do but make Homemade Caramel Sauce with one of those sticks of butter, and then blog about her experience?
I didn’t think you’d mind. Especially if you think about the possibilities this Caramel Sauce presents. Not only can you make it for your own family and serve it on ice cream or cheesecake – wouldn’t this make a perfect Gift in a Jar?
Why yes, I believe it would.
And then, what if you took it a step further and created a big Ice Cream Sundae Basket to give as a gift? In your basket you could include a jar of this Caramel Sauce, a jar of Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce, a container of nuts, an ice cream scoop, some bowls and spoons – who wouldn’t love to receive this inexpensive, yet thoughtful and fun gift?
Alright, now I’m giddy and need to figure out who I can make an Ice Cream Sundae Gift Basket for.
Here is the very simple – and sort of healthy because at least it doesn’t have corn syrup in it - recipe:
Homemade Caramel Sauce
2 cups sucanat or brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cream (heavy whipping cream)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place the sucanat, butter, and cream into a medium sized saucepan.
Cook over medium to high heat until ingredients are melted and well mixed, stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for one minute, while continuing to stir.
Pour mixture into a mixing bowl and add vanilla extract. Whip with beaters for three minutes so that it will thicken.
Serve immediately or pour into a pint sized jar for a gift. Store in refrigerator and reheat before serving if desired. (This recipe makes one pint jar or two cups of sauce.)
Beyond ice cream, cheesecake, and the Ice Cream Sundae Gift Basket, don’t you think I should come up with some sort of Caramel Swirl Brownie recipe? Or maybe a Turtle Fudge Something or Other? We could even use it as an apple dip I bet!
What do you think? How could you use this Homemade Caramel Sauce?
P.S. Be watching for an upcoming giveaway from Challenge Butter, in which you too might have no choice but to use their butter to make some Homemade Caramel Sauce.
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O…M…G. I have been searching for one. I miss caramel sauce so very much. Thank you. Can’t wait to try this. I must stop reading recipes at 11:30 at night. It makes me too anxious to start cooking!
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i have made five batches of this caramel and have only gotten one correct.. i have followed the steps each time but cant seem to get anymore to be smooth like its supposed to be.. can you please help me??? how can i make every batch smooth and not gritty??? please help…
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bonnie sikes Reply:
February 3rd, 2012 at 8:32 pm
i have tried boiling it for the time on the recipe and also letting it
boil for alittle longer and ended up last time boiling it for 5 mins
and it still turned out grainy not smooth… can you tell me what i am
doing wrong?
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Laura Reply:
February 8th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
Yikes, I can’t figure out what might be going wrong on this. :( So sorry it’s not working for you!!
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Kaley Reply:
March 1st, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Try melting the butter before hand and blending the Sucranat in a blender to make it it smooth. No
t too smooth like confectioners sugar, but to the texture of regular sugar. Hope this helps :)
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bonnie sikes Reply:
March 2nd, 2012 at 7:46 pm
ok ill try that.. thank you.. i had just about given up hope on making it correctly… hope it works..
blinkme Reply:
May 21st, 2012 at 6:17 pm
They problem here is that your sugar is crystallizing. That’s why most recipes actually tell you NOT to stir until the sugar gets in the 300 degree range. It’s also why most caramel recipes call for a little bit of corn syrup to prevent crystals from forming. If you don’t want to use corn syrum, try adding a teaspoon or two of cream of tartar instead. Might work.
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Amen! I read every night to relax my mind to help me fall asleep, BUT reading recipes does NOT help! :o)
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Hi Laura — Bless you for this recipe and the Hot Fudge Sauce recipe! I can’t wait to make them! One question . . . how long can these sauces be stored in the refrigerator? Thanks!!
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 10:23 am
They will keep for about 2 months!
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Laura- Thank you for all the hard work you have done in creating delicious recipes for the world of blog addicts, like myself, to experiment with and use. Like I’ve said before I’m a newly stay at home momma again and I vowed to do things right this time around. With some careful planning and a massive cook day after church on Sundays I’ve managed to stock my freezer & pantry with HEALTHY HOMEMADE goodies that give me the conveniences of boxed foods without all the yucky ingredients!! I can spend more time with my kiddos during the week and still get to soccer practice and gymnastics on time!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!
BTW- this recipe is DIVINE!!!!
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Just a thought for the caramel sauce being gritty… I have read on other blogs that caramel requires a “heavy bottom pan” so it doesnt scald or something. Maybe it is the pan?
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It was so easy and perfect thank you!!!
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Thanks for this recipe….I am making it to put over ice cream….after going to the store to buy some and read all the ingredients that were in it…….I said no way……I will make my own…..I know Laura will have a recipe :) I really wanted BUTTERSCOTCH TOPPING, but this will do……
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I didn’t have any cream, so just used whole milk and it turned out fine. My son loves caramel popcorn and had to have it and I wasn’t about to run out to the store. Just thought I’d share.
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