This easy homemade caramel sauce recipe has 5 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and fridge! This easy caramel recipe is a creamy, buttery homemade caramel sauce that has SO many yummy uses. Use this caramel sauce to top your favorite latte, make caramel apples, top a sundae or even serve over your favorite dessert!

easy caramel recipe- A mason jar full of homemade caramels sauce, with a bowl of fresh apples, ready to be sliced and dipped! — Cut apple slices and dip them in homemade caramel sauce for a quick treat to satisfy that sweet tooth!

Easy Caramel Sauce Recipe

It isn’t fall without the sweet and tangy combination of apples and caramel sauce! Once you see how simple it is to make your own rich and creamy caramel sauce at home, you’ll never buy it in the store again! And you can eat it as is, or add sea salt, it’s yours!

Nothing beats a thicker caramel on ice cream sundaes or your other favorite desserts. You could also use this sweet salted caramel sauce for things like coffee too. This caramel is easy to make with our step-by-step guide and much better than melted soft caramel candy or store-bought caramel. It is one of my favorite recipes.

This easy caramel sauce recipe:

Makes 2 ½ cups
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

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easy caramel recipe- supplies needed like: brown sugar, cream, vanilla, salt, and butter — It’s so easy to make caramel sauce at home from 5 simple ingredients!

Ingredients Needed for Homemade Caramel Sauce

2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Instructions to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce

Step 1

In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, salt and heavy whipping cream.

Step 2

Bring to boil and cook stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes or until thickened.

Step 3

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Step 4

Let cool slightly.

Step 5

Add to jar or container with lid.

Step 6- easy caramel recipe- Close up shot of fresh caramel sauce being spooned out of a jar. — So good you could eat it by the spoon full!

How to Serve Homemade Caramel Sauce

Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in airtight sealed container.

Step 7 easy caramel recipe- A jar of caramel beside a granny smith apple. — In order to extend your caramel’s life, be sure to store in an airtight container in the fridge.

How to Re-Heat Caramel Sauce

To reheat, cook for 30 seconds in a microwave safe bowl. Stir and heat for an additional 10 seconds or longer if necessary.

easy caramel recipe- A slice of fresh apple pie, topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. — You can top almost any dessert with caramel!

The Best way to store homemade caramel sauce

For optimum freshness, store caramel sauce in an airtight container (a mason jar is perfect) in the fridge. You definitely want an airtight glass container. You’re making the best caramel, you want it to last!

easy caramel recipe- Quick & Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce on a pie on a plate — This caramel recipe is handy for last-minute gatherings, because it’s so easy to make!

HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE KEEP FOR?

Caramel sauce will keep for up to two weeks if it has been refrigerated.

easy caramel recipe- in a jar with wooden spoon with red and green apples

Is Caramel gluten free or dairy free?

This caramel sauce recipe IS gluten free! Just double check that your vanilla extract is gluten free. Always check ingredient labels to be safe.

If you want to make dairy free caramel sauce, replace traditional butter with a vegan butter, and swap out the heavy cream for a vegan option, like Silk dairy free heavy whipping cream.

Yield: Makes 2 1/2 cups

Quick & Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe

Name: Quick & Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 cups light brown sugar, packed; 1 cup heavy whipping cream; ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; ¼ teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Make a rich and creamy caramel sauce at home in less than 15 minutes, using only 5 ingredients!

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 12 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Instructions

In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, salt and heavy whipping cream.
Bring to boil and cook stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes or until thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
Let cool slightly.
Add to jar or container with lid.
Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in airtight sealed container.
To reheat, cook for 30 seconds in a microwave safe bowl. Stir and heat for an additional 10 seconds or longer if necessary.

Best Recipes To Top With Homemade caramel Sauce

Here are some of our favorite drinks and dishes that are made WAY better with a buttery caramel sauce topping:

Simply The Best Apple Crostata Recipe
If you’re a fan of caramel macchiatos, make your own at home, topped with your homemade caramel sauce!
Speaking of coffee, add homemade caramel sauce to our 5 Morning Coffee Recipes You Can Make Using Pantry Ingredients.
5 Simple Apple Recipes For Fall
Drizzle caramel sauce on homemade apple pie rolls.
Kids Apple Dump Cake
Have a fondue night!
Top this caramel apple cider recipe from The Nerd’s Wife with a bit of your homemade caramel sauce!
Replace maple syrup with caramel sauce on top of these yummy homemade pumpkin pancakes!
3-Ingredient Dairy Free Cream Pie
Apple Pie
Homemade caramel is PERFECT for making Easy Snickers Salad!
Make a sundae bar!
Whip up a batch of delicious homemade caramel apples.
Cut apple slices to dip in your caramel sauce–so simple and delicious!
If you love Samoas Girl Scout cookies as much as I do, you have to try making your own Samoas Style Butter Cookie Bars with your homemade caramel sauce! Yum!
You have to try this snicker salad recipe! Yum!