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Caramel sauce
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- More effort
- Serves 10
This classic homemade caramel sauce recipe uses only three ingredients. Drizzle around chocolate puddings or over your favourite ice cream
- Freezable
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Vegetarian
Showing items 1 to 3 of 6
Homemade salted caramel sauce
Easy caramel cake
Chocolate crunch with caramel sauce
Chocolate churros with chocolate & salted caramel sauce
Waffles with banana & salted caramel sauce
Bread sauce with flaked almonds & caramelised shallots
Homemade salted caramel sauce
Easy caramel cake
Chocolate crunch with caramel sauce
Chocolate churros with chocolate & salted caramel sauce
Waffles with banana & salted caramel sauce
Bread sauce with flaked almonds & caramelised shallots
Homemade salted caramel sauce
Easy caramel cake
Showing items 1 to 3 of 3
Chocolate fondant
A gooey prepare-ahead dessert that's perfect for entertaining - it's all a matter of timing...
Learn how to make caramel from scratch with this easy recipe. Then also check out our recipe for salted caramel sauce.
- 250g caster sugar
- 142ml pot double cream
- 50g butter
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal206
- fat12g
- saturates7g
- carbs25g
- sugars25g
- fibre0g
- protein0.2g
- salt0.1glow
Method
step 1
Tip the sugar into a heavy-based frying pan, stir in 4 tbsp water, then place over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and bubble for 4-5 mins until you have caramel. Take off the heat, then carefully stir in the cream and butter. Leave the sauce to cool, then tip into a squeezy bottle.
What is caramel?
Caramel is made by heating sugar, most often with water in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves and a chemical reaction takes place. This happens at around 160-180C making caramel quite dangerous to work with. At this point the sugar will have already dissolved if using water and starts to brown and take on different flavour notes. A good caramel should be taken to a deep amber colour and taken off and stopped cooking any further at the point where it is on the edge of burning.
What sugar is best to use for making caramel?
You should use refined white granulated or caster sugar to make caramel. Avoid using brown sugar or raw cane sugar as they contain impurities that inhibit caramelisation and also the already brown colour can make it harder to assess when the all important reaction is taking place.
What is the secret to making caramel?
- Crystallisation and burning are the two pitfalls of caramel making.
- Sugar likes to go back to its crystalline form and having a clean pan which is also large enough for the caramel to bubble up if you are adding cream is important.
- If you stir caramel with a spoon then the spoon may also encourage crystallisation.
- To avoid stirring caramel. Instead try simply swirling the pan in mini circles instead of stirring it. This will deal with both issues as the hot sugar will melt the crystals on the edge of the pan as well.
- As the liquid evaporates you might see crystallisation happening on the sides of the pan. Using a wet pastry brush to moisten the inner edge of the pan can prevent sugar crystals forming.
- Caramel gets very hot. Once it reaches the correct stage it needs to be cooled down immediately or it will get burnt.
- There are a few different ways to do this depending on what kind of caramel you are making. If you are making a runny sauce then adding cream or butter, or even water will stop the heat rising. Chefs often fill a sink with cold icy water and dip the base of the saucepan into this to stop the cooking.
- For the same reason, make sure all your ingredients are ready prepared to use before you start, so you can pour in the cream when needed without fumbling to find it in the fridge! When caramel turns a deep golden, it takes only seconds longer to become burnt!
How do I know when the caramel is ready to remove off the heat?
Look for visual signs - the mixture should be a dark golden colour and give off a nutty toasted aroma. If you have a sugar thermometer, it should have reached around 170C.
How to store caramel
After the caramel cools down, pour it into a lidded glass jar or heat proof container. If storing in the fridge, it may solidify as it cools, but you can heat it in the microwave or on the hob to loosen it again. Any stubborn sticky caramel left on the pan or a spoon can be boiled off by adding water and heating to dissolve it.
How long does homemade caramel last?
Caramel made with cream can be stored in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can freeze it once cooled in a Tupperware container or freezer bag and it will last for 3 months.
Other ways to make caramel
There are other ways to make caramel. Some don’t use butter or cream and just use sugar such as the one in this traditional French floating islands with caramel sauce. A caramel sauce can also be made out of muscovado sugar and golden syrup which replicate the flavour of caramel which becomes even sweeter with the addition of a contrasting touch of sea salt. Try these waffles with banana and salted caramel sauce.
Uses for caramel
Looking for ideas on how to eat your caramel now you have mastered the technique? This easy caramel cake is a great showstopper.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2008
Comments, questions and tips (61)
Overall rating
am_
bear in mind when doing this it can take you however long to get to that goldeny colour that you desire. If you don't have a special sugar thermometer then just use your judgement. It shouldn't be too brown. Make sure to always keep an eye and be careful when pouring in the double cream and butter.
FlogitTheHoggit
It took me a couple of attempts to get this right, however after some practice it was easy. If you plan on making this, make sure to buy extra ingredients. Also read through all of the tips and advice. Stay patient! It might take a bit of trial and error.
d5rdhfxymt28059
I didn’t let the sugar bubble for as long as the recipe advises - I took it off the heat about two minutes after it started to bubble. I then added the butter, cream and some Maldonado salt flakes and stirred through. I poured into a jar and let it cool, then popped it into the fridge and it turned…
20ihutton71282
This recipe is absolutely rubbish I tried it and it failed I wouldn’t recommend as I might fail my GCSE because of this trash recipie DO NOT ATTEMPT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Samantha8383
Made this again today, to go with the apple pretzels, and it was lovely. To make a proper caramel you need to know at least the basics- medium low heat until sugar is dissolved, brush down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, don't stir once heat is high, keep a very close eye on colour or use…