How to make quick caramel sauce

Making caramel sauce from scratch feels magical! You start with a grainy, translucent mess of sugar and water and end up with a golden, luscious and creamy caramel to drizzle over all sorts of sweet treats. Learn how to make a delicious and quick caramel sauce using just 4 ingredients to make sure you always have a jar ready and waiting for you in the fridge.

How to make quick caramel sauce

MAKES about 1 ½ cups

INGREDIENTS

• 125ml (1/2 cup) fresh cream
• 100g butter
• 200g granulated sugar
• 200ml water
• Large pinch sea salt flakes (optional)

METHOD

HEAT the cream in the microwave or over the stove until warm but not boiling. Place nearby with the weighed-out butter.

PLACE the sugar and water in a pot. Put on the lid and bring to boil over medium heat; cook, covered and without stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved.

REMOVE the lid from the pot once the sugar is dissolved and continue to cook the mixture until it starts to turn a golden amber colour; swirl the pot occasionally to evenly distribute the heat and colouration.

ONCE the caramel has become deep golden, remove from the heat. Do not make it too dark as this will give it an unpleasant bitter flavour.

VERY carefully drizzle in the warmed cream, whisking to incorporate it into the caramel; the caramel will splutter and steam. Once all the cream has been incorporated, whisk in the butter until melted and emulsified. If the caramel hardens or seizes at any point, gently whisk it over low heat until it melts and comes back together. Stir in a pinch of sea salt to make salted caramel, if desired.

COOL caramel sauce to room temperature and store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge; it will keep for a week.

Tip from the team: When making caramel, the sugar syrup is prone to crystallising if agitated too much. Leaving the lid on the pot forces the steam to condensate down the sides of the pot, brushing away any sugar crystals that may have started to form.

Print Recipe

Quick caramel sauce

Ingredients

• 125ml (1/2 cup) fresh cream
• 100g butter
• 200g granulated sugar
• 200ml water
• Large pinch sea salt flakes (optional)

Instructions

1

HEAT the cream in the microwave or over the stove until warm but not boiling. Place nearby with the weighed-out butter.

2

PLACE the sugar and water in a pot. Put on the lid and bring to boil over medium heat; cook, covered and without stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved. 

3

REMOVE the lid from the pot once the sugar is dissolved and continue to cook the mixture until it starts to turn a golden amber colour; swirl the pot occasionally to evenly distribute the heat and colouration.

4

ONCE the caramel has become deep golden, remove from the heat. Do not make it too dark as this will give it an unpleasant bitter flavour.

5

VERY carefully drizzle in the warmed cream, whisking to incorporate it into the caramel; the caramel will splutter and steam. Once all the cream has been incorporated, whisk in the butter until melted and emulsified. If the caramel hardens or seizes at any point, gently whisk it over low heat until it melts and comes back together. Stir in a pinch of sea salt to make salted caramel, if desired.

6

COOL caramel sauce to room temperature and store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge; it will keep for a week. 

Notes

Tip from the team: When making caramel, the sugar syrup is prone to crystallising if agitated too much. Leaving the lid on the pot forces the steam to condensate down the sides of the pot, brushing away any sugar crystals that may have started to form.

Put it into practice with these tasty treats:

Salted caramel profiterole ice cream sandwiches

Salted caramel profiterole ice cream sandwiches

Bento box cakes with miso caramel

Bento box cake with miso caramel

Salted caramel, chocolate and peanut butter tartlets

Salted caramel, chocolate and peanut butter tartlets

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