Homemade Caramel Sauce (Starbucks Copycat)

Create a DIY version of that luxurious Starbucks caramel sauce you love so much! It takes about 10 minutes and 5 simple ingredients!

Course Dessert, Drinks

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 10

Cooling Time 10

Total Time 22

Servings (2 tablespoon servings)

Calories 154kcal

Equipment

heavy-bottomed pot
wooden spoon or silicone spatula
glass jar for storage

Ingredients

1 cup white granulated sugar
¼ cup water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
½ cup heavy cream It’s often sold as whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon sea salt

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Instructions

Combine the sugar and water in a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant rubber spatula, so it's thoroughly combined.
Cook for 3-4 minutes until the sugar dissolves and turns clear. It will also start to bubble. Once this happens, don't stir again.
Allow the liquid to bubble. Swirl the pan occasionally and brush down the sides to prevent crystallization of the sugar. The sugar will begin to clump but continue swirling until the mixture thickens and turns a deep amber color. This will take somewhere between 8-12 minutes.
Add the butter slices and mix until completely melted. NOTE: the caramel will bubble up, so be careful and continue to stir.
Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add heavy cream while stirring continuously. Be sure to keep stirring until all the cream has been incorporated into the mixture. Finally, stir in the vanilla and sea salt until it fully dissolves. This should take about one minute or so in total.

Notes

No candy thermometer required. This homemade caramel sauce doesn't need a candy thermometer. You'll use your eyes to determine when it's done and when to add the next ingredients.

Avoid using a non-stick pan. The recipe cooks best in a regular pan, not a non-stick one.

Don't stir! Resist the urge to stir the sugar and water as you heat them. This will cause grains to form, and your end result won't be smooth and creamy. You can gently swirl the pan over the heat, but don't let the mixture go high up the sides as that also causes crystallization of the sauce, making it grainy.

Be patient. It takes 8-12 minutes for your caramel to thicken and come to that beautiful amber color—it's hard to say precisely when that will happen. You don't want to step away and for it to burn. This recipe is easy, but you need to stay with it to capture the perfect window.

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition