Some things in life just seem unnecessarily complicated. Take wedding planning, for instance – we’ve created this huge industry that charges exorbitant prices for what should just be a joyous celebration with your loved ones. And there are so many details to think of! Pinterest and blogging has certainly made weddings (as well as crafting, cooking, and a slew of other things) more complicated. There’s more pressure to do things in a cute, perfect-looking way.
But I’m not really here to complain about wedding planning stuff. I’m actually here to tell you I discovered this awesome, un-complicated way to make caramel that doesn’t involve a candy thermometer and is practically impossible to ruin. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ruined a batch of caramel, by stirring too much or heating it up too quickly, or a myriad of other issues. When I was creating a salted caramel mocha cheesecake for a Crock Pot contest, I needed to find an easier version of salted caramel sauce. I came across a seemingly too easy version of caramel over at Pioneer Woman, and was shocked to find that not only did it work, but it tasted just like a regular, complicated caramel sauce!
I tweaked her recipe a bit and came up with this delightful 7 minute salted caramel sauce. You basically boil all the ingredients for 7 minutes-it really couldn’t be any easier! I made some delicious brownies with this stuff, so stay tuned for that recipe soon.
Here’s how you do it:
1. Place butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt into a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Whisk until everything is combined.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 6 minutes, whisking occasionally.
4. After 6 minutes, add vanilla (be careful, it will bubble up). Whisk together and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together butter, brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, and salt.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 6 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Whisk in vanilla (be careful, it will bubble up) and cook 1 more minute.
- Pour caramel into a jar, then refrigerate until cold.
- Store in refrigerator. To serve, microwave briefly until sauce is pourable.
https://www.52kitchenadventures.com/2013/01/17/easy-7-minute-salted-caramel/
44 Comments on Easy 7 Minute Salted Caramel
4Pingbacks & Trackbacks on Easy 7 Minute Salted Caramel
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[…] week I shared this incredibly easy 7 minute salted caramel and you know I couldn’t just let that sit around in my fridge for long. I made some brownies […]
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[…] via RSS or email.Edited 10/1/13: Instead of the caramel syrup listed below, you could also use my 7 minute salted caramel, which is incredibly easy and quick to […]
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[…] of Salted Caramel Apple Dip. I read through many recipes on the web, but eventually decided on this one from the wonderful 52 Kitchen […]
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[…] cream from the blackforest cake last week so I was searching for stuff to make with it and found this! Was a bit skeptical cos I always thought making caramel wasn’t that easy (usually need candy […]
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet
January 17, 2013 at 8:26 am (12 years ago)Having a jar of this deliciousness is going to be dangerous! I just may eat it all!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet recently posted How To Make Sugar Hearts
Christina @ Be Mindful. Be Human.
January 17, 2013 at 9:19 am (12 years ago)Thanks Stephanie. I have been wanting to try a caramel recipe that uses brown sugar. Can’t wait to try it on my crockpot chocolate cake this weekend.
Christina @ Be Mindful. Be Human. recently posted Radish Chips
Becca from It's Yummilicious
January 17, 2013 at 4:03 pm (12 years ago)No thermometer? No scalding myself? SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!
Becca from It’s Yummilicious recently posted Lip Smacking Good Lemon Bars
Shannon McGrail
January 17, 2013 at 4:04 pm (12 years ago)SHAME ON YOU….I am fat enough and this is information not unlike the nutella brownies I found online last week that I did not need! just kidding…fat yes but also hungry and grateful. Feel free not to post but I love your food!
Shannon McGrail recently posted Autism and Reading Comp…more examples
Cristina @ Just My Crazy Kitchen
January 17, 2013 at 4:11 pm (12 years ago)A blogger after my own heart! I love salted caramel and I put it on everything. I will definitely have to give this a try soon!
Stephanie @ Life Tastes Like Food
January 17, 2013 at 4:15 pm (12 years ago)Steph, this is AMAZING. I’ve been wanting to make caramel for the longest time but have always gotten too lazy to go out and grab a candy thermometer. Now I can use this recipe for all of the other recipes I have bookmarked that require salted caramel. You’re a lifesaver, can’t wait to try this recipe!!! 🙂
Stephanie @ Life Tastes Like Food recently posted How to Make the Ultimate Football Snackadium
Rachael {Simply Fresh Cooking}
January 17, 2013 at 4:16 pm (12 years ago)OMG!!!! OMG!!! I don’t even own a candy thermometer, so this is perfect for someone like me! Yay!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
January 17, 2013 at 5:01 pm (12 years ago)Um, can’t even tell you how much I love this!! Salted caramel is only 7 minutes away… now that’s a dangerous thought!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) recently posted meyer lemon-brown butter bars
Jessica
January 17, 2013 at 5:44 pm (12 years ago)Wedding planning:
Pretty tables
Yummy food
Dance till you drop
Get good pictures
Don’t wear a boring strapless dress like every other bride on the planet
That’s my advice, don’t sweat the small stuff, people really don’t remember.
nadia
January 17, 2013 at 11:49 pm (12 years ago)This is how I make my caramel too! Definitely the easiest method, instead of just melting the sugar until in caramelizes then adding the other ingredients. Your pics look great!
Dawn | Dawn's Bella Via & C.
January 18, 2013 at 9:32 am (12 years ago)Shut UP! I can’t believe how easy this looks… dangerously easy! But I totally love you for posting this recipe. I wonder if the caramel would thicken up more if you cook it longer? Is it stiff enough to coat apples, etc.? xo
Stephanie Nuccitelli
January 18, 2013 at 1:41 pm (12 years ago)Dawn – isn’t this amazing?! Hmm, it might thicken more, definitely worth trying. I used it to top brownies and put them in the fridge over night. It was still gooey the next day, so it would be very messy as an apple coating. You could slice apples and drizzle it over though.
Mama's Gotta Bake
January 19, 2013 at 1:02 pm (12 years ago)I have never attempted caramel sauce before, but what the heck, I’m gonna give it a try. I love your set-by-step photos!
Mama’s Gotta Bake recently posted Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Sarah
January 21, 2013 at 7:08 pm (12 years ago)That looks so good! And easy! And good!!!
Just in case I wanted to give some as a gift, do you know how long it keeps?
Sarah recently posted Pasta with Bacon and Herbs (or No More Smug Face After This, I Swear)
heidi
January 24, 2013 at 9:18 am (12 years ago)yes, same Q – how long does it keep? i assume it needs to be kept in the fridge…maybe a week or ??
Stephanie Nuccitelli
January 24, 2013 at 8:44 pm (12 years ago)Sarah & Heidi, I totally forgot to put that it needs to be refrigerated. I just added that to the recipe. I don’t know the exact amount of time, but I’d say it’s probably good for a week or 2.
Amanda Carriere
March 10, 2013 at 3:39 pm (12 years ago)This is a great recipe. I wanted my own salted caramel to use in recipes such as the Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Turtle Thumbprints I am going to make later today. Wonderful!
Shannon
March 17, 2013 at 11:13 am (12 years ago)I hate say this, but as I was stirring away on the stove I suddenly thought “this can’t be _real_ caramel sauce.” So after it was made, I let it cool enough to take that taste that would make me wish I chose a harder recipe. So I thought. Girl! This stuff is _awesome_!! What a great, rich, homemade taste. I’ll be making this again!! THNAKS!!
Darlene Boyd
June 13, 2013 at 3:01 pm (12 years ago)I was skeptical at first about not using a candy thermometer but decided to go ahead and give this recipe a try. OMG the very best recipe for making the salted caramel buttercream frosting. It is just PERFECT!!!! The buttercream frosting had the perfect consistency for piping onto the cupcakes. Delicious!!!! One of my cupcake fans told me to make him a dozen cupcakes and money is no object :). Thanks so much for posting this recipe!!
Grace
June 30, 2013 at 10:03 pm (11 years ago)Thank you very much for the recipe. I did it exactly as you explained, I can only say wonderful, delicious and easy and everybody liked.
Nita
August 15, 2013 at 6:39 am (11 years ago)Just made this. Hope it turns out great when cooled down. It’s going to be used in my vanilla & salted caramel Mille crepe cake! Crossing fingers & toes. Thx for sharing
Amy
September 21, 2013 at 1:30 pm (11 years ago)Was making a last minute bread pudding, and wanted a quick caramel sauce….absolutely delicious !
Stella
September 28, 2013 at 10:37 am (11 years ago)Can I use granulated (white) sugar instead of brown? Will it work? Thanks!
Stephanie Nuccitelli
October 5, 2013 at 9:21 pm (11 years ago)Stella, the brown sugar helps give it that caramel flavor, so I don’t recommend swapping it out for granulated sugar. If you want to use that, I’d try a more traditional caramel recipe where you cook the sugar longer, caramelizing it.
Michelle
October 3, 2013 at 7:46 am (11 years ago)Can I leave the salt out if I just need regular caramel sauce? I’m making vegan apple cider cupcakes for a party on Saturday and it calls for regular (not salted) caramel to drizzle. The recipe for caramel sauce that comes with the recipe calls for soy milk powder, which I can’t find anywhere near me and appears to be a lot more time consuming than this one. Thanks for your help!
Stephanie Nuccitelli
October 5, 2013 at 9:23 pm (11 years ago)Michelle- yes, just reduce the salt (I’d start with a pinch, taste it and add more to taste). Enjoy! 🙂
Jocelyn
October 29, 2013 at 11:25 am (11 years ago)Love it. Would cooking time be the same if I doubled recipe?
Stephanie Nuccitelli
October 29, 2013 at 11:32 am (11 years ago)Jocelyn, that’s a good question. I haven’t tried doubling it so I’m not sure. You may need to cook it another couple of minutes. Sorry I can’t be more helpful – let us know how it works!
Shannon
October 29, 2013 at 11:44 am (11 years ago)After the caramel cooled it seemed to get gritty. Any idea what went wrong?
Jocelyn
October 29, 2013 at 2:22 pm (11 years ago)I doubled and cooked the same. Worked well.
Gm
December 12, 2013 at 1:23 am (11 years ago)Hi thank u so much for the recipe! Loved how the sauce came together so easily n how it tasted…but had an issue using it after 2 days…the sugar seemed to have separated from the sauce n had a grainy texture n taste…do I need to warm it up Everytime I use it?
Stephanie Nuccitelli
December 15, 2013 at 5:07 pm (11 years ago)Gm, yes you can put it in the microwave to warm it up and then stir it back together.
Jocelyn
September 15, 2014 at 12:32 pm (10 years ago)The best and easiest recipe ever. I’ve posted before but getting ready to make it again and wanted to say again. The best.
Stephanie Saunders
September 15, 2014 at 12:48 pm (10 years ago)Thank you, Jocelyn, I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe! I love how easy this one is too!
Andrea
September 20, 2014 at 3:22 pm (10 years ago)Do you have to use cream in this? Can I use soy creamer or some other type of non-dairy milk? Also, if I make it dairy, can I just use whole milk? I just never have heavy whipping cream around and hate to buy it for one little project. I look forward to trying this! Thanks!
Stephanie Saunders
September 29, 2014 at 3:08 pm (10 years ago)Andrea, I don’t know how non-dairy products would work, but my gut says they wouldn’t. Whole milk may work, but it may not have a high enough fat content. If you give it a try, please let me know how it turns out!
Luis Ramirez
October 8, 2015 at 11:30 am (9 years ago)One of our favorite breakfast spots serves a similar sauce alongside their pancakes and I’ve been looking for a similar recipe. I can’t wait to try this on my sourdough waffles! Thanks for sharing.
Sue P.
June 21, 2016 at 12:03 pm (9 years ago)I halved the recipe and made it using half-and-half, and it was still delicious! Didn’t want to make the full batch in case the half-and-half didn’t work, but since it worked great, I want to make more to take as hostess gifts when I visit friends next week. Yummy!
Frances Triolo
May 1, 2017 at 7:39 pm (8 years ago)This is the easiest salted caramel I have ever been lucky enough to find. I made the caramelised sugar type last week and it was so tedious. I am making salted caramel cheesecake brownies for my daughter’s cafe.
Linda
December 9, 2017 at 2:57 pm (7 years ago)This was easy to make and so delicious!