Welcome to my favorite caramel for the past decade: Quick Homemade Brown Sugar Caramel for the win! I love this recipe so much for its rich flavor *and* its simplicity in throwing together. It doesn’t get less fussy than this (no candy thermometers needed!).
Something magical happens when you mix sugar, cream and butter together and nothing demonstrates this better than really delicious caramel sauce. We’ll first heat sugar and butter until the butter is melted and the sugar dissolves.
Then we’ll whisk in heavy whipping cream (don’t use heavy cream; I like the consistency better with the former). Finally, add in the salt and vanilla and you’re done!
The hot caramel will be quite thin and thicken as it cools to the perfect texture and consistency (it pours like a dream!).
I absolutely love adding caramel to desserts such as these Salted Caramel Brown Butter Blondies (this is an old recipe but SO GOOD) or this Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake.
There’s this Brown Butter Chocolate Caramel Skillet Cookie, Pumpkin Bars with Salted Caramel and Meringue (SWOON) and these Salted Caramel S’mores Tarts — YUM.
I loved including caramel recipes in both of my books: The Cookie Book includes Rocky Road Caramel Crunch Bars, a Stuffed Caramel Pretzel Skillet Cookie and Petite Caramel Cream Cookies.
And The Cake Book has a delicious the Caramel Apple Cake!!. All this is to say, most occasions can benefit from adding caramel to the mix (secret life motto)!
Why This Brown Sugar Caramel Recipe is Fabulous
- Only 5 basic baking ingredients
- It’s the prefect balance between sweet and salty
- It’s a bit of a cheat caramel that’s ready in under 10 minutes
- No candy thermometer needed
- No melting sugar
- No brushing down the sides of the saucepan
- And, you can stir until your heart’s content!
This is the least fussy caramel you will ever make! I tell no lies…
Why Brown Sugar Caramel?
Regular granulated sugar has the molasses taken out of it. Brown sugar has the molasses taken out and then a percentage put back in resulting in beautiful, golden brown color and natural caramel and toffee flavors.
Muscovado, which I LOVE, is unprocessed brown sugar and has never had the molasses taken out…but I digress…
When making caramel from brown sugar, you’re already starting with so much delicious flavor. We don’t need to caramelize the sugar to draw out the flavor, it’s already there. All you need to do is melt the sugar and you’re halfway there!
Wet vs Dry Caramel
Wet Caramel
This Brown Sugar Caramel is a wet caramel. Wet caramel simply means that you’re combining sugar and a wet ingredient (in this case we use both butter and cream).
Dry Caramel
A dry caramel uses sugar only. I have several recipes that use a dry caramel: Brown Sugar Caramel Crunch Ice Cream and Burnt Sugar Muscovado Truffles. Both are super delish and fun to make!
Brown Sugar Caramel Ingredients
Brown Sugar
The recipe asks for dark brown sugar because I wanted this brown sugar caramel loaded with as much flavor as possible from the start. In a pinch, feel free to use light brown sugar and it will still be fabulous.
Heavy Whipping Cream
Grab heavy whipping cream, don’t go for half and half. This will make a nice, rich, creamy and thick caramel sauce.
Butter
The recipe calls for unsalted butter but again, feel free to use salted. Love love love salted butter. If you do use salted butter, I would only use half of the added sea salt. Taste and adjust as needed.
Real Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean or Vanilla Paste
So many options! I break down all three vanilla options here (including how to make your own extract). For this recipe, it calls for real vanilla extract because it’s easy and what most bakers have available.
If you want to really kick things up a notch, add half of a scraped vanilla bean into the caramel (details on how to do this here)…you’ll get fantastic flavor and see those gorgeous pretty vanilla flecks.
Lastly, if you have some vanilla paste lying around you can use it 1:1 in place of the vanilla extract and BONUS you’ll get those pretty vanilla flecks in your caramel as well.
Sea Salt
Sea salt really draws out the caramel flavors whilst simultaneously tempering some (SOME!) of the sweetness. This recipe calls for fine sea salt, no flakes.
Step-By-Step Instructions for Brown Sugar Caramel
Below are step-by-step photos (with captions) to make the most delicious caramel perfect every single time! My biggest tips are:
- Don’t multitask! It’s so easy to *want* to do more than one thing at a time while you’re baking, but I promise you, this is not one of those moments. The caramel comes together quickly (I promise), so give it your undivided attention.
- Whisk constantly. The butter and sugar will resist blending together. If you don’t get them well-blended you run the risk of having your finished caramel separate. Which honestly, isn’t a big deal as you could whisk it until smooth again. But if you if get it correct the first time, you won’t have this issue.
- Let cool completely before using. The caramel will be quite runny when it’s still hot. It will cool to the proper consistency (thick, but pourable). Conversely, it will get quite thick (and not pourable) when stored in the fridge. Either have it come to room temperature on the counter for an hour or two before serving or put it in the microwave, for 5 to 10-second bursts (stirring in between), to get it to a nice, pourable consistency.
Favorite Brown Sugar Caramel Equipment
Light-colored saucepan (this is the one in the photos)
Heat-resistant spatula or wooden spoon
The cutest whisk (also in the photos) and my favorite whisk that I love so much (I love them both, the latter is more practical)
Canning jars for storing you caramel
Some Caramel Recipes To Try
Try this Brown Butter Chocolate-Caramel Skillet Cookie and these Salted Caramel Brown Butter Blondies (may favs!).
This caramel is too soft for caramel apples, so check out this recipe for Burnt Caramel Apples. And if you’re looking for hard caramel (crunchy like caramel candy), I got you.
These Burnt Sugar Muscovado Truffles and this Brown Sugar Caramel Crunch Ice Cream will KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF!
Check out more caramel recipes here!
Let’s make some Quick Homemade Brown Sugar Caramel! Have fun! xo
Quick Homemade Brown Sugar Caramel
Ingredients
- 1 cup (220 g) dark brown sugar, (packed)
- 12 tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, (room temperature, cut into 24 pieces)
- 1/2 cup (120 g) heavy whipping cream, (room temperature)
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) real vanilla extract (see note below)
Instructions
- To a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan set over medium heat add the brown sugar and butter, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Grab a whisk, and continuously whisk until the butter is completely emulsified into the sugar. If the butter is separated, continue whisking until they're completely combined and thick. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Continue whisking as you slowly add in cream. It may hiss, boil and spit a bit, so be careful. Turn up the heat to medium-high and continue whisking until it reaches a boil (this should be quick, if it's not already boiling) and then immediately reduce to medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until thickened, whisking the entire time. Reduce the heat to low if it starts to boil again.
- Take off of the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla and set aside to cool, whisking periodically. The caramel will thicken as it cools. See storage info in the Notes section below!
Delicious, but isn’t this technically butterscotch? Caramel is made with white sugar. Butterscotch with brown.
Hi Jenn!
Most of the recipes online are for Butterscotch Caramel Recipes and they’re similar to mine. Personally, I don’t think this tastes like butterscotch in the slightest (like, at all!). It tastes like true caramel sauce, with really rich caramel flavors from the use of brown sugar. A true butterscotch would be made with brown sugar, butter and perhaps some combo of water and/or corn syrup. It’s also traditionally a hard candy rather than a sauce, although like I mentioned you’ll find a heap of recipes for butterscotch sauce online.
This is my favorite way to make caramel (over traditional caramel)…I’m glad you liked it!! xo
Was trying to read your recipe to see if I’ll try but way too much ads popping up and blocking the recipe. They wouldn’t go away even if I clicked the x to close. Ads would stay on no matter what, even on top of each other, so looked elsewhere.
Hi Fran,
On the recipe card you can click PRINT at the top and it will show you a page that is ad free.
I just want to point out, that when you’re online, you’re getting *free* recipes. I’m paid from my ad revenue and my work with my favorite brands.
I wouldn’t expect you to work for free and hopefully you wouldn’t want that for me. Have a great day!
R xx
I love that the serving size is 16 ounces.
LOL!!! I wanted to show how much the recipe made total!! xox