Quick Homemade Brown Sugar Caramel
This Quick Homemade Brown Sugar Caramel sauce is my go-to caramel! It's so quick and easy, uses only 5 ingredients and is ready in under 10 minutes. This sweet, salty, full-of-caramel-flavors caramel (thanks brown sugar) recipe needs zero candy thermometer (YAY!) and is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, brownies, ice cream or whatever you're craving!
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Servings: 16 ounces
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!
Notes
STORING: Store your caramel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Before using, bring it to room temperature and give it some good stirs to loosen it up.
FREEZING: Once completely cool, store in the freezer, in an airtight container, for up to two months. Defrost unopened in the fridge overnight.
VANILLA: If using half a split vanilla bean in this recipe, add the vanilla bean seeds and the pods when you add the cream and let them simmer with the caramel for more flavor. You can store the vanilla bean pod in the vanilla, but discard before serving.
SEPARATING: If you really whisk to combine the butter and sugar together completely in that first step, this shouldn't happen. *BUT* if it does, do not fret. It just need some good whisking and it should come back together again.
Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo