How to make Salted Caramel

Salted Caramel Sauce is a lusciously rich amber shade, smooth and buttery with a hint of salt for that perfect balance of taste! There are a few condiments that I feel no one should ever buy and make it at home instead. Salted Caramel is definitely one of those addictive indulgences that you need to try making at home, if you haven’t already.

Salted Caramel

I love everything Salted Caramel, be it on popcorn, drizzled on a cake or ice cream. A little drizzle of this golden liquid can transform the taste of any dessert to a whole new level.

There are endless ways to use salted caramel and once you get the hang of making it at home, you will never shift back to the store-bought version.

Making Caramel can sound a little daunting, but once you try it a few times, you will easily get the hang of it. The very first time I tried making caramel, the fire alarm went off, even though I was gawking at the pan the entire time. Thankfully, it never happened again, and now it feels easy.

Just make sure you read these keynotes if you are trying to make Salted Caramel for the first time!

KEY POINTS ABOUT Salted Caramel Recipe?

Don’t use a dark colored pan. Use a steel pan or a light color pan so that you can see the color change as the sugar caramelizes. Also, make sure you use a deep saucepan because once you add the cream, it will bubble up very quickly.

Make sure you pay complete attention while making caramel. The sugar can turn from beautiful amber to black in seconds!

To avoid the sugar from crystallizing, place a glass lid on top of the pan. This will create condensation and water will drip from the sides of the pan. This way, the pan will stay wet all the time and avoid sugar crystallization.

Don’t stir the pan or swirl the pan until you see the mild color change happening. I personally don’t even touch the pan until it’s almost done.

Do you need a Candy Thermometer?

NO! If you follow the recipe step by step, you will get the perfect consistency every time. I don’t use a thermometer at all.

KEEP IN MIND, If hot caramel comes in contact with your skin, it can burn savagely. So, be very careful and keep your face away when you are pouring the heavy cream to the hot caramel.

What salt should be used in salted Caramel?

I used Le Saunier de Camargue Fleur de Sel, which is a premium, high end finishing sea salt that comes from Aigues Mortes, a small medieval walled town in the South of France.

The caramel thickens as it sits in the refrigerator and if you want to make it pour like consistency just warm it in the microwave for a few seconds!

Here are few recipes where you can use salted caramel sauce

Salted Caramel Panna Cotta

Chocolate Brownie with Salted Caramel

One Bowl Apple Almond Cake

Apple Oats Crumble and Apple Chips

Print Recipe

How to make Salted Caramel

Author: Kankana Saxena

Ingredients

1- cup white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt plus little more to sprinkle on top

Instructions

Before you start making the caramel, keep everything ready. Cut the butter into small cubes, keep the heavy cream close and ready to be poured, salt and also a strainer to strain the caramel sauce.
Take a flat deep bottom pan (either steel or white color base), pour the sugar and water. Swirl around to moisten the sugar. Place the pan on medium heat and cover the pan with a glass lid.
Don’t stir or swirl the pan, just keep a close eye. It will take about 10 to 12 minutes for the sugar to change color to amber hue. So, remove the lid after 9 minutes so that you can see the color changing. As soon as the color changes, switch off the heat. Keeping your face away from the pan, pour the heavy cream and whisk. It will start to bubble up and then settle down. Drop the butter cubes and keep whisking until the butter melts and it looks smooth.
Finally, add the salt and whisk it once again. Strain the salted caramel into a clean airtight jar. Sprinkle little more salt on top and let the caramel come to room temperature. It will thicken up as it cools down. Refrigerating it in the fridge will thicken it even more.