Ingredients
Method
- Step-by-step
Get everything ready first.
- Cut the butter into chunks, warm up the cream a little (10–15 sec in the microwave is enough), and keep everything right next to the stove. Once the sugar melts, things move fast!
Start with sugar + water.
- Put the sugar and water in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir just until the sugar looks wet. That’s it—don’t stir again once it starts cooking.
Cook the syrup.
- Turn the heat to medium. The sugar will bubble and slowly turn from clear → pale yellow → golden. If you see sugar crystals on the sides of the pan, brush them down with a wet pastry brush. No stirring—just swirl the pan gently now and then.
Watch the color.
- When it hits a deep golden/amber color (kind of like honey turning darker), take it off the heat right away. If you go past that, it can burn and taste bitter.
Add the butter.
- Drop in the butter pieces while whisking. It’ll bubble up a lot—don’t panic, that’s normal.
Add the cream.
- Slowly pour in the cream while whisking constantly. It’ll foam like crazy at first, then settle into a smooth sauce. If it looks lumpy, put it back on low heat and whisk until smooth again.
Finish with salt.
- Stir in the salt. That’s your salted caramel sauce!
Cool and store.
- Let it sit for 10–15 minutes, then pour into a jar. It’ll thicken as it cools. Store in the fridge for 2–3 weeks. To make it pourable again, just warm it gently in the microwave or in a hot-water bath.