This salted caramel sauce is sweet, gooey, and so easy to make. There's no heating and melting to precise temperatures and no danger of sugar crystallization. The best part? You'll want to drizzle this caramel sauce on everything! The recipe is vegan (dairy-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.
Caramel is delicious. The simple combination of sugar and water cooked until it has a golden-brown color is great by itself and as a basis for many interesting dishes.
However, making caramel at home can be stressful. for certain kinds, you stir it, and it’s ruined. For other types, you don’t stir it enough, and it’s ruined. You cook it too long, it’s ruined. You don’t cook it long enough, it’s ruined. And I can’t forget about the precisely defined temperatures you need to adhere to – you accidentally heat it above 350°F/176.7°C, and it’ll start to smell burnt; you don’t heat it enough, and you won’t be able to achieve the proper color and caramelization.
Well, let me assure you that this salted caramel sauce is different.
You don’t have to stir it until the very end, the cooking time depends entirely on how thick you want the caramel to be (no right or wrong), and perhaps most importantly – no candy thermometer required!
Ready to learn how to make easy salted caramel sauce?
Tips for Making Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
Traditional caramel sauce typically consists of sugar, cream, and butter. Since this salted caramel sauce is dairy-free, it relies on coconut products instead.
- Coconut sugar: granulated sugar is the best type of sugar for making caramel. I use coconut sugar because it’s mostly comprised of sucrose, which gives it a sweet, caramel-like flavor with notes of toffee.
- Coconut milk: you can use either full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream. I prefer full-fat coconut milk because the liquid part helps the sugar dissolve and reduces the risk of burning the caramel.
- Vanilla extract: vanilla - be it vanilla extract or vanilla paste - is entirely optional but provides depth and elevates the flavor.
- Salt: it wouldn’t be salted caramel without salt. Salt is great at bringing out contrasts. Caramel, while sweet, has no inherent contrasting notes. For salted caramel sauce, I like to add ½ tsp. of salt (as the recipe is written), but I recommend starting with ⅛ tsp. and adjusting to taste.
How to Make Salted Caramel Sauce
While this caramel sauce does require a stovetop, it's so easy to make that you'll be questioning why you ever made caramel any other way.
- Mix. Add the coconut sugar, coconut milk, vanilla, and salt to a saucepan and stir it to combine.
- Simmer. Bring the caramel sauce to a boil over medium heat, and then immediately turn the heat down to low. Let the sauce gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and turns amber, for about 30 minutes. After the 30-minute mark, stir the caramel more frequently to incorporate the darker caramel from the bottom and the sides of the saucepan, and continue to simmer until the caramel has reached your desired consistency, for about 10 more minutes. The caramel sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
How to Serve Caramel Sauce
Caramel sauce is the perfect topping for so many things! You can pour it over vanilla ice cream, drizzle it over brownies, use it as a dip for apples, or stir it into yogurt.
Here’s to always having a jar of homemade salted caramel sauce in your refrigerator!
How to Store Caramel Sauce
- Refrigerating: once the caramel has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for 2-3 weeks.
- Freezing: once the soup has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container (leaving a little bit of room for expansion) and freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: caramel sauce solidifies in the refrigerator, so it needs to be reheated on the stove. To reheat caramel sauce, transfer it into a saucepan and reheat it over low heat, stirring constantly, until warm.
More Vegan Caramel Recipes
- Date caramel: this vegan caramel is sweet, caramel-y, thick, and creamy. It's perfect for dipping, spreading, or enjoying by the spoonful!
If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 (14-oz) can full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ sea salt
Instructions
- Mix. Add the coconut sugar, coconut milk, vanilla, and salt to a saucepan and stir it to combine.
- Simmer. Bring the caramel sauce to a boil over medium heat, and then immediately turn the heat down to low. Let the sauce gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and turns amber, for about 30 minutes. After the 30-minute mark, stir the caramel more frequently to incorporate the darker caramel from the bottom and the sides of the saucepan, and continue to simmer until the caramel has reached your desired consistency, for about 10 more minutes. The caramel sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
- Store. Leftover caramel sauce keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. For longer-term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat. Caramel sauce solidifies in the refrigerator, so it needs to be reheated on the stove. To reheat caramel sauce, transfer it into a saucepan and reheat it over low heat, stirring constantly, until warm.
Anne Tabor
Hi Petra,
I made this caramel sauce today and it was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Sincerely,
Anne
PetraScott
Yay! I am so happy you liked it, Anne! I am always honored when people try my recipes. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and share your feedback 🙂
Svenja
Hello Petra, thank you so much for this amazing recipe. I found it today on Youtube and tried it directly. I had no almond milk but i used soy milk with vanilla flavor instead. It works also. There was so much leftover in my standmixer that i couldn't get out, so i filled in some soy milk and half of a frozen banana. Mixed it again and it turned out as a super creamy and tasty milkshake, which magically disappeared when my two sons entered the kitchen...now i have two more orders for caramel milkshakes;-) Thanks again and greetings from germany
PetraScott
Haha, that's awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. I am glad your boys loved it❤
Rachel Greenhalgh
Hi Petra,
This looks amazing! I'm going to try this tomorrow- so excited!
One time I was creating in the kitchen & made a Carmel dip but didn't know how I did it. This recipe is so great to have.
thank you so much!
Love Rachel, from California
PetraScott
Thank you for your comment, Rachel! I can't even tell you how many times I had the "I have no idea how I did this" moment happen to me in the kitchen. My husband doesn't understand how I can't always replicate a certain recipe (especially when I'm just trying new things). Well, I will have to show him your comment so he knows I am not the only one 😀 Hope the caramel sauce turns out great❤
Emma
Wow wow wow.......made this last night and it is the best caramel sauce ive ever had. I love it when you try a recipe and it turns out better than you thought it would. It tastes amazing and even better knowing its all natural ingredients. My dairy/refined sugar eating husband tried some and he loved it, he said if he didnt know what it was he would have thought he was eating cake batter!
Thank you so much
PetraScott
This makes me so happy, Emma! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it ❤
Erica
Hi, could you use it for icing, would it set hard? Like melted dark choc would? Or do you know how I could achieve this 🙂
PetraScott
Hi Erica - no, it won't set hard. For icing, I would use only cashew butter, dates, and then the milk to thin it out to your desired consistency. (I have never tried it, but I would probably start with 1/4 cup cashew butter and 1 cup of Medjool dates. Taste and adjust the sweetness - adding more dates if it's not sweet enough or cashew butter if it's too sweet). Then add the milk to thin it out. Since you're not adding any liquid ingredients until later, you might need to use a food processor.
Naomi
The recipe for this caramel sauce is by far better than what you buy in the store. It exceeded my expectations by so much. My sister, dad, and I loved it ! My dad even licked the bowl clean. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe! I even sent the link to my mom to try.
PetraScott
That's so awesome! I am so happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe so much! Thank you so much for the rating and feedback, Naomi! ❤️
Sue
This is an amazing recipe and I have made it once before. I am wondering does it have to be left in the fridge. I did the last time. Some say yes and some say no! Thanks again for your time and all your recipes.
PetraScott
Thank you so much for the feedback and rating, Sue! I recommend storing it in the refrigerator for sure (because it contains almond milk and cashew butter). Almond milk can spoil quickly at room temperature and cashew butter can turn rancid. You can always reheat the caramel sauce in a microwave or in a double-broiler.