salted butter caramel sauce
This is an easy, delicious, smooth, salted caramel sauce that is wonderful for all your recipes that call for caramel. This recipe makes about 1 and 1/2 cups.
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup half & half
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix the brown sugar, half & half, butter, and salt in a small saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium-low heat for 7 minutes (or until it gets thicker.) Add the vanilla and cook an additional minute. Turn off the heat and allow sauce to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a jar. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Variations:
for cinnamon caramel: add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg when you add the vanilla. (wonderful in monkey bread)
for Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Caramel: add 2 Tablespoons JD in place of vanilla. (wonderful on ice cream or brownies)
for orange caramel: add 1 teaspoon orange extract in place of the vanilla (wonderful on caramel rolls)
for coconut caramel: add 1 teaspoon coconut extract in place of the vanilla (wonderful on banana splits)
Enjoy!
~Melissa
Looks delicious!
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, Faye! Enjoy 🙂
Hi!
Being a European I don’t know what half & half is.
Could you be so kind as to enlighten me?
Thanks!
Hello there, Louise!
Half and half is equal parts milk and cream 🙂
Hope that helps, and thanks for stopping by!
~M
Thank you, Melissa.
You’re welcome 🙂
Yes! I’ll try this one. I cringe when I see the recipes where you cook sweetened condensed milk in the can. This looks wonderful and easy, Melissa!
Hi Lorinda! So pleased you like the recipe! It’s my fave 🙂 thanks for commenting and visiting.
how long will it stay good in fridge?
Hi Heather! about a week 🙂
hi can i ask what half and half is please?
half whole milk/half cream. 🙂
thanks!
my pleasure 🙂
Can this be preserved to give as gifts? Would love to include it in a box of homemade goodies!
I’m not quite sure how to preserve caramel sauce, Sharon 🙂 Sorry about that. You certainly could make it and refrigerate it within a week of giving your gift boxes away. Thanks for visiting and for commenting! XO
Apparently, it’s not safe to preserve food with butter in it. Best to give it fresh, I guess.
Yeah, that’s what I’ve read too, Mel 🙂 Oh well. It’s not like this is easy to keep around once you make it anyway. hee hee! enjoy!
I am making this now…and i’m pretty sure it will be all gone by tonite!!!!!
Enjoy! 😉
can you make coconut carmel sauce using pinacolada drink mix ? instead of coconut milk . asking due to the fact I have 3 bottles of this stuff from a past party ! May be a good way to use it up , will try and let you know .
Hi Jeff 🙂 I don’t think that will work because to make caramel you need sugar and butter. I don’t think there’s any fat of any kind in pina colada drink mix.
Am thinking this would be good on bread pudding! Going to try it. Looks yummy and sticky. <3
Hi Sharon! this would be perfect on bread pudding 🙂 I add a little rum and nutmeg to the caramel when I make it for bread pudding. enjoy, and thanks for visiting!
Looks great!
what’s 1/2 cup half & half?
Got it: half whole milk and half cream 😉
Yes, Angela 🙂 That’s right!
I make caramel vanilla lattes every morning. I bet this would be fabulous drizzled on the foam cap! Thanks for sharing!