Description
This rich and creamy Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce is a perfect sweet topping for desserts like ice cream, cakes, and pancakes. Made with simple ingredients such as brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, and vanilla, this homemade caramel sauce is easy to prepare on the stovetop and offers a deep, buttery flavor with a hint of saltiness to balance the sweetness.
Ingredients
Scale
Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Melt Butter: In a medium saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat until fully liquefied, preparing the base for the caramel sauce.
- Combine Brown Sugar: Add the packed brown sugar to the melted butter and stir continuously until the sugar fully dissolves and is combined well with the butter.
- Add Heavy Cream: Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring to ensure the mixture becomes smooth and homogenous.
- Simmer Mixture: Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning and to thicken the sauce.
- Finish Sauce: Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to enhance and balance the caramel flavors.
- Cool and Store: Allow the caramel sauce to cool slightly before serving. You can also transfer it to a jar for storage in the refrigerator.
Notes
- For a thinner sauce, reduce simmer time slightly; for thicker sauce, allow to simmer the full 7 minutes or a bit longer.
- Use light or dark brown sugar depending on your flavor preference; dark brown sugar will give a deeper molasses taste.
- Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Reheat gently before serving.
- Be careful while cooking as caramel sauce can become very hot and sticky.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
