This Easy Caramel Sauce is creamy, delicious takes just 15 minutes to makee with only 3 ingredients. Perfect with some sliced apples, ice cream, cakes, cookies or any dessert! Gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, paleo with low carb and keto options.
Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce recipe
Homemade caramel sauce, can you think of anything better? It’s actually really easy to make and the best part is, you’ll never want to buy store-bought caramel sauce again!
This Easy Caramel Sauce is one of the easiest recipes you can make with only 3 ingredients. All you need is coconut cream, coconut sugar and coconut oil! It takes about 15 minutes and then you’ll have pure liquid gold that goes with just about everything you can think of!
Why you’ll love this easy caramel sauce
- Sweet, creamy, thick, rich and super decadent
- No thermometer required
- Quick and easy to make – just 15 minutes + 3 ingredients
- Gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, paleo and can easily be made low carb or keto by just swapping out the sweetener.
Healthy Caramel Sauce Ingredients
All you need are three ingredients you most likely have in your kitchen pantry:
- Coconut sugar – we like to use coconut sugar to keep this caramel sauce paleo and refined-sugar free. If you prefer to make keto caramel sauce, sub with golden monk fruit sweetener or brown sugar substitute. Maple syrup or another liquid sweetener of choice can be used, but you may have to adjust the amount depending on the sweetness level desired.
- Canned coconut cream – be sure to only use brands (like Trader Joe’s, Aroy-D) containing coconut milk & water. Do not use brands with Guar gum or other fillers or the ice cream will not turn out properly). If you don’t have coconut cream, you can also spoon out the thick part of a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk.
- Coconut oil – be sure to use refined to avoid any coconut flavor. You can also use vegan butter if not paleo.
Optional but highly recommended for the best flavor:
- Pure vanilla extract – balances out the sweetness and adds dimension and flavor.
- Sea Salt (for Salted Caramel Sauce): – I usually like to sprinkle in a little bit of fine sea salt or Maldon flake salt to take this caramel sauce to the next level.
How to make Easy Caramel Sauce
What I love about this vegan caramel sauce recipe is that you won’t even need a thermometer. All you need to do is have your ingredients ready to go, heat it all up and let the stove do the work!
- Combine ingredients in a pot: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan (I use at least a 3-quart cast iron or stainless steel) add coconut cream, coconut sugar and coconut oil. Heat over medium-high heat bringing the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently while the cream melts and the sugar dissolves.
- Boil: Once boiling, turn the heat down to a low simmer and stir frequently, scraping the bottom to make sure it doesn’t burn. Continue boiling until caramel has reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat: Remove from heat and turn off the stove. At this point, you can add vanilla or salt, if desired.
- Cool: Allow to cool in the pot for 10-15 minutes, stirring once or twice. The mixture will thicken more as it cools.
- Transfer to jars: Pour into a mason jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm for a few minutes in the microwave before serving.
Tips for success:
- Use a tall heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan. This helps to avoid your paleo caramel sauce from boiling over and your sugar from burning.
- Stir frequently and watch it closely. Stir the bottom of the pan frequently so the sugar doesn’t stick or burn. You also want to watch that the mixture thickens up but not too thick as it will thicken more as it cools.
- Allow the caramel sauce to cool down completely before storage – If you plan on using this delicious homemade caramel sauce in another recipe such as frosting, be sure to allow it to cool down completely before using or transferring to a jar for storage.
- Caramel too runny? Is your sauce still too thin even after cooling, that means you pulled it off from the heat too quickly. Simply place it back on on medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Allow it to heat up and to thicken some more.
- Caramel too hard? Did your caramel sauce ball up too much? You may have overheated the mixture for too long. In this case, you will either have to whisk in more coconut milk but if that doesn’t work, simply spread it out onto parchment paper to cool down and make some caramel squares instead.
How to store Homemade Caramel Sauce
- In the fridge: To store this dairy-free caramel sauce, pour into mason jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- In the freezer: You can also freeze this paleo caramel sauce in an a freeze-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to only fill the jar 2/3 full to avoid spillage. When ready to enjoy, simply thaw in the fridge overnight.
- How to reheat: Give it a good stir or warm it up for a few minutes in the microwave on medium or in a pot on medium before serving.
Ways to use Homemade Caramel Sauce:
Once this healthy salted caramel sauce is ready to use, you can use it in a million things!
How about some baked goods like our apple pie bars, icebox cake or caramel cookies? Or dip with apple slices, spoon over some salted caramel ice cream, divide into decorated jars and give the caramel sauce away as a holiday gift, or just eat it up with a spoon.
The possibilities for this yummy homemade caramel sauce are endless!
More caramel recipes you will love:
- Apple Cider Spice Cake with Salted Caramel Drizzle
- Caramel Popcorn
- Caramel Apple Streusel French Toast Bake
is rich, creamy, delicious takes just 15 minutes to make with only 3 ingredients. Perfect with some sliced apples, ice cream, cakes, cookies or any dessert! Gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, paleo with low carb and keto options.
- 1 cup Canned coconut cream , be sure to only use brands (like Trader Joe’s, Aroy-D) containing coconut milk & water. Do not use brands with Guar gum or other fillers or the ice cream will not turn out properly). If you don’t have coconut cream, you can also spoon out the thick part of a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk.
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar , sub with Lakanto golden monk fruit sweetener or preferred brown sugar substitute of choice for low carb / keto / lower sugar. Maple syrup or other liquid sweetener can also be used but you may have to adjust the amount depending on sweetness desired.
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil , use refined to avoid any coconut flavor or sub with vegan butter if not paleo
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, Himalayan Pink Salt OR Maldon salt
- metal whisk or wooden spoon
- medium heavy bottomed sauce pan
- heat safe oven gloves or mitts , optional as the pot gets hot
- heat safe glass jar for storing
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan (I use at least a 3-quart cast iron or stainless steel) add coconut cream, coconut sugar and coconut oil.
Heat over medium-high heat bringing the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently while the cream melts and the sugar dissolves.
Once boiling, turn the heat down to a low simmer and stir frequently, scraping the bottom to make sure it doesn’t burn. Continue boiling until caramel has reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
Remove from heat and turn off the stove. At this point, you can add vanilla or salt, if desired.
Allow to cool in the pot for 10-15 minutes, stirring once or twice. The mixture will thicken more as it cools.
Pour into a mason jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm for a few minutes in the microwave before serving.
How to store:
- In the fridge: Pour into mason jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- In the freezer: You can also freeze this paleo caramel sauce in an a freeze-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to only fill the jar 2/3 full to avoid spillage. When ready to enjoy, simply thaw in the fridge overnight.
- How to reheat: Give it a good stir or warm it up for a few minutes in the microwave on medium or in a pot on medium before serving.
How to reheat: Give it a good stir or warm it up for a few minutes in the microwave on medium or in a pot on medium before serving.
Juliana -
Was so amazing!
Kristi -
What a fantastic recipe! Thanks for sharing, Kelly!
Trina -
This Carmel sauce is so easy and so good I added a little rum. But this sauce is a keeper I will made again.
Kelly -
So happy to hear that, thanks so much for letting me know, Zena!
Heather -
yum
Dina -
Yum