Mmmmm mmmm mmmm. Is there anything better than homemade caramel? Okay, maybe there are a few things. But not many. It's so smooth and buttery and.... well, caramel-y. Cooking it makes the house smell amazing. I really only see 2 downsides- 1: It's hard to stop eating it and 2: It's painfully disappointing to have store bought caramel ever again.
It keeps in the refrigerator for months. So if you're worried about eating it all "in time", don't. We've never had to throw any out. We store ours in old glass peanut butter jars, which work great. They aren't airtight, but they have a good seal.
This caramel is great for ice cream (obviously ;)), brownies, ice cream with brownies, Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls, french toast, pancakes, basically anything you'd eat with ice cream. Cookies, bars, etc. One of my favorite desserts in the world is oatmeal toffee bars with vanilla ice cream and this caramel topping.
Need another dip idea? Try our Cookie Dough Dip with Greek Yogurt!
Let's Make Homemade Caramel Topping!
Okay, so it's actually pretty easy. Put evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter corn syrup and salt in a sauce pan over medium heat (if you have an induction stovetop, medium low heat should work!). Stir and bring to a boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly. The sauce will thicken a little as it cooks, and will thicken a lot as it cools. For a runnier sauce, cook for 15 minutes, for a thicker sauce cook 20 minutes. I usually end up at about 17-18 minutes. If you use a candy thermometer, 220-230 degrees is the range you want to be in, depending on desired consistency.
Remove the caramel from heat and give it a minute or two to cool down, then stir in the vanilla. It's likely the caramel will look a little curdled and separated. The last step is to let is cool for about 5 or 10 minutes, then stick it in a blender and blend for 10-20 seconds until smooth. The blender makes it nice and smooth (and don't worry, it won't separate again) and perfect.
Serve with your favorite dessert!
Homemade Caramel Topping
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups, 32 servings 1x
Description
This homemade caramel topping is silky smooth and buttery and caramel-y. Each spoonful is heavenly bliss in your mouth.
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 cube butter
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt (if you like it a little savory, otherwise ⅛ teaspoon will do!)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Put evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter corn syrup and salt in a sauce pan over medium heat (if you have an induction stovetop, medium low heat should work!).
- Stir and bring to a boil.
- Boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly. The sauce will thicken a little as it cooks, and will thicken a lot as it cools.
- For a runnier sauce, cook for 15 minutes, for a thicker sauce cook 20 minutes. I usually end up at about 17-18 minutes. If you use a candy thermometer, 220-230 degrees is the range you want to be in, depending on desired consistency.
- Remove the caramel from heat and give it a minute or two to cool down, then stir in the vanilla.
- It's likely the caramel will look a little curdled and separated. The last step is to let is cool for about 5 or 10 minutes, then stick it in a blender and blend for 10-20 seconds until smooth. The blender makes it nice and smooth (and don't worry, it won't separate again) and perfect.
- Enjoy!
Notes
The homemade caramel stores for up to 3 months in the refrigerator. If wanting to serve warm, remove the desired amount and microwave in a microwave safe bowl for 5-8 second intervals, stirring between each one, until it reaches the desired temperature. Do not microwave the entire jar, or it will get grainy when put back in the fridge.
You can actually use this recipe to make caramel candies if you have a candy thermometer. Simply keep cooking until you reach the soft ball stage, then pour on a lined baking sheet, allow to cool, then cut!
- Prep Time: 2
- Cook Time: 18
- Category: toppings
- Method: cooking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: homemade caramel
JC
Wow!!! This caramel is perfect. Excited to make again
★★★★★