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Learn how to make vegan salted caramel sauce at home, from scratch, with just 5 ingredients! Drizzle on pancakes, crêpes, ice cream, oatmeal, or stir in coffee, hot chocolate, or baked goods! It’s smooth, rich, and so delicious!
⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It requires minimal ingredients and is simple to make. You will need just 5 basic ingredients, one pan, and about 15 minutes to make this caramel.
- It tastes amazing. Forget about date caramel, this sauce packs a TRUE caramel flavor with a subtle saltiness and notes of vanilla. To put it simply, it tastes incredibly decadent.
- It can be used in a multitude of ways. From drizzling it over ice cream, oatmeal, or yogurt, to stirring in brownies and cupcakes, or using it in lattes, this salted caramel sauce is so versatile!
- It keeps very well. This vegan salted caramel will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
🍮 What is Caramel Sauce
Caramel sauce is a sweet condiment that consists of caramelized sugar mixed with cream. It may also contain butter, salt, and vanilla, depending on the recipes. It is commonly used as a topping for ice cream, crêpes, and other desserts.
This caramel is entirely dairy-free and tastes just like the original one!
🥛 Ingredients Notes
This recipe doesn’t require any fancy or hard-to-find ingredients. Actually, you most probably already have everything on hand! Here is what you will need:
- Sugar – Use white granulated sugar. I highly recommend not using coconut sugar or brown sugar for this recipe.
- Vegan butter – Any vegan butter will work. You can use store-bought or homemade vegan butter.
- Coconut milk – Preferably full-fat coconut milk. If you prefer a thicker salted caramel, use coconut cream that will give the caramel a thicker consistency once chilled.
- Salt – It enhances the flavor, but you can omit it.
- Vanilla extract – Use high-quality store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.
🥣 How to Make Vegan Caramel Sauce
Here is the process for making vegan caramel:
- Add the sugar and water to a light-bottomed saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat, without stirring, until the sugar melts and starts to bubble.
- Keep heating until the sugar no longer bubbles and starts to get a golden brown color. At this point, turn down the heat to low, as you don’t want to burn the caramel.
- Once the caramel has an amber color, add the vegan butter. This will stop the cooking process and make the caramel harden. Be careful, as it will bubble and might splatter.
- Next, pour in the coconut milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Keep heating, stirring frequently, until the caramel is melted fully, combined with the coconut milk.
- Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes before giving it a taste. You can adjust the saltiness to your liking and/or add more vanilla extract if you want.
- Transfer to a clean jar and store in the refrigerator.
🥞 Where to Use It
Caramel sauce is so delicious you will want to use it everywhere! Here are a few ideas:
- Drizzle on crêpes, pancakes, oatmeal, French toast, cashew yogurt, or even ice cream.
- Stir into baked goods like muffins, brownies, vegan banana bread, and more.
- Use to make drinks. Add a couple of tablespoons to your morning coffee or hot chocolate for a decadent treat! Note: this caramel sauce works best in hot drinks. If you plan to use it in iced drinks, I recommend diluting it first in a warm or hot liquid.
📔 Tips
- Use a light-bottomed pan. This will allow you to see how dark the caramel is and ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Be patient. Depending on the heat and type of pan used, the sugar might take up to 8-9 minutes before turning into caramel. Refrain yourself from turning the heat to high, or you might burn the caramel.
- Do not cook the caramel too long. Once the caramel has an amber color, immediately add the butter to stop the caramel from getting darker. A caramel that is too dark will have a bitter flavor.
- Be careful. You will be working with very hot sugar, so be careful while adding the butter and coconut milk, as they can splatter.
💬 FAQ
No, you do not need a thermometer!
Yes, you can replace coconut milk with your favorite plant-based cream or with cashew cream.
You can keep it for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. It will firm up slightly. Reheat gently over low heat if you want to make it thinner.
This vegan caramel is buttery, rich, and salty, with delicate notes of vanilla! It’s a must-try recipe that you will always want to use!
🍫 More Sweet Condiments
- How to Make Praline Paste
- Homemade Vanilla Extract
- Homemade Vanilla Sugar
- How to Make The Best Almond Butter
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the sugar and water to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar melts and bubbles. Do not stir.
- Keep heating without stirring. The sugar will then start to clump and harden. At this point, it will quickly turn into caramel. Wait again until the sugar melts and turns a rich amber color.
- Once the sugar has turned into caramel, immediately add the butter and whisk to combine. Be careful, as it might splatter a bit.
- Keep heating for another minute, whisking constantly until the sugar and caramel are fully combined. It will take about 1 minute.
- Next, slowly pour in the coconut milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Let the caramel simmer for another 1-2 minutes, whisking regularly until everything is smooth and fully combined.
- Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a clean glass jar. Use immediately or keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Use a light-bottomed pan. This will allow you to see how dark the caramel is and ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Be patient. Depending on the heat and type of pan used, the sugar might take up to 8-9 minutes before turning into caramel. Refrain yourself from turning the heat to high, or you might burn the caramel.
- Do not cook the caramel too long. Once the caramel has an amber color, immediately add the butter to stop the caramel from getting darker. A caramel that is too dark will have a bitter flavor.
- Be careful. You will be working with very hot sugar, so be careful while adding the butter and coconut milk, as they can splatter.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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It’s a very nice recipe. Will try it soon. I love caramel sauce!
Thanks Emy!
This looks like a winner. I will definitely sub out the coconut milk. Can’t wait to try. Thanks again Thomas, for your lucious recipes.
You are welcome Deb 😉