How to make Caramel Sauce with Milk Recipe (Salted)

Last updated on April 22nd, 2024 at 04:15 pm

This Caramel Sauce with Milk is hands down the best and the easiest recipe to make smooth, silky, salted caramel sauce. Drizzle it over ice cream, mix it in puddings, dip apple slices, or use it as a filling in layer cakes. This caramel sauce packed in a glass jar makes a fabulous gift too! 

Be sure to check my Honey Almond Cake recipe!

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Growing up I used to love those little parcels of chocolate-covered caramel candies. Little did I know they were so easy to make. The nudge to try it happened when we went to a dinner place and I tasted delicate crepes filled with berry compote and drizzled generously with caramel sauce!

Without the luxury of the ‘www‘, there were no food blogs or videos, so we were always left with the processed packed ones. It was only when I started making some caramel sauce with milk at home, I knew how worlds apart homemade and packed ones are.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ve come to the right place; this is THE recipe you want to make right now.

Why I like this recipe:

Versatile – This sauce is Gluten-free, vegetarian, and very shelf-stable. It has a gazillion uses so I always have a jar of it at home and you will too once you know how easy it is to make.

Only good ingredients – You don’t need store-bought caramel sauce which is packed with artificial ingredients.  It was only when I started making some caramel sauce with milk at home, I realised, how worlds apart homemade and packed ones are. 

No Corn Syrup – Many caramel sauce jars have corn syrup but this recipe uses only sugar.

See also:

Homemade soft Potato Gnocchi recipe

Caramel Sauce with Milk Recipe:

What goes into this easy caramel sauce with milk?

This is such an easy recipe that you need only 5, easily available super simple ingredients to make this caramel sauce:

Milk – I use whole milk. The fat in the milk will give us a perfect texture and will not make be as fatty as heavy cream at the same time. 

Butter – Good quality unsalted butter is crucial here. It gives that velvety texture and smoothness to the dreamy creamy caramel sauce.

Brown Sugar – I use light brown sugar. This way the molasses taste isn’t overpowering and the color of the caramel sauce is also just perfectly amber in colour. Using dark brown sugar changes the color to a deep dark one, and the taste isn’t subtle. You can use either one based on your preference or the availability of the ingredients. 

Salt – A bit of salt makes this salted caramel sauce but you can skip or reduce the quantity to a pinch too. But salt is the best part! I use regular salt and sea salt interchangeably depending on my mood. Either one gives you amazing results. 

Vanilla Extract – Ah, finally the vanilla makes everything smooth and brings it all together. 

How to use this delicious caramel sauce?

This salted caramel sauce with milk recipe can be used on just about everything; the possibilities are just endless. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:

1. Drizzle over pancakes or waffles
2. Drizzle over any ice cream flavor that you like or over ice cream sundaes.
3. Serve it as a dip for fruit platter. My favorite is strawberries with caramel sauce, yum!
4. Top fruit-filled crepes with this easy homemade caramel sauce.
5. Poke any sheet cake or brownies and fill the holes with this brown sugar caramel sauce!
6. Use the thickened caramel sauce as layers for nut bars.
7. Mix it in with leftover crumbled cake and add some chocolate sauce to get a fancy pudding. Remeber to top it generously with nuts.
8. Add to your coffee or milkshakes.
9. Top it over homemade cinnamon rolls.
10. Drizzle over smoothies.
11. Pour over blondies or brownies or DIY choco caramel tostadas!

See also:

Simple and quick Pizza dough recipe

How to store this homemade salted caramel sauce?

Room Temperature – Store at room temperature in a cool dark place for up to a week. You can warm it in a microwave or in a double bath to make it more runny as it thickens as it cools down.

Refrigerator – This salted caramel sauce with milk stores well in a refrigerator for over a month. Honestly, it never lasts for more than a week in our home. Store it in an airtight container preferably a glass jar.Remember, the sauce tends to crystallize a bit when stored in the refrigerator. It is perfectly good to use it.

Freezer – Although, you can store this caramel sauce in an airtight plastic container or a silicon case, I recommend that you make it in small batches. However, if it is unavoidable, you can freeze it for up to a month. Thaw it overnight and use.

Variations and Substitutions:

Milk – You can make this sauce with oat-milk or almond milk to make it lactose-free or vegan. You might have to add a bit more butter. Other milk like coconut milk did not work for me so far, but I’ll let you know when I get a good batch with it. F

Flavouring – You can add a bit of cinnamon additionally or in place of vanilla extract. Vanilla extract can be totally skipped.

See also:

The BEST Double Chocolate Chip cookies recipe

How to make this Caramel Sauce with Milk:

This is the easiest dessert you’ll ever make in your kitchen. It literally takes only 10 minutes or less.

Let’s see how to make this caramel recipe with milk in easy simple steps:

• Gather all the ingredients. Pour the milk and the butter in a saucepan and put it on heat. Melt the butter with the milk on low heat.
• Add the sugar and turn up the heat. Stir once to mix. Let it boil rapidly for 5-10 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.
• Remove from heat. Add the salt and vanilla extract. Mix it through and let it cool down completely for 15-30 minutes. Let it cool down before storing it.

Cooking Tips to get a perfect caramel sauce:

• Saucepan – Use a medium saucepan with high sides. The high sides of the pan, will prevent spillage and therefore prevent burning of the caramel, as it foams up. Also, make sure it is heavy-bottomed saucepan because the thin saucepans are useless for this recipe; you can’t control the heat.
• Salt – To make the plain caramel sauce, reduce the salt by half which will be a tiny pinch. You can also skip the salt altogether. For a really salty caramel sauce with milk, use salt up to 1/4 a teaspoon. 
• Heat – Ensure to maintain a medium-low heat for the whole process. The color turns into a deep amber color in a second so be mindful. Once you get the hang of it, it’ll be one of your favorite desserts you make at home.
• Attention – One of the advantages here is you don’t need a candy thermometer but you need to keep close attention and medium heat. This is especially important for first time makers. 

Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!