Caramel Drizzle Recipe
This past week, I wanted to recreate a salted caramel drip cake I made a few years ago. This meant I needed to make a batch of my caramel drizzle recipe!!
I use this caramel drizzle recipe to make my caramel frosting and caramel drips on my cakes! It’s super versatile and can be used in so many different ways.
I actually struggled to name this post because it’s so versatile! This recipe can be used for everything from adding caramel drips to cakes to filling macarons.
I decided to stick with caramel drizzle to let you get creative with how you use it.
Homemade caramel sauce tastes infinitely better than store-bought caramel and keeps in the fridge for several weeks.
Making Caramel Drizzle From Scratch
I know that making caramel sauce from scratch can seem intimidating if you’ve never tried it before. When I was a kid, I remember seeing caramel made in giant copper kettles at candy stores.
I was convinced it was some complicated process that required all kinds of special equipment. But it doesn’t have to be complicated!
My caramel drizzle recipe can be made without a candy thermometer and uses just four ingredients. Did I mention a batch comes together in about 5 minutes?? It doesn’t get much easier than that!
Simple, 4-Ingredient Recipe
One of the best parts of this recipe is that it’s made with such simple ingredients. To make this caramel, you need granulated sugar, butter, heavy cream, and a bit of salt.
While store-bought caramel needs additives and artificial flavorings to be shelf-stable and taste good, this caramel drizzle doesn’t!
Its incredible flavor comes from the deliciously caramelized sugar and the richness of the butter and cream.
Pro Tip: Add the Sugar Gradually!!
The only part about this caramel drizzle recipe that can be a little scary is melting down the sugar.
My biggest tip when doing this is to add the sugar in gradually. I add about a quarter of a cup at a time.
This helps the sugar liquefy more quickly and reduces the risk of big clumps forming. It makes a world of difference.
I didn’t know that I was supposed to do that when I first started making caramel, and I used to just dump it all in at once.
The caramel will still turn out if you add all the sugar at once, but it takes a lot longer to melt down and is less smooth.
Caramel Substitutions
While this caramel drizzle recipe doesn’t use a ton of ingredients, you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.
Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make:
- Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
- Heavy Cream – To make vegan caramel sauce, use coconut milk in place of the heavy cream in this recipe.
- Salt – I love adding a bit of salt to balance the sweetness of this caramel and enhance its flavor, but you can omit it if needed.
What Desserts Can I Top with This Caramel?
This caramel drizzle is the perfect thickness for drizzling over ice cream, adding caramel drips to a cake, or even filling cakes and cupcakes!
I use this caramel recipe to make everything from chocolate caramel cupcakes to caramel apple cinnamon rolls, and it’s one of my favorite flavors.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try this caramel recipe, let me know what you think of it by leaving a rating and comment below.
And don’t forget to tag me on social media @chelsweets and use #chelsweets! 🙂
Caramel Drizzle Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature 85g
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 60ml
- 1 tsp vanilla extract – optional
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
Instructions
- Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Make sure your butter and cream are at room temperature before you start melting down the sugar – this can help prevent the caramel from seizing when they're added.
- Once the pan has warmed up, gradually pour 1 cup sugar into it, adding 1/4 cup at a time. Wait until the sugar is mostly dissolved, then add in the next bit of sugar. As the sugar melts it will slowly deepen in color.
- Stir occasionally/as needed, until the sugar is fully dissolved and has become a deep amber color, then turn off the heat.
- Slowly mix in 6 Tbsp of butter (2 Tbsp at a time) then stir in 1/4 cup of heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up and steam as you add these in, so be careful as you do it! Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) and 1/2 tsp fine salt. The mixture will be thin but will thicken as it cools.
- Pour into a separate container, then place it in the fridge to cool and/or store. When you're ready to use it, heat the caramel in the microwave in short 15-second intervals until it reaches a more workable consistency.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This is great! I’m definitely going to try it! I love the idea of not having to worry about cooking it until an exact temperature! My family will love the caramel!
Hi there! So I tried making the caramel using this recipe, but mine became solid really quickly. It just stuck to the bottom of the pan as soon as the heat turned off and none of the butter or cream combined with the melted sugar. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can fix this problem and make my caramel actually liquid? Thanks
Strange! My only guess would be that your heat was maybe too low?! As long as the mixture is heated, the sugar should stay in a liquid form. You have to add in the butter and cream immediately after you turn off the heat. I have a full tutorial here, where you can see exactly what I do. Hopefully that helps!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY5Zm_IaNXo
Thanks! I’ll try it out this weekend and see if it works! BTW, love your cakes, you’re such an inspiration!
@Chelsweets, up have had this same issue and it gets really chunky
I tried making this recipe last night twice and both times it just clumped together in the middle. I followed your recipe to the T, I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong..!! 🙁
it does all clump up! but as it continues to warm it will loosen up and become an amber liquid!!
The video says 3 Tbsp butter, but the written recipe says 6 Tbsp. Which is correct, please?
I added in two installments of butter in the video, 3 Tbsp each! So a total of 6 Tbsp!
If I make it ahead of time and keep in the fridge, do I need to reheat it or just bring to room temp before I use on a drizzle cake?
I just pop it into the microwave for 10 second bursts until its the viscosity I’m after!
If I make ahead of time and keep in the fridge, do I need to reheat it or just bring to room temperature before using on a drip cake?
yup! I pop it in the microwave and heat it in 15 second intervals until it reaches the right viscosity again 🙂
Hi Chelsweets. So I’ve made caramel that I’m going to drizzle over a cake in two days. How do I get it back to drizzling consistency one eits been in my fridge?
Omg never mind. You’ve answered that already!! Love your pages btw!
haha ok! No worries!! And thanks 🙂
I noticed in the video you used 3 Tablespoons butter but in the printed recipe it’s listed as 6 Tablespoons. Is the 3 T correct?
Thanks
I just added the butter in two phases, so 6 Tbsp in total! 🙂 Sorry for the confusion!
hello. can you use this to layer cakes?
Do you mean to fill a layer cake?
I made this the other day, delicious by the way!!! But when i drizzled it on the cake it was too runny (each drip ended up running to the cake board, it still looked okay but not as effective). I even put both the cake and the caramel in the frige over night and tried again and i had the same issue….any sughestions?
it sounds like your caramel is too warm! I’d recommend letting it cool more, and stopping your drips higher up the cake, if you expect them to run down further! Also, I really do swear by doing a test drip! It ensures your cake is chilled enough, and that your caramel isn’t too warm <3
Can you use this as a filling for a layer cake?
It’s a bit too thin to be the sole filling of a cake! I usually drizzle it over a layer of buttercream in cakes, or mix it into my frosting <3
This just happened to me too. I turned my stove back on to heat the mixture and it combined just fine… hopefully the heat does not mess with the chemistry of the caramel.
As long as the caramel is smooth and a nice amber color, it should be just fine 🙂
I made this sauce for the first time the other day and it came out perfect! I will never buy store bought caramel sauce again!
YES!!! This is exactly what I love to hear!! 🙂
Im in love and i dont care who knows it! It just makes me so happy lol The first time I did made this, I ended up scrapping it because it solidified before I could get the cream in. I immediately washed my pan and tried again at a slightly higher temperature. It. Was. Amazing!!! I wanted to put it in a squirt bottle and drink it! I got mad at my hubby for not being as in love with it as I was! The only caramel recipe I will ever use
I absolutely love hearing this Audri!! So many people give up if something doesn’t go right the first time, and I’m so happy you gave it another try!! Homemade caramel is truly the best, and I feel the same way about this recipe 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!! <3
Brilliant! So tasty. Mine clumped up and I returned it to a very low heat and whisked for a good 5 mins. I didn’t think it was going to work but it did and is great. Thank you
Haha the clumps are the worst!! So happy yours turned out, homemade caramel really is the best thing!! <3
@Jasmin, same thing happened to me – it just would not liquify – I thought it was ruined, but then lowered the heat and it started to liquify and then was able to add the butter and cream. Only concern now is that it has a slightly bitter quick aftertaste…wondering if it got a little too high and gave it a slightly burned flavor. After cooling I took a taste and I think it is ok!
Thank you for sharing Patty! Happy to hear it turned out in the end <3
I absolutely love this recipe. Got it right first time round. Made it days before I was supposed to make the cake (just in case). Thank you so much for sharing. Will definitely be using it for a long time to come. Is it possible to colour it by the way? Just out of curiosity
Yay! So happy to hear that Busisiwe!!! I’ve never tried adding a color, but I think it might be difficult because the caramel has a brown hue! You could try adding gel food coloring if you want to experiment, but i’m not sure how it would turn out!! If you want to make colorful drips on a cake, i recommend trying my white chocolate ganache drip recipe, which can easily be colored 🙂 Here is my recipe: https://chelsweets.com/2016/08/28/colored-drips-recipe-white-chocolate-ganache/
Hi, do you think this could be frozen and then reheated? Thanks!
Hi Tash,
I’ve never put it in the freezer, but I leave it in my fridge all the time! It keeps for several weeks if kept in an airtight container 🙂 I usually reheat it in the microwave in short intervals until the consistency seems right. Hope that helps!
Hey!
I’ve always had success making Caramel Sauce but have this fear about using it for drips! I have and order for a Cake that needs the drips.. How can I get perfect drips and avoid them running all the way down after refrigeration? Like what’s the trick to keep them set like regular Ganache drips and not get runny?
Thank you!
Hi Avi!
If your caramel is running too far down your cake, it might be too warm when you’re adding it! If you want the caramel itself to be thicker, I’d recommend letting the sugar caramelize a tiny bit longer in the pan, or add in less heavy cream. Either of those should make the final product thicker. I hope that helps, happy baking!
This worked really well, and I appreciate the technique you use for caramelizing the sugar, since the water and sugar method can be really tricky to get right (and time consuming). I added a little cinnamon (about half a teaspoon) and some vanilla to it at the end and drizzled it over an apple spice cake. It’s the perfect consistency where it drizzles without soaking into the cake too much. I can’t wait to use the leftover sauce over ice cream or stir it into coffee.
Oh that sounds amazing, I need to try that soon!!! I am so happy to hear that, thank you for sharing! 🙂
@americanembarassed, I wish I had thought to add vanilla!
I am super excited to make this recipe for my husbands birthday! However, I am struggling with the caramel sauce. I have made caramel on my own several times but I can’t seem to get this recipe right. The caramel hardens and gets super chunky even after following the instructions step by step and with trying multiple times. I’m not sure what I am doing wrong. Usually when I make caramel I add some water to the sugar to help it melt but this recipe doesn’t call for that. Do you have any tips or idea as why this keeps happening? Thanks!
Hi Kayley,
Are you saying you’ve had those problems with this recipe specifically? Or just other recipes in the past?
In my recipe the sugar will chunk up, but as the pan heats up the sugar, it will start to change color and melt down the chunks. You just have to make sure you’re patient, and wait for the heat to do it’s work and liquify the sugar. Hope that helps!
You didn’t put the measurements
I just made it! It came out great but when I taste it it’s abit unpleasant. Is that okay or should I make another one ? I mean the colour and everything is perfect it’s just may be still too hot for me to try. It’s taste roasted. Love your page it’s perfect.
Hi Kushwa,
The caramel should taste delicious!! If it tastes unpleasant, it may be a bit overcooked, or some of the sugar may have burned a bit. Next time I’d recommend either stirring it a bit more, or turning the heat down a touch. OR if it tasted better once it cooled, disregard all my suggestions!
I hope that helps!! <3
You go girl! You are doing an amazing job and I appreciate and enjoy your recipes and information!! :^)
Aw thank you Schavonne!! You are too sweet ??
I don‘t have a microwave, any idea how to best warm it up to „drizzle-stage“ after being kept in the fridge? Maybe a hot water bath oder heat it in a pan again?
Hi Divy,
That’s a great question! It depends on what container you store it in, but a hot water bath should work great??
I had it in a plastic bottle and waterbath worked just fine, great recipe!
Just another small hint for those who use the sauce as cake-drip; My drip was perfect for about 3 hours (i checked before going to bed), but after the night and transportation the drips were all dripping all the way down to the bottom of the cake! Which of course still looked delicious, but if you want the perfect drip, better add it just hours before serving 🙂
Aw I’m so sorry to hear that Divy! If you let the sugar caramlize a bit longer / turn a deeper color of brown, it will also keep hold shape better <3
This one chunks up as well. :/
Hi Dee,
All the bits of sugar should dissolve in your pan as you heat the caramel! Before you remove the caramel from your stove stop the caramel should be smooth. If you have some chunks I recommend letting the caramel cook a tiny bit longer to melt them. Hope that helps, happy baking!
It worked perfectly!!!!! The cake looks so good with the Carmel drizzled in top… I can’t wait to dive in!!!
I am so happy to hear that Sarah! Thank you for sharing 🙂
can I replace the heavy cream to the whipping cream ?
Hi Hannah,
You totally can! That will work just fine, happy baking!
I made this today and it was sooooo good!!! Thank you for a caramel recipe without a thermometer. Although it took me like 20 min to dissolve the heavy cream into the butter and sugar mixture, it was soooo worth it.
So happy to hear that Abhi! 🙂
I made the sauce and the consistency and color were perfect!! However when I tasted it, it had a bitter finish. Not sure why, any tips?
P.S. I just made your buttercream recipe for the first time and it is amazing!!
Hi Carrie,
I’m so sorry to hear that about your caramel! That’s great that your buttercream turned out so well though 🙂
Is there a chance some of the sugar might have overcooked or burned? That’s my best guess!! I’d suggest either using a slightly lower heat next time you make, or trying a different pot!
Hope that helps, happy baking!!
Do you have a video showing how you make the caramel? Would love to see it!
Hi Qing,
I do, but it’s super old so there are some slightly differences to what the recipe card instructs now! here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY5Zm_IaNXo
Hello! I created this last night and I accidentally missed a step: I added the butter, cream, and salt THEN turned off the heat instead of before adding those three ingredients. As it cooled, my caramel became quite thick, almost like a chewy consistency but not hard enough for a candy. Is there any way to rectify this to make it runny and sauce-like? Can I use this to add to swiss meringue buttercream? Or would it be too thick that it will deflate the buttercream?
Thanks for your help! >.<
I LOVE THIS!! It was my first time making caramel sauce ever, and it worked almost perfectly! The taste was excellent, and the color was perfect. The only thing was, that when I put it in the fridge to cool, it got so thick i couldn’t use it for my drip cake. So I popped it into the microwave for 15 seconds, dripped it on my cake, and put the cake in the fridge to set again, and it looked perfect! Thanks so much for this great recipe!
Made this today. Was absolutely delicious. I used creme fraiche instead and it still turned out fine! Didnt realize salted caramel was soooo easy. My drip cake turned out amazing!
I made this today and it turned out pretty good. Thank you for sharing
Does this caramel drizzle firm up once drizzled over a cupcake or cake that is not refrigerated? Thanks
I made this yesterday and the the consistency was perfect so I put in a jar and popped it in the fridge. When I took it out the next day it was hard as a rock, almost like toffee… it kept on going hard again sticking to everything. Do you know what I may have done wrong ?
Hello – wondering if I were to assemble a cake and drizzle this on, would it still be liquid enough and not hardened a few hours later if it’s in room temperature? I’m taking a cake for thanksgiving and it’s important it arrives with the right caramel consistency ?
I just tried this to use in valentine’s chocolates. Worked like a charm! I over cooked it just a bit but it is very good and so simple!
After you make the caramel drizzle and put it on the cake, will it harden up when the cake gets refrigerated? I was going to make a cake a day in advance with the drizzle and have it refrigerated so that was my concern.
Can I use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar?
So easy to make and turned out great. I’ve used some and out the rest in the fridge. I’ve read through the comments and I’m now panicking a so don’t have a microwave!! ?, how can I get it back to runny? Will it ruin if I put it back in a saucepan?
hi! i just made this for drizzle on a cake. is it supposed to be as bitter as it is? how do i make it sweeter?
If you use ¼ cup heavy cream the Caramel sets pretty hard & gets quite difficult to handle & use. But, if you use ½ cup heavy cream as is being used in the video recipe, it comes out perfectly and is very easy to use. That’s been my observation.
First time making a caramel sauce and this recipe was easy to follow and absolutely delicious!! Turned out perfect the first try, I used it as a drip for my sons 21st birthday cake. Thanks for the lovely recipe! Love watching all your tutorials
Hey, can you sub the cream for milk?
This was the easiest and quickest caramel sauce i have ever made. Thank you, love it.
Success!!! At first the cream seemed to split a bit when I added it (may have been a touch too cold still, despite sitting out) but I put the heat back on low and whisked the heck out of it and it came together. Tastes exactly like a Werthers candy, and worked on the first try! Thank you!
Hi there!
First time making caramel sauce.
It was awesome. This is my go to caramel drizzle from now on.?
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Chelsweets! When I made this, my caramel came out very chewy. I was wondering if the heavy cream measurement is supposed to be 1/2 cup?? When I look at your Salted Caramel Frosting recipe, the recipe is halved but shows 1/4 cup heavy cream per 1/2 cup of sugar. Just wanted to double check! Thank you!
Followed the recipe first time making it and it came delicious used it to make caramel apples and drip over cake thank you so much for sharing ?
Hi Charlotte,
I’m so happy to hear that, those sound delicious!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
ok, not sure of the flavor I think I was thinking werthers. But it’s ok. Excellent video. I definitely recommend watching it to show what it looks like since it morphs a lot cooking. Side note my induction cooled really rapidly and it was hard for me (I’m slow) to mix fast enough.
Delicious! I have a too-powerful stove top so I thought I’d turn down the heat. Nope. It made chunks of sugar. The medium heat is needed. I also kept the heat on because the butter and sugar separated, or didn’t meld, at first. Once, the cream and salt were added, turned off the heat and kept stirring and stirring until everything melded. Absolutely perfect! Thank you!!
Hi Laurie,
Phew!! As I started reading you comment I got worried, but I’m so glad it all worked out in the end 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!
I just made it… AMAZING! LOVE IT! Perfect! It’s my first time making it. It is so easy and cooks quickly! One piece of advice: get all the ingredients, measure them, put them next to you, slowly follow the recipe, and cook it!
I will use this Thanksgiving on my pumpkin spice cheesecake to drizzle on top!
Hi Egle,
So happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Don’t you need water with the sugar in the pot? The recipe reads as though you just put dry sugar into the pot? Is that accurate?
Hi Bill,
This recipe doesn’t use any water! Some caramel recipes do use water, but not this one. You do gradually add the granulated sugar to the pot, and it slowly melts down. It takes a bit of time but works well and makes delicious caramel 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!
How long should I wait before drizzling over cream cheese frosting? I don’t want the frosting to melt.
Hi Heather,
I highly recommend freezing the cake before adding on a caramel drizzle. The cake itself doesn’t need to be fully frozen, but you want the frosting to be firm to the touch. One more tip – this caramel runs pretty far when used as a drip, so make the drips shorter than you actually want them. They will end up running down further as they set. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Will thus recipe harden for a drizzle on chocolate pretzels?
Hi Tish,
It does not set super firmly at room temperature, so it’s probably not the best to drizzle on chocolate pretzels! My thick caramel recipe sets more firmly though, here’s the link: https://chelsweets.com/caramel-filling/
it makes a LOT of caramel though, you can cut the recipe in half if you want. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Made this over the weekend, and it was a smashing success! Everyone loved the density of the cake and the “not sick-enly sweet” frosting!
Hi Allison,
So happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Mine clumped as well, but also wouldnt mix with the butter. I turned the heat up to high and got most of it to remelt. I was expecting it to be a soft caramel like to dip apples. I wasn’t expecting it to harden like those werther candies.
Hi Ashley,
Sugar reaches different stages depending on the temperature it’s heated to. Unfortunately, if you turned the heat up to high, it would’ve reached the hard ball stage, which does end up resulting in caramel that is like hard candy. If the sugar clumped but the butter wouldn’t mix in, it sounds like the temperature might’ve been too high to start with. When the sugar is overcooked, it’s hard for it to incorporate the butter. I’d recommend trying to cook it slightly longer at a slightly lower temperature and see if that helps! The other thing that has a big impact is the type of pan you’re using. A thick, heavy bottomed pan works best! Hope that helps for the future, happy baking!
Hi I am about to make this but I wanted to use it in a days time would it be okay to make it tonight and drizzle on my cale tommorow?
For sure!! That timeline would be just fine, it stays good at room temperature for up to 2 days. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi. Your recipe online says 1/4 cup of cream and your YT video says 1/2 a cup. Which amount would I use for a drip cake please? Thank you!
Hi Megan,
Great question! My recipe card is always the most up to date 🙂 That YT video is pretty old, and I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit since then. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Made this for the first time tonight. Printed recipe calls for 1/4 cup cream, but in the video you said to use 1/2 cup cream. Which measurement is correct?
Hi Laura,
Apologies for the confusion! The video is from about 7 years ago, and I’ve tweaked the recipe since then! The recipe is card is always the latest and greatest, so you can always trust that it’s what you should use 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!
A little too salty in the beginning, but after some adjustments it was so delicious!
Once placed on a baked good, does it need to go in fridge? Trying to find something stable for a few days without having to place in fridge as the baked goods will dry out. Thanks.
Can this be used with drinks, like for caramel macchiato?
It can! But I’d recommend adding ¾ cup of heavy cream instead of ¼ cup, to make it a bit thinner and easier to drizzle. You will still need to warm it up a bit to make it more fluid and easily to drizzle, but it use it to make turtle mochas all the time and love it!
Can this be used as a cake filling?
Hi Angela,
It can be drizzled on top of frosting, but it’s a bit thin to be used as like an entire filling (or just a layer of caramel). I have thicker caramel recipe that I use for cake fillings, here’s the link: https://chelsweets.com/caramel-filling/
The flavor is a tiny bit different but it’s still delicious. Hope that helps, happy baking!
You have inspired me to want to learn to bake everything. I’m just starting out and this is mental health hobby which has brought me joy as well! Thank you for your website. You have amazing treats here and I appreciate you.
I am so happy to hear that!! That’s how I got into baking too! It really is just so good for the mind and soul. Happy baking 🙂
Ha you dont have Caramel in it so it is not a Caramel cake
I’m so confused Roro! This recipe is just for caramel, like the caramel you drizzle over a cake.
Hello i need a caramel cake for a birthday 27 septembre please
where are you locate?
Hi Djenuse,
I actually don’t sell any of my cakes, my business model is centered around sharing recipes and content online and across my social channels. So sorry!
absolutely perfect! Great directions too. This recipe is a keeper
Yesssss! So happy to hear you loved this recipe Shannon 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!