Favorite Salted Caramel Sauce

In early December 1998, our first year in Arizona, we found a surprise on the doorstep: a wire whisk, tied with a ribbon and a note from our neighbors that read, “We WHISK you a Merry Christmas!” How nice, I thought — I’ll bring them some cookies. Then, as progressively more elaborate and creative “neighbor gifts” appeared, the surprise turned to dismay. Each new gift signified one more I’d have to make in return.

It’s safe to say I was initially not a fan of the neighbor gift tradition. I had virtually no budget for 40+ gifts, no idea what to give, and very little time in the holiday frenzy to make or deliver them. Bah humbug.

It took a couple years, but I eventually came around. The key, for me, was finding something I could easily replicate year after year — a “signature” gift: homemade hot fudge and caramel sauces in reusable glass jars. Having two, no-fail recipes I could make ahead and store in the fridge until delivery day greatly reduced the stress factor and freed me up to focus on the fun part: connecting with neighbors and friends. Plus, it’s a relatively budget-friendly option, and I could add a little variety just by switching up the container.

Although the hot fudge was never refused, the most anticipated was always the caramel sauce. (I have one friend who called me to confess she ate an entire jar, cold, in a single sitting.)

I’ve experimented with plenty of caramel sauce recipes since, but I keep coming back to this one – it’s easy to make and consistently delicious, hence “favorite.” There are no tricky ‘do not stir’ warnings, and no candy thermometer needed — just throw everything (except the vanilla) into a big pan and give it a stir every so often. It does take a little babysitting, but it’s mostly hands-off.

It’s a thick sauce, and a bit lighter in color – imagine a melted version of those homemade soft caramels that come wrapped in wax paper. I love it cold, straight out of the jar with pretzel sticks and heated, served with a warm brownie and chopped pecans. (If you’re serving on ice cream, make sure it’s good and hot; otherwise the ice cream freezes it into chewy candy.)

The basis for my recipe comes from the 1996 edition of Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook – a present from my sister and still one of my favorite cookbooks ever. I tweaked it by adding just enough flaky sea salt to bring out the sweetness (if you’re not sure about the salt, start with ½ teaspoon), and reducing the butter by about half.

Favorite Salted Caramel Sauce
Adapted from Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook [1996]
Yield: About 2 cups

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup (Karo brand is non HF)
1 tsp. flaky sea salt (I use Maldon)
1 tsp. pure vanilla
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Heat all ingredients except vanilla to boiling in heavy, large saucepan (mixture will double in size during the cooking process) over medium heat, stirring constantly; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is caramel colored.  Stir in vanilla. Pour into containers and allow to cool. Store in refrigerator up to 2 months. If desired, sprinkle top with a few flakes of sea salt just before delivering. Serve hot or warm.