How to Make Salted Caramel

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Ever wondered how to make salted caramel? Well, here's a super easy recipe that uses just four ingredients and is totally addictive!

Many recipes for caramel call for corn syrup or other type of sugar syrup, but in my experience, they are not necessary. All you need is table sugar, and you can still achieve chewy, melt in your mouth sweets.

Making caramel is nothing more than just melting sugar until it, well, caramelises. When melted sugar cools, it hardens into a solid, so to make your caramels a chewy and melt in your mouth texture, butter and cream are added to prevent it from hardening. You can then add salt or other flavourings, such as vanilla.

When you're first learning how to make salted caramel, don't be surprised if it takes you a few tries! Experience (and failures!) will teach you to recognise the smell and colour of when the sugar has caramelised just enough and when it is too far gone to save.

The recipe below uses the dry sugar method, which melts sugar directly in the pan, without adding water to it. The caramelisation happens quicker this way, but so does the burning, so it's important to stay close throughout the entire process. Once sugar has burnt and becomes bitter tasting, there's no going back, and the whole batch needs to be tossed.

I am no confectioner and have learnt how to make salted caramel without using a candy or food thermometer. But trust me, this recipe is so quick and easy that I honestly believe that if I can make it with success, then you can, too. It may take a few tries, but you'll get there in the end, and I promise, your efforts will be richly rewarded, once that first caramel starts melting in your mouth...

Just please BE CAREFUL when cooking sugar, as it reaches very high temperatures and can cause serious burn injuries. Always make sure you study the recipe a few times before beginning, and have all your ingredients ready and know exactly what you're going to do at each stage. Once the sugar melts and begins to caramelise, you'll need to move quickly but with complete control. If you do happen to burn yourself, plunge the affected area immediately into ice cold water (it can help to have a bowl to hand).

Salted caramel sweets will keep in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for a couple of weeks, although I doubt they'll last that long if, like me, you're addicted to them!

Learn how to make salted caramel with the following basic ingredients:
(Click here to jump straight to the recipe)

175g caster sugar
65g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, room temperature, plus extra for greasing
60ml double cream, room temperature
1/2tsp salt

And here's what you'll need to do:

• Lightly grease the sides and base of loaf tin, and line lengthwise with a strip of parchment.
• Put the sugar in a large and heavy based saucepan or frying pan with high sides, and spread it across the base in an even layer. Use the pan with the widest base.
• Heat the sugar over medium heat. When it begins to melt around the edges, stir the liquid sugar continuously in small strokes, widening the stirring area as more of the sugar melts. Do not let the sugar sit still for too long, or it will burn very quickly.
• Continue cooking and stirring the sugar until it becomes light brown in colour.

• Remove the pan from heat, add the butter, and swirl the pan or stir until the butter is melted. Be careful, as the sugar will spit and bubble when the butter is added.
• Then stir in the cream, return the pan to medium low heat, and bubble for a minute or two until the mixture is smooth, stirring frequently.

• Remove from heat, add the salt, and continue stirring the mixture for a couple more minutes until slightly cooled and thickened.
• Pour into the lined loaf tin, and cool completely until the caramel sets. You can also put it in the fridge to set faster - I find it easier to cut into chilled caramel.

• When the caramel has set, sprinkle all over with sea salt and cut into smaller pieces.

• Allow the salted caramel sweets to warm up to room temperature before enjoying. You could also wrap them in small pieces of parchment for gifting.

How to Make Salted Caramel

By Wendy | Serves 4

Learn how to make salted caramel using this easy and completely addictive recipe.

Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook time: 7 minutes
Yield: 24 pieces
Course: Sweets, Candy, Confectionary
Cuisine: Treat
Tags: Sweets, Candy

Ingredients

175g caster sugar
65g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, room temperature, plus extra for greasing
60ml double cream, room temperature
1/2tsp salt

Method

1. Lightly grease the sides and base of loaf tin, and line lengthwise with a strip of parchment.
2. Put the sugar in a large saucepan or high sided frying pan, and spread it across the base in an even layer. Use the pan with the widest base.
3. Heat the sugar over medium heat. When it begins to melt around the edges, stir the liquid sugar continuously in small strokes, widening the stirring area as more of the sugar melts. Do not let the sugar sit still for too long, or it will burn very quickly.
4. Continue cooking and stirring the sugar until it becomes light brown in colour.
5. Remove the pan from heat, add the butter, and swirl the pan or stir until the butter is melted. Be careful, as the sugar will spit and bubble when the butter is added.
6. Then stir in the cream, return the pan to medium low heat, and bubble for a minute or two until the mixture is smooth, stirring frequently.
7. Remove from heat, add the salt, and continue stirring the mixture for a couple more minutes until slightly cooled and thickened.
8. Pour into the lined loaf tin, and cool completely until the caramel sets. You can also put it in the fridge to set faster - I find it easier to cut into chilled caramel.
9. When the caramel has set, sprinkle all over with sea salt and cut into smaller pieces.
10. Allow the salted caramel sweets to warm up to room temperature before enjoying. You could also wrap them in small pieces of parchment for gifting.

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