Fall is the season for caramel! It goes so perfectly on just about every fall dessert, from apple slices to pies to crisps to cobblers. And while there are lots of options at the store, there's really no replacement for a homemade caramel sauce. I've been making this one for years and am so excited to finally be sharing it here!
Make sure to bookmark this one, since I bet you'll find yourself coming back to it again and again. I make it at least several times each fall. It's a great make-ahead item, especially for the busy holiday season; I like to make a batch and then keep it tucked away in the fridge for when we have friends over. Although we use this caramel sauce in infinite ways all season long, my favorite way to use it is on a dessert board with apple slices and gingerbread cookies; it's perfect for dunking!
A lot of people feel intimidated to try homemade caramel, and I can understand why. It's a little tricky! But I promise that nothing about this recipe is hard; you just need a little patience and a keen eye to decide exactly when the caramel is done. From beginning to end this won't take more than 15-20 minutes, but be forewarned that you really need to pay attention during this time; it's definitely not a recipe that you can walk away from.
Making caramel sauce (not the same thing as chewy caramel candies) involves a few basic steps. First, you'll dissolve the sugar in water; dissolving the sugar first helps keep the caramel crystal-free. Then you'll boil the sugar until deeply caramelized, stopping just barely before it goes too far. Finally, you'll stir in some cream, rum, and salt.
The only tricky bit is the second piece: boiling and caramelizing the sugar. As you caramelize the sugar, it will turn color, going from clear to yellow to amber to deep amber. The key is to stop it at exactly the right point! If you don't cook it enough, your caramel won't have much flavor; conversely, if you cook it too much, the caramel will taste burnt and bitter. You'll get the hang of it, I promise! I like to cook mine until the liquid is deep amber in color, with a really prevalent toasty, caramelized (but not bitter!) smell. Don't be discouraged if it takes you a couple batches to get right.
Although I generally make desserts with vegan ingredients, natural sweeteners, and nourishing flour alternatives, this caramel is an exception. While it's possible to make a better-for-the-body caramel, the end result just isn't as perfect as a traditional caramel. So in my opinion, this is a very special treat that we make a few times a year during the holidays and really savor. That said, if you want to try some alternatives, you can.
For both of the items below, keep in mind that altering the sugar and the cream will change not only the texture but also the flavor. Coconut sugar and coconut milk, for example, will both empart a lot of their own flavor, which at least partially obscures the pure caramel taste. If you try any of these variations, please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear what you try and how it goes!
I've tried this recipe with brown sugar and even coconut sugar and it works well. The challenge isn't that the recipe won't work with a less refined sugar, rather it's that you can't see what's happening! If you use a dark-colored sugar (e.g., coconut), you lose the ability to see the color development of the sugar as it caramelizes. I've made this recipe so many times that I can smell when it's ready, so if I use a darker sugar I judge its doneness more by smell than by color. My suggestion? Make this a few times with white sugar to get the hang of it before you start trying to work with anything darker-colored.
Yes, with some qualifications. I've played around a lot with this, and my best results have come from using full-fat coconut milk. You definitely want to use something with a very high fat content, similar to heavy cream. Keep in mind that your final result will be tasty, but slightly thinner and slightly more muddled in terms of its flavors than the classic.
Here's what you'll need for this recipe, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.
One of the best things about this caramel is that it's so make-ahead friendly. It can sit happily in the fridge for a couple weeks. I always include this in my Thanksgiving menu whenever I host since it goes so beautifully on all seasonal desserts and it's something I can have completed an entire week ahead of time. It also makes for a great potluck item, hostess gift, or holiday gift (just remind whoever you gift it to that it needs to be kept in the fridge).
If you've been intimated by homemade caramel sauce before, please give this a try! This is such a special treat during the fall and over the holidays. There's really nothing like the first taste of this sweet and salty caramel while it's still warm. Pure magic!
It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.
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Disclosure: This recipe has been developed through a paid partnership with Koloa Rum. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Rogue Brussel Sprout running.
This decadent caramel sauce is a go-to for us all fall long. Drizzle it over apple pie, pumpkin pie, baked apples, apple crisp, and all your other favorite fall desserts!
Did you make this recipe? Did you make substitutions? How did you serve it? Any helpful tips? Please share your thoughts, since these insights are really useful to both me and to other readers.
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