Caramel Sauce With Coconut Sugar
Homemade Caramel Sauce With Coconut Sugar
This homemade caramel sauce with coconut sugar recipe makes basically everything better. I’ve been on a mega homemade ice cream kick lately and I had wondered to myself if I could make a somewhat healthy topping to use with my vanilla ice cream recipe- and after a lot of different tests, I finally found the best way to make a healthy caramel sauce was to use coconut sugar. Hooray for no refined sugars!
This caramel sauce with coconut sugar is a little darker than “normal” caramel, but it’s just as tasty, with a great texture and sweetness.
Traditionally, caramel sauce is made of granulated sugar that cooks at a certain temperature until it caramelizes. It is combined with heavy cream, butter and vanilla extract. Caramel sauces made with granulated sugar are not fool proof as the sugar can burn easily AND they take longer to make
Enter: Coconut Sugar – I encourage you to seek some out! (I ordered ours from Azure Standard– my favorite place to get our pantry items!) Coconut sugar has similar properties to sugarcane sugar, but lower glycemic index and a more complex flavor similar to brown sugar. I’m sure once you try it, it will become a staple of your pantry too!
HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE WITH COCONUT SUGAR INGREDIENTS
- Coconut Sugar
- Water
- Cream
- Butter
Optional:
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Honey
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE WITH COCONUT SUGAR
This caramel is FOOL PROOF! If you can boil sugar and a smidgen of water then stir in cream and butter, than you can make this caramel in 5 minutes! SO EASY!
Here is a step by step breakdown of how to make caramel sauce with coconut sugar:
Step 1: Add 1 cup coconut sugar and 1/3 cup of water to a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring until it melts.
Step 2: Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, whisking constantly until thickened, approximately 5-8 minutes. Coconut sugar is more prone to burning so keep the cooking time around seven minutes and check it often. Honey, on the other hand, takes the longest to develop a caramel flavor – about 12 minutes, sometimes longer. Keep in mind, the caramel sauce will thickens more as it cools.
Step 3: Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cream and 3 tbsp of butter.
This recipe makes about 1-1/4 c caramel sauce, it will be runny at first but refrigerate to thicken.
Consistency: the type of pan, size of pan, and level of simmer all affect the caramel consistency, consequently, the end result will not be the same for everyone.
Freeze: You can also freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. Just make sure to use an airtight container that’s NOT glass because the milk expands when frozen and can rupture the glass. Defrost the sauce overnight in the fridge and warm gently before using.
Reheat: This caramel reheats beautifully in the microwave or stovetop
HOW TO THICKEN CARAMEL SAUCE WITH COCONUT SUGAR
You can completely control the consistency of this caramel sauce. For thicker caramel sauce, boil for longer and add less cream at the end.
BEST CARAMEL RECIPE TIPS
Use a thick-bottomed, sturdy pan: the sugar needs to cook evenly which is much easier to do in a thick-bottomed, sturdy pan that is made to evenly distribute the heat. A thick bottomed pan will also help your sugar from burning.
Size of pan: Use a medium saucepan with high sides. If the pan is too wide, the caramel is more likely to burn; to small, and the milk will overflow when it is added and bubbles up.
Prep ingredients: have your cream and butter ready so you can add them as soon as you remove the caramel from the heat; this will prevent it from burning.
Heat: Don’t simmer over too high of heat otherwise your caramel can burn. It is better for your caramel to take longer to thicken over lower heat than for it to thicken quicker and risk burning.
Consistency: The caramel sauce will look thick and then it will thin again once you take it off the heat – don’t worry, it will thicken again as it cools to room temperature and even more once refrigerated. For thicker caramel sauce, cook for longer and add less cream. For a thinner caramel sauce, cook for less time and add more cream.
Don’t double/triple: I don’t recommend doubling or tripling the caramel sauce recipe as it could prevent the sugar from melting evenly.
HOW TO STORE CARAMEL
Let the caramel sauce cool completely then transfer it to a jar or airtight container. Refrigerate for up to three weeks.
HOW TO USE HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE WITH COCONUT SUGAR
This homemade caramel sauce makes everything even more delicious! Use this recipe for drizzling, dipping, or even filling your favorite desserts.
Here are a few options to use it with:
- Brownies
- Ice Cream
- Cheesecake
- Cake
- Cupcakes
- Apple Pie, Pecan Pie, Banana Pie, almost any pie!
- Cookies
- Popcorn
- Bread pudding
- Cinnamon rolls
- Fruit: apples, bananas
- Pancakes
- French Toast
- Waffles
- GIFTS! Jar Caramel Sauce with a nice ribbon and deliver as Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, teacher gifts, etc.
HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE WITH COCONUT SUGAR FAQ:
DOES IT NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED?
Yes, it does.
WHY IS MY CARAMEL SAUCE GRAINY?
Grainy Caramel Sauce is caused by undissolved sugar crystals. This can happen when either 1) the sugar in the caramel sauce has not fully dissolved or 2) some of the crystallized sugar that forms on the sides of the saucepan as the caramel boils have been incorporated into the caramel.
WHY IS MY CARAMEL SAUCE BITTER?
Follow the recipe carefully, and never melt your caramel on your stove’s highest setting—it will cause the caramel to scorch and taste burnt. Once it gets a burnt or bitter flavor, it can’t be saved. Luckily, sugar is inexpensive, so you can always start over!
DOES HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE GO BAD?
Homemade Caramel Sauce can be kept at room temperature for 3 days or for a longer shelf life, in the refrigerator for up to three weeks or frozen for up to three months.
HOW DO I REHEAT CARAMEL SAUCE?
Microwave for 30-60 seconds, stirring at 30 second intervals, repeat as needed. You may need to stir in additional cream or butter as the caramel will thicken up on refrigeration. We don’t own a microwave, so I heat everything on a stovetop instead!
Be sure to pin this caramel sauce with coconut sugar recipe to save for later!
Homemade Caramel Sauce With Coconut Sugar
This homemade caramel sauce with coconut sugar recipe makes everything better. I’ve been on a mega homemade ice cream kick lately and had wondered to myself if I could make a somewhat healthy topping to use with my vanilla ice cream recipe- I finally found the best way to make a healthy caramel sauce was to use coconut sugar!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Cream
- 3 TBSP Butter
Instructions
- Heat sugar and water over medium heat on a stove top until boiling
- Let bubble 5-8 minutes
- Remove from heat
- Stir in cream & butter
- Pour into jar to cool
Notes
Optional:
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Honey
Looking for more recipes like this one? Check out these Home Sweet Spena recipes for more!
Is it unsalted butter in this recipe? You didn’t specify but I’m guessing that, since you added salt as an optional ingredient, it should be unsalted butter you’re using. I could be wrong though and the added salt could be to make a more salted caramel flavor so I thought I’d ask.
BTW, is it better for this be frozen in portion sizes in an ice cube tray to defrost as needed or is it better to keep it in a larger container instead? I live alone and don’t entertain people so I’m thinking it might last longer if I freeze it in cubes with maybe a couple of tbsp of sauce in each. That said, some sauces do better frozen in large amounts to avoid that freezer taste some things get when frozen for too long.
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Love the taste, but mine is super thin. Not sure what I did wrong, but it’d be even better if I could thicken it based on how I cooked it or ingredients used…?
Just made this….. DELICIOUS!! So easy and yummy. I used salted butter and a dash of vanilla. I made it for kids coming this weekend to dip fruit into. I’m going to make another batch for popcorn….and maybe extra for me because I can’t stop dipping my finger in and I do not have a sweet tooth, but this flavour is so much better than normal caramel