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Microwave Caramel Sauce

This Easy, Homemade Microwave Caramel Sauce can be made in just minutes with only 5 ingredients! This buttery, rich caramel sauce recipe is perfect to drizzle on ice cream or dip apple slices in.

Can You Make Caramel Sauce in a Microwave? YES! And it’s EASY!

This quick and delicious Microwave Caramel Sauce recipe is a no brainer. Making it homemade is infinity times better than a store-bought sauce, and this recipe takes literally 5 minutes, so I can make it all day every day. Because that’s exactly what will get me closer to my goal weight, yes? Oh also, I added a bit of extra salt to my recipe to amp up the heart-health factor, as well as make it Salty Caramel Sauce. Win-win.

You know I love my caramel. I make Homemade Caramels for the holidays, Caramel Cake when I have a craving, and of COURSE Salted Caramel Corn  to name a few favorites, but this recipe might be my most favorite…probably because it’s done in just minutes and seriously can be eaten with a spoon. I’m not proud.

Caramel sauce in a jar with a spoon

How to make Homemade Caramel Sauce IN A MICROWAVE!

Traditional caramel sauce requires candy thermometers, and a little stress in my opinion. SO I am here to day to simplify the whole process. If you’ve never made caramel sauce, this is a perfect recipe to start.

What Ingredients You Will Need:

  • Heavy Cream: This is the base for the sauce, and heavy cream makes the sauce rich and silky.
  • Vanilla: Use Pure Vanilla extract in this recipe. The vanilla really shines through!
  • Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe, because I prefer a Salted Caramel. Salted Butter along with an extra pinch or two of salt will give you that yummy salty/sweet balance.
  • Brown Sugar: I use brown sugar in this recipe (which TECHNICALLY makes this a butterscotch sauce) because we’re not boiling the sugar, as in a traditional homemade caramel sauce. Cooking the sugar on the stove top is what gives it that deep amber color which we know in caramel, but since this is a short cut recipe, you get the color from brown sugar. I’m not made about it.
  • Salt: You can use kosher or sea salt in this recipe to make it a Salted Caramel Sauce, which I highly recommend. Use as much or as little as you like, but make sure you stir it in enough so it all dissolves and doesn’t settle to the bottom.
Ingredients for simple microwave salted caramel sauce

The Simple Steps:

  1. First melt your butter and add in the brown sugar and cream. You can do this all in one bowl, but make sure the bowl has high sides, because it will bubble up in the microwave!
  2. Whisk the caramel mixture until it’s combined and then pop it in the microwave for a few minutes, stirring once.
  3. And this is when I add a little salt to make it homemade SALTED caramel sauce! Make sure you stir the salt in enough for it to dissolve.
  4. Add in your vanilla last and stir to combine.

Pro Tip: The caramel will seem a bit thin at first. Just keep whisking it and it will thicken as it cools. You can always reheat it for a few seconds if it gets too thick.

Whisking the sauce in a measuring cup

I like to store this in cute little Mason Jars so I can pretend like I live in Pinterest, but as long as it’s air tight, it will be fine in the fridge for up to a week!

Looking for More Caramel Recipes? Try These:

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Making Caramel Sauce in the Microwave

Microwave Caramel Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 minutes
  • Total Time: 6 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1/4 cups 1x
  • Category: Sauce
  • Method: Microwave
  • Cuisine: Dessert

Description

makes 1 1/2 cups caramel sauce


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  1. In a 4 cup microwave safe glass bowl (or larger) combine melted butter, brown sugar and heavy cream, whisking until blended and there are no lumps.
  2. Heat mixture in microwave on high for 2 minutes and remove to stir. Return to microwave and heat for 2 more minutes until bubbly and slightly thickened.
  3. Stir in salt and vanilla and allow to cool until warm, not hot. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
  4. Serve warm.
  5. If caramel cools completely reheat by placing in microwave for 20-25 seconds.

Notes

Microwave time might vary slightly, as microwaves aren’t all the same wattage.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week

recipe adapted from Domino Sugar

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
  • Calories: 68
  • Sugar: 7.2 g
  • Sodium: 80 mg
  • Fat: 4.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 7.3 g
  • Protein: 0.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 12.8 mg

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107 comments on “Microwave Caramel Sauce”

  1. Marianne DeLano

    Easy peasy. Homemade caramel sauce in under 10 minutes. I used it immediately for my iced caramel latte.






  2. Nancy Cook Tracy

    Oh my, this was quick, easy and delicious! Seriously missing desserts during these crazy times! Didn’t have heavy cream, used milk with a wee bit more butter. Great on popcorn!






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