Name: Spiced Caramel Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 13 min
Yield: 250
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 120g (½ cup) heavy cream; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves; 200g (1 cup) granulated white sugar; 85g (6 Tablespoons) butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes; 1/2 teaspoon salt

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Buttery, thick, and gooey, this spiced caramel sauce is the perfect addition to apple pie or any pumpkin dessert. This easy spiced caramel sauce is based on this 3-ingredient caramel sauce but with the addition of cinnamon and other warm spices.

It’s made without a candy thermometer and can be made in under 15 minutes!

Dry caramel

This homemade caramel sauce is made using a dry caramel method. This means sugar is melted slowly over medium-low heat, without the addition of water until it becomes a deep amber color.

(Wet caramel is when sugar is melted alongside a little bit of water.)

A dry caramel method is faster than wet caramel. It can also be stirred with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, which you can’t do with a wet caramel method.

Stirring a wet caramel causes sugar crystals to form on the side of the pot which can make a gritty caramel sauce. Dry caramel fast BUT it does need close attention because it can burn very quickly.

Did you know that you can turn this caramel into whipped caramel?

Ingredient list

Have all your ingredients set out before proceeding with the recipe. The amounts are listed in the printable full recipe card below.

Granulated sugar – Use granulated white sugar. This is cooked very slowly over low-medium heat until all the sugar dissolves and turns amber brown. It needs to be caramelized enough to give the flavor needed, but not so much that the caramel is burnt and bitter. Usually, by the time all the sugar has dissolved, the caramel should be colored enough.
Butter – Create a smooth and rich caramel with a buttery flavor. This can be unsalted butter or salted butter.
Heavy cream – Thins out the caramel and gives a creamy caramel sauce with a silky smooth texture.
Salt – Salt will enhance flavor. You can add in even more to create a salted spiced caramel sauce.
Spices – Warming fall spices like ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves bring amazing rich flavor to the sauce. It’s a perfect topping when drizzled over vanilla ice cream or served with any pumpkin or apple dessert. (like in this caramel apple pie)

This spice mix is amazing but if you would rather make just a cinnamon caramel sauce, just use 1-2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. You could also add a pumpkin spice mix blend!

Equipment

To make this spiced caramel sauce recipe you will need a –

A rubber spatula or wooden spoon
Whisk
Medium saucepan

Method

The first step is to set out the ingredients needed. Making this dry caramel sauce is an easy process but getting the timing right is essential for the caramelization process.

The caramelized sugar can very quickly go from perfection to burnt caramel.

Infusing the cream

In a microwave-proof bowl or a small saucepan combine the cold cream and the spices.

Gently warm it until just warm, stirring to combine the spices with the cream. Set the warm cream aside.

Set aside the butter cubes ready for when you need them.

Melting sugar

In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, melt the sugar. Stir it gently with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula while it melts.

It will first clump together, then gradually melt into an amber-brown sugar syrup.

You can use the spatula or spoon to push the sugar that accumulates around the side of the pan into the middle to melt it.

Whisking butter

Once the sugar has melted, grab a whisk and add in the cubes of butter, two or three cubes at a time. Start whisking straightway while you do this and don’t stop until all the butter has melted.

It will form a thick caramel but initially, the mixture may look like it has split. Take care doing this because the mixture will bubble up a lot and steam.

Adding the cream

Once the butter has completely melted into the sugar, pour in the cream mixture and keep whisking.

Again, take extra care here as the cream will make the caramel bubble and rise.

Whisk it and let it keep cooking until it turns into a runny and deep brown caramel sauce. It might look split initially as the cream hits the hot caramel, but just keep whisking.

Afterward, take the caramel syrup off the heat and stir in a generous pinch of salt.

Storing

Leave the warm caramel sauce to cool for 5-10 minutes, then pour it into a clean glass jar. The warm sauce thickens up as it cools down, into a gooey caramel sauce.

Store the sauce in a sealed jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month. It will thicken up considerably and have a scoopable firm consistency once cooled.

It can be gently rewarmed when needed to make it liquid again. Warm it in the microwave or place the jar of caramel in a bowl of hot water to warm it.

Caramel sauce can be frozen too, in an airtight container or sealed jar for up to three months.

Uses for spiced caramel sauce

Drizzle the warm sweet sauce over vanilla ice cream sundaes or swirl it into yogurt
A spicy caramel dip for apple slices or other fruit slices. This caramel won’t set thick enough for caramel apples but it makes a great dipping sauce.
Stir it into iced coffee
Swirl it in apple pie.
Give it as an edible gift!
Pour warm caramel sauce over fruit crisps and crumbles.
Swirl it into a cheesecake or drizzle it over freshly baked chewy chocolate brownies
Fill donuts or cupcakes with a burst of caramel sauce.
Drizzle over pumpkin cheesecake bars.