This Coconut Caramel Sauce is the easiest caramel recipe out there, you’ll never want store-bought again. It comes together with only 5 ingredients that are all cooked in one pot until thickened to desired consistency.
Let’s take a look on how easy this coconut caramel sauce recipe is.
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We have a great collection of different sauces, condiments, and dips. In my opinion, homemade should mean: easy, healthy, and quick. And this Homemade Caramel Sauce recipe ticks all the boxes!
Why you'll love this
- It is Dairy free and Vegan - I'm a big fan of anything with coconut so when I saw this recipe from Katie I KNEW I had to try this ASAP. I adapted this recipe with my ingredients on hand and I absolutely love the texture of this caramel sauce.
- The recipe has only a few ingredients, no additives, no smell and taste enhancers like in the store-bought versions! My gosh, well that’s a long list of ingredients in these, have you seen those? A good rule of mine is if I can’t pronounce the ingredients on the label I won’t put it into my body either. No harm feelings, just trying to be more healthy here.
- Tangy and thick but the texture can be easily adjusted to a thinenr one if needed by adding more liquid and reheating the caramel sauce later.
Ingredients
- Vanilla paste - you can use both paste or extract, but if using a paste, ½ teaspoon is enough for this recipe as it is stronger than the vanilla extract. I prefer paste but it is not a big deal if you don’t have this on hand.
- Milk - I used coconut milk in this recipe, it is hands down, the best substitute for heavy cream or any cream I’ve found so far. But I understand not everyone is a fan. I have yet to try this recipe with cashew, soy, and almond milk. As I have researched so far, these alternative milk may require longer simmering times (unless they’re homemade and thicker in texture).
If you have tried or wil try with other milk than coconut milk please let me know how it turned out? Help appreciated! Thank you!
- Sugar - All-natural sugar of your choice. That can be coconut sugar, cane sugar, organic brown sugar, date sugar.
Need a different visual? This recipe is also available as as story!
Instructions
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
Combine all the rest ingredients in the saucepan and simmer over low heat, whisking constantly or until thickened and no longer watery.
The sauce will reduce in volume and start thickening after about 30 minutes. Remove from heat once you’ll see this result, usually in between 30-50 minutes, and set aside to cool. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken even more as it cools.
Easy Dessert Sauce Recipes
- Berry Banana Jam (Without Pectin)
- Homemade Lingonberry Sauce (Easy Berry Meat Sauce)
- Homemade Mixed Berry Dessert Sauce for pancakes!
Tips and Variations
- If you like this caramel try this next: Pumpkin Caramel Sauce.
- The texture - When you’ll start cooking the sauce (especially if you haven’t made any caramel sauce before) you won’t see that much of a difference in the texture. But be patient, it requires a little time (about 30-50 minutes) to start seeing the result and when everything comes together.
Plus as soon as it is already reduced twice in size and started to thicken it already means that you may finish the simmering and let the sauce cool. It will thicken even more once cooled and will turn thicker overnight.
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- Store - transfer the sauce to specialty store-bought kitchen squeeze bottles and refrigerate.
- Vanilla - is optional but does enhance the flavor quite a bit!
- Make it a Salted caramel (coconut) sauce - a little bit of salt is added to the recipe anyway but for that salted caramel-like taste feel free to increase the salt at least double.
Storing
Best to keep this caramel sauce refrigerated in an airtight container as it has butter in it.
It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, or freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, before using.
You can also reheat the sauce very briefly once ready to serve, and will help to thin out the caramel a bit. Hot caramel sauce is THE BEST thign in this worlds to be served over pancakes, ice cream and waffles.
Serving suggestions
This coconut caramel sauce recipe can be used in:
- Pancakes, waffles, ice cream
- Transfer to a little cute sealed glass jar and give as a gift!
- Drizzle over Porridges
- As a fruit dip
- Drizzle over brownies and these
- Drizzle over cookies or add to batter as a sweetener
- As a sweetener in the batter for brownies, muffins, bread, pies
- And well, anything you’d like!
FAQ
Thank you for reading,
Julia
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Recipe
Vegan Coconut Caramel Sauce (Vegan Caramel)
INGREDIENTS
- 13.5 oz can of coconut milk (unsweetened)
- ⅔ cup muscovado or coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (I used lactose-free or sub with coconut oil or vegan butter)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla paste (or sub 1 teaspoon vanilla extract*)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
- Combine all the rest ingredients in the saucepan and simmer over low heat, whisking constantly or until thickened and no longer watery. The sauce will reduce in volume and start thickening after about 30 minutes. Remove from heat once you’ll see this result, usually in between 30-50 minutes, and set aside to cool. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken even more as it cools.
NOTES
- Makes about ½ cups of sauce.
- The texture - When you’ll start cooking the sauce (especially if you haven’t made any caramel sauce before) you won’t see that much of a difference in the texture. But be patient, it requires a little time (about 30-50 minutes) to start seeing the result and when everything comes together. Plus as soon as it is already reduced twice in size and started to thicken it already means that you may finish the simmering and let the sauce cool. It will thicken even more once cooled and will turn thicker overnight.
- Store - transfer the sauce to specialty store-bought kitchen squeeze bottles and refrigerate.
- Vanilla paste - you can use both paste or extract, but if using a paste, ½ teaspoon is enough for this recipe as it is stronger than the vanilla extract. I prefer paste but it is not a big deal if you don’t have this on hand.
- Milk - I used coconut milk in this recipe, it is hands down, the best substitute for heavy cream or any cream I’ve found so far. But I understand not everyone is a fan. I have yet to try this recipe with cashew, soy, and almond milk. As I have researched so far, these alternative milk may require longer simmering times (unless they’re homemade and thicker in texture).
- Sugar - All-natural sugar of your choice. That can be coconut sugar, cane sugar, organic brown sugar, date sugar.
- Vanilla - is optional but does enhance the flavor quite a bit!
- Storing: Store Caramel Sauce refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. You will need to heat it up on the stovetop or microwave as it will be very thick.
- Freezing: You can freeze Caramel Sauce in a ziplock bag (glass containers not advised as the cream may expand and break the glass) for up to 2-3 months.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Julia
A delicious alternative to a traditional Caramel sauce.