Learn how to make a simple and delicious caramel sauce made with only sugar, milk, and sea salt. No cream or butter needed!
Quick Note: This is an updated version of a post that originally appeared on Bright-Eyed Baker in 2012. Updates include new text and photos, as well as some details added to the instructions for clarity.
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Back in the day, when consuming copious amounts of sugar at once didn't seem like an awful idea, my coffee drink of choice was a caramel frappucino. I later moved to a skinny caramel frap, and then to caramel macchiatos, but my love of all things coffee + caramel persisted. It's for that reason and that reason only that I developed this recipe for making caramel sauce with milk.
I tried multiple other recipes - some using a dry method, some a wet method; some with heavy cream, and some with butter. But here's the thing: they were all problematic for one reason or another. One burned. Another was so thick you definitely couldn't pour it into a latté. And every recipe using cream or butter along with the requisite sugar just seemed a little too heavy for an every-morning drink.
So here we are now, after *many* failed batches, with a very simple caramel sauce made without any cream or butter. Making caramel sauce with milk is extremely unconventional, and there's a reason for that: milk has a lot less fat than heavy cream, which makes the process trickier. But it can work, it's still delicious, and after a little practice it's really not difficult at all.
What is dry-method caramel?
Like I mentioned before, there are two basic methods for making caramel: a wet method and a dry method. The wet method involves mixing sugar with water before cooking it; as the sugar melts, the water evaporates. With the dry method, the sugar is heated by itself until it starts to caramelize and turn liquid. Some people find the dry method more difficult, but I personally prefer it.
Ingredients
There are only three simple ingredients you need for this recipe: sugar, milk, and sea salt. I've personally tested this recipe with 2% and whole milk, but readers have shared in the comments that they've used all sorts of other milk. See the recipe notes for other types of milk that I've been told work.
Tips for making caramel sauce
This recipe can be tricky until you get the hang of it. Here are some tips I highly recommend you read before starting:
Start with clean tools. Make sure your pot and spatula are clean and dry. Your sugar should also be completely pure; if it has come into contact with bits of flour, etc., that could effect how well it liquifies. Clean conditions help prevent the sugar from crystallizing.
Use a heavy-bottomed, TALL pot. Trust me on this one! A thin pan will lead to burnt caramel, and a pan that's too shallow can lead to a dangerous mess, since the hot caramel will steam and bubble vigorously when you add milk to it.
Wear an oven mitt. Even with a tall pot, I recommend wearing an oven mitt on the hand that you'll use to stir in the milk. You need to keep the caramel stirring constantly once the milk has been added, but the steam can get so hot that this can become close to impossible with a bare hand.
Don't multi-task. Don't try to make caramel at the same time as you're doing something else. The process moves quickly and is extremely time-sensitive. If you're not paying close attention you'll most likely burn your caramel or cause it to seize or curdle, and nobody wants that!
Don't stir the sugar. I can't stress this enough: while the sugar is heating up and starting to liquify, DO NOT STIR. The only thing you want to use your spatula for at this point is to push the liquid sugar on top of the solid sugar so it doesn't burn. Hold off on any stirring until all of the sugar has liquified.
Don't burn the caramel. I realize this seems obvious, but it also needs to be said. Once the sugar turns to liquid, continue to cook it just until it turns a rusty golden-brown color. Then STOP.
Don't give up! Real talk: your first attempt at making caramel might not be a complete success. BUT, I can tell you from my own experience (and that of so many readers who have commented on this recipe!) that the second attempt is usually much better.
For more helpful pointers, check out my top ten tips for making caramel without cream!
Troubleshooting caramel
There are two main issues you might run into while making this caramel sauce:
The milk curdles: One issue with using milk in a caramel sauce is the possibility of it curdling. This can be caused by a few things: the sugar getting too dark or burnt (and acidic) before adding the milk, using old milk, and/or not stirring the caramel constantly once the milk has been added. In any case, you can usually save a curdled caramel sauce by using an immersion blender to smooth it out again.
The caramel seizes: It is not at all uncommon for your caramel sauce to seize when milk is added to it. When this happens, the liquid caramel hardens into a semi-solid clump and you're left with a pot full of milk and a clump of caramelized sugar. Don't panic! Just put the caramel back on the stove and stir it continuously until the clumps melt back into the sauce. It may take a while but it should eventually happen.
Can I double the recipe?
I would highly recommend that you not double this recipe unless you've made it many times already and are 100% comfortable with the process. Too much sugar in a pot becomes hard to cook evenly, and this can lead to all sorts of difficulties.
Making a thicker sauce
If you don't cook the caramel sauce for more than a couple minutes after adding the milk, it will be thin, which is perfect for mixing into coffee. But if you're looking for a thicker caramel sauce, just cook it longer (about 10-15 minutes after adding the milk) while stirring constantly.
Storing caramel
This caramel sauce can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator and should last for several weeks, if not longer. But I have no doubt you'll use it faster than that!
More caramel recipes
Once you've got the hang of making caramel, it's easy to adapt the method to different recipes. Here are some recipes using caramel that you can try:
Caramel Latté Ice Cream - A silky, luscious ice cream that tastes like the frozen version of an ultra-creamy caramel latte. Cannot recommend enough.
Salted Caramel and Candied Pecan Biscotti - Classic biscotti gets an exciting twist with the addition of crunchy candied pecans, a heavy caramel drizzle, and a sprinkle of sea salt to top it all off.
Boozy Chocolate Caramel Cups - Mini chocolate cups filled with rum-spiked caramel. It's homemade candy at its finest!
A final tip
Read through the entire recipe below before you start making this caramel sauce! The process moves very quickly and you'll be much more likely to succeed if you know what to expect.
PrintCaramel Sauce with Milk
A simple and delicious caramel sauce made with only sugar, milk, and sea salt. No cream or butter needed!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes (up to 30)
- Total Time: 25 minutes (up to 35)
- Yield: 1 to 1-¼ cups caramel sauce*
- Category: candy
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups milk**
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon sea salt***
Instructions
- Heat sugar in saucepan: Place the sugar in a large, tall, heavy-bottomed pot, shaking it so that the sugar is in a thin, even layer. Place the pot over medium-low heat. Set a timer for 8 minutes while the sugar starts to heat up. During this time, leave the sugar untouched.
- Continue cooking: Check on the sugar once the 8 minutes are up. If you're starting to smell it, or see areas where it appears light brown or translucent, it's about to start turning liquid. If this happens, skip to step 3 now. Otherwise, set the timer for another 8 minutes, but this time, keep an eye on the sugar. Around 8 minutes later you should see it starting to liquify.
- Warm milk: Meanwhile, prepare for the next few steps, as they will come quickly. Warm the milk in a microwave-safe container for about a minute, and stir to even out the temperature. Place the warm milk near the stove along with a trivet (where you can quickly place the pot of caramel once ready), and a heat-safe spatula.
- Finish melting sugar: As soon as you see the sugar turning liquid, take your heat-safe spatula and carefully start to scoop the liquid sugar over the solid sugar. Continue to do this as more sugar turns liquid; the idea is not to stir the sugar, but just to keep the liquid parts from burning. Once all of the sugar has turned liquid, stir gently until it turns a rusty golden-brown color. This should only take a few seconds; be careful not to let it burn.
- Add milk to sugar: As soon as the caramel turns the appropriate color, remove it from the stove, place it on the trivet, and quickly stir in half of the warm milk. It's important to keep stirring the caramel during this time. The milk will cause the caramel to steam and bubble rapidly, so be careful as you stir. Continue to stir as the bubbling subsides, and then stir in the remaining milk.
- Return to heat: Some (or much) of the caramel may have hardened when the milk was added. If so, or if you want a thicker caramel, return the pot to the stove. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until any hardened caramel has melted back into the mixture. Be sure to carefully pry any hardened bits off of the bottom or sides of the pot as necessary, melting these pieces back in as well. Be patient; it may seem like they aren't going to melt, but with time it should.
- To make a thicker caramel: If you want a thicker caramel, better for drizzling onto baked goods, cook the caramel, stirring constantly, for an additional 10-15 minutes after adding the milk. Be careful not to let it come to a boil. It will not look very thick while it's hot, but as it cools, it will thicken substantially.
- Add salt and cool: Once all hardened pieces of caramel have melted (as needed) and the caramel has cooked longer (as desired), remove the pot from the heat. Whisk in the sea salt. Pour the caramel into a heat-proof container (if using glass, you can put a metal spoon in it to prevent shattering). Cover and place in the refrigerator to store; it will thicken as it cools.
Notes
*A thinner caramel sauce will yield about 1-¼ cups, while a thicker caramel sauce (cooked longer) will yield about 1 cup.
**I typically use 2% milk or whole milk. Readers have told me that the following will also work: 1%, skim milk, rice milk, goat's milk, almond milk, soy milk, and lactose-free milks such as Lactaid. (I haven't tested these alternatives myself.)
***For more of a "salted caramel", use ½ teaspoon of sea salt. Otherwise, ¼ teaspoon should do it.
Basic Recipe Adapted From: The Perfect Scoop via Annie's Eats
TerriAnn
I just finished making this recipe and at first I was about to write a bad review and say it didn't work. But then I gave it a few minutes to set and tasted it and it is DELICIOUS!! My little one is eating it with apple slices and wants to know what else I have to dip in it!! It is very easy and very good. When you get to the part where the giant glob is in the middle of your pan don't panic it will mix in with the milk. (that is when I panicked).
alexandra
Thanks TeriAnn. I would have hated for you to be disappointed with the recipe, but it's absolutely true that you might get a glob of sugar that needs to be melted back into the liquid. It's so easy to panic when you see that, but once you know it's expected and have a little patience, it all works out. Milk has less fat than cream, which is of course what makes this recipe different from so many other caramel sauces, but the smaller amount of fat is what causes that risk of the sugar seizing or clumping. I'm glad you're enjoying your caramel though!
Sue
Can't wait to try this! Thanks for sharing!
alexandra
I'd love to hear if you give it a shot! :D
AmandaL
Thanks so much for this recipe! I've tried making caramel sauce before with no success. I made this recipe with soy milk and it turned out perfectly, a delicious topping for pancake brunch.
alexandra
Yay! So glad this recipe worked for you! Sounds like you'll be having some delicious pancakes!
Violetta
I just want to say this recipe was super easy to make and the end result came out delicious!!! I do however to say that I followed to recipe step by step and in the middle of the making, whole milk curled :( It was quit disappointing to see and I tried putting back to the heat, but nothing helped. So.... I took my little hand blender and blended it all together!!! The end result: Delicious Caramel Sauce....... no wasted groceries and of course happy boyfriend :)
alexandra
I'm glad the caramel turned out well in the end! I've made the sauce more times than I can count and it's only curdled on me once. I've explained a few possible reasons in previous comments, if you're interested. Good to know the hand blender can smooth it out though!
brian taylor
Thank you!
I've always bought the expensive stuff from the supermarket. And this is tastier and I know the ingredients. Awesome.
I did it first time lucky, by the way!
alexandra
That's great!! It's beginner's skill, not beginner's luck, of course!
You're welcome. :)
Jeannette
For some reason, I can't get my sugar to melt! I've had it on medium-low for about 30 minutes now (possibly longer) and it's still just in it's normal form. I'm using pure cane sugar. Do I need to add water to it or something?
alexandra
That's strange, but you don't need to add water. I would suggest turning up your heat. Every stove is a bit different, and it's possible that yours just runs on the cooler side. Try turning it up to medium and see how that goes, and if you still need to increase the heat, do so a bit at a time.
Jeannette
I ended up turning it up to just below medium and it started to caramelize very quickly! The caramel is delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
alexandra
Perfect! You're welcome. :)
krista
I was just wondering... could I use brown sugar instead? I know Brown sugar gets grainy so would I have to cook it longer?
alexandra
Hi Krista,
For this recipe, you really need to use 100% pure cane sugar (basic white granulated sugar). Any time I've tried doing anything similar with brown sugar, I've ended up with a grainy mess no matter what. Sorry!
Jorge Bizarro
Exactly! - Your post is very informative, and completed with the many comments.
The only reason that I'm posting this to shed some light on the grainy caramel ('curdled') issue.
I do simple caramel (just sugar) often, to coat pans where I bake custard like puddings before sending them to the oven in a bain-marie. This was the first time veer I tried 'caramel sauce' and it worked fine but I did got the grainy version - which is still fine to smear milk, cappuccino, etc. - because I decided to add two spoons of brown sugar and used entirely skimmed milk. So brown sugar has acidity and I think you really need a bit of fat. The other issue with brown sugar is that it tends to melt in a foamy way, so it is difficult to see exactly the color of your caramel - thus easier to burn - but I'm used to do it and just trust 'my nose'.
alexandra
You're right on about the brown sugar - it is more acidic and difficult to work with. As far as the milk, higher fat content will definitely work better (which is why cream is the norm for caramel), but I've heard from readers that have had success with many different types of milk. Typically, I use 2% for this recipe myself.
Michelle
Hi, I have diabetes type 2 and work hard to reduce my use of sugar. Can you tell me, if I choose to use less sugar when trying to make the carmel milk, will it still work? I am excited to make this and find the ways I can use just a little, at times, to enjoy the rich flavors i enjoy, without over doing my sugar intake.
Thank you for any knowledge you can share with me, with regards to your experience in recipe experimentation.
Michelle
alexandra
Hi Michelle,
You can use less sugar, but the less you use, the thinner your caramel will be (unless you cook it even longer). If you use a lot less, you will have something more like caramel milk, as you called it, as opposed to caramel sauce. But, if that's all good with you, then by all means, go for it! Hope that helps. :)
Lioness4life
OH MY GOD!!!! Just made this at 11 at night, and boy was it super amazing! My sister, And I loved it, and the fact that it's so simple is going to prove very handy in the future. I was actually kind of nervous to try this, because last time I tried to make caramel... yeah it didn't go well... But I made this with 1% milk and table salt haha, and it still worked!!! So psyched!!!
alexandra
I'm so glad you guys liked it!! It's always fun to hear when another person tries the recipe and enjoys it so much. It's awesome that you can make amazing caramel with basically the most fundamental ingredients, right??!
Alice Kolonis
Oh. My. Goodness! I just finished making this a few minutes ago. It is amazing. So easy and great caramel flavor. I did cook it a bit longer to thicken it. I'm curious to see how thick it gets once it has cooled. Thanks for the recipe. I love your blog. Filled with the perfect balance of info and humor. The photos are always beautiful. Sites like your encourage me to try new things. Keep up the good work!
alexandra
That's great!! So glad the caramel worked out perfectly for you. And thank you so, so much for your sweet words. It's so nice to hear when people appreciate the blog and have good things to say. Thanks so much for encouraging ME!
Jacqueline
I just made this successfully! Thanks to your detailed instructions and other people's comments, I was able to get this right on the first try! :) my sugar started to melt before the first 8 minutes so I then just eyeballed the pot and made sure all of the sugar was in a liquid state and had a medium-dark brown colour before taking the pot off the heat. Then I stirred in the heated milk and although the sugar became solid again, I just turned on the heat and kept stirring like you suggested until all the sugar dissolved into the milk.
So delicious! anks for sharing your recipe!
alexandra
So cool! Part of making this caramel sauce is definitely having an eye for what each stage should look like, and the more you practice, the better you get. Sounds like you did an awesome job!
Heather
You just made me so happy! I searched and searched for a caramel recipe that used milk so that I could try using lactose-free milk. I used 2% Lactaid milk and after reheating to get rid of some hard clumps, I have a delightful success! Just made some popcorn and drizzled a little on top while it's still hot - yum! Can't wait to make oatmeal carmelitas using this. Thanks :)
alexandra
Yay! I'm so glad to hear that! Caramel popcorn and oatmeal carmelitas both sound good; way to get creative!
Mary
So, it's my mom's birthday and I figured I'd experiment with a dessert I've never made before. So I made a baked cheesecake. It looks like it turned out well, but I won't know for sure until we try it. Here's hoping!
But the reason I'm telling you this is because I wanted to top it with something and I thought salted caramel would be an awesome idea. But since I've never made it before, I had to scour the internet for a good recipe. (And I figured, if I screw up the caramel and the cheesecake turns out horribly, at least I haven't really wasted a good cheesecake haha. Great logic, huh?)
Anyway, so I found a recipe and it went HORRIBLY MISERABLY wrong! So that went in the trash, but I was determined to make another batch. And I found your recipe, which was made with NO CREAM!!! And I thought, surely this will fail, but let's try it! And my oh my it was SHEER PERFECTION! It turned out exactly as you'd described (except my sugar started melting in the first 8 minutes and I used soy milk). It was absolutely smooth and velvety, no hardening, no clumping.
I am so excited to try it this evening!! Thank you for an amazing recipe!
alexandra
Haha I got a kick out of reading your story! I was scanning to the end at first thinking, "Did it work? I need to know!" So suspenseful haha :) I'm so happy if turned out well for you and that's great that you were able to use soy milk. The sugar will liquefy faster depending on the temperature of your stove; yours might run a bit hotter than mine. Sounds like you did an awesome job though! Your cheesecake sounds amazing!
Mary
Oh! You replied - I never received the notification haha.
SO glad my story didn't bore you - as I was writing it, I though, 'get a grip Mary, she doesn't need your entire life story!'
So, the cheesecake was a HUGE hit! I used this recipe http://allrecipes.com/recipe/omas-cottage-cheesecake/ (using 1/3 cup honey instead of the sugar) and made a healthy pecan-stevia crust. Everyone love love LOVED it and the caramel just made it perfect!
This weekend will be make-more-caramel time! :)
alexandra
Haha, no it wasn't boring! I'm not sure why you didn't get the reply notification; you should have. :/ E-mail glitch, I guess!
That's so great, though!! I'm really happy to hear it went over so well!
Tanja
I'm so excited to try this & put it in my coffee (among many, many other things)! Where would I be able to find that curved container with the spout that holds the caramel in your photos? It'd be perfect!
alexandra
Hi Tanja! I got the container at Home Goods I believe, but if you search for "syrup container" on Amazon you can also find it there. :) Enjoy your caramel!!
Eliza
I've just attempted this recipe, and since I only need a little bit of caramel, I decided to CUT the recipe in half. I did the measurements correctly, and followed the recipe still, but when I added the milk it balled up and left me with LOTSS of milk sitting in the pan. I melted the ball, but it was still milk. So I gave up after that half and tried to do it again, this time, I'd add the caramel-milk mixture instead of plain milk. This time it curdled. -_- I 'm willing to try it again but after two days of trying to create a perfect caramel to lace in this ice cream I'm making, I'm tired. Any suggestion? I just know next time I'm doing it all at once.
alexandra
Hi Eliza!
When you say that after you melted the balled-up sugar, you still had milk, what do you mean by that? The caramel sauce is thin unless you cook it longer, so is the fluidity of it what makes you say it was still milk? Or did it look different than what you see in my photos? You can always keep cooking the sauce, stirring constantly, after you add the milk if you want it to be thicker. You can also try scaling down to 1 cup milk while leaving the remaining ingredients as-is. Does this help at all?