Name: 5-Ingredient Caramel Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup unsalted butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 6 Tablespoons heavy cream; 1 teaspoon sea salt

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share a commission.

Jump to Recipe

5-Ingredient Caramel Sauce is a ten minute recipe that you need in your life right now. Combining butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and sea salt – this caramel sauce is addicting and perfect over cake, muffins, cheesecakes, ice cream, and so many things!

A spoon drizzling caramel sauce into a mason jar.

Caramel Sauce makes the world go around. 😀

I’ve been making this sauce on repeat lately to drizzle on all the things – Caramel Apple Cheesecakes, Apple Spice Cake, softened apples, applesauce muffins, ice cream, and more. It’s simply a miracle sauce that makes everything taste better!

And ya’ll. This is so unbelievably quick and easy to make! It takes just 10 minutes from the time you get the ingredients from your pantry to pulling the pan off the heat. You can use it immediately or let it sit for a little while to thicken slightly. A MIRACLE!

Side shot of a mason jar filled with 5-ingredient caramel sauce, with a pink spoon inside.

Ingredients needed for Caramel Sauce:

Yup, just 5 ingredients, friends!

Butter – I use unsalted butter for this sauce.
Brown Sugar – The best base for anything caramel.
Heavy Cream – Gives the sauce the thickening agent needed.
Vanilla – I love the Watkin’s Vanilla brand.
Salt – I recommend sea salt.

The ingredients for caramel sauce on a white board.

How to make 5-Ingredient Caramel Sauce:

This caramel sauce is SO easy. Only 10 minutes or less to make, and unbelievably delish.

Melt butter. In a small saucepan, melt butter and add brown sugar.
Add remaining ingredients. Then add the heavy cream, vanilla, and mix well. Let it bubble slightly and add the sea salt.
Serve. Pour the sauce into a mason jar and drizzle it on all the things.
Store. Store the caramel sauce in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. You may need to microwave it slightly as it will thicken over time.

A sauce pan of the caramel sauce with a whisk.

How to use this easy caramel sauce:

Use it in my Mini Caramel Apple Cheesecakes.
Drizzle it on top of my Apple Spice Cake.
Top ice cream with this sauce or drizzle it in your coffee. YUM!
SO many other ways to use this caramel sauce!

Side shot of four jars of mini caramel apple cheesecakes with a spoon drizzling caramel sauce.

Slices of apple spice cake with a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Other delicious fall recipes for you to try next:

There are so many other choices on the blog. Try one of these or some others I’ve recently shared.

Pumpkin Streusel Cake – A moist pumpkin cake with a brown sugar streusel layer in between, and then topped with an easy cinnamon icing.
Puff Pastry Peach Tartlets – Semi-homemade for a super quick and easy dessert.
Apple Pie Banana Bundt Cake – The perfect fall mash-up, combining a banana cake with an apple pie sprinkle.

A mason jar with caramel sauce, with a drizzle of sauce on the side of the jar.

Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)

Please let know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.

xoxo ~Sue