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Salted Caramel Sauce + Printable Labels
I can cook, and I can bake, and I used to be a teacher… but I’m not always the craftiest of people. So I’m pretty proud that I successfully made some (cute) jars of Salted Caramel Sauce to give away as holiday gifts this year.
This stuff should really be called Salted Caramel Crack. It’s a good thing that I made small jars of the stuff because once you open this baby, you’re going to want to eat the whole jar, and then (if no one is looking) you might be tempted to lick out the inside of the jar too. No kidding, man!
Here’s a little peek at the preparation shake-down. It does not require a candy thermometer- just a watchful eye. Honestly I screwed up the first batch I made I guess because I cooked it too long… and it solidified before my very eyes. Eek! Take two, watching the mixture turn an amber color, I yanked it from the heat, finished adding the ingredients and let it cool. Perfect on the 2nd try.
For my gift jars, I used 4-ounce jelly jars. You really do not need anything larger. A little of this stuff goes a long way. This recipe makes 4 jars. I made 2 batches- separately- since I wasn’t sure how it would work out if I tried to double the recipe.
Once it is completely cooled, you’re ready for the lids and labels.
My adorable cousin Gina just graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology, and she’s now doing web design, photography, graphic art, etc. She’s available for freelance work 
Gina designed my Salted Caramel Sauce labels- one especially for Christmas and one for any time of year. Thanks Gina- they’re super cute! These labels are downloadable in .pdf form, printable here: Salted Caramel Sauce- Christmas Theme and here: Salted Caramel Sauce- Generic Theme . You are welcome to use these labels for your sauce, but please do not take the .pdf’s and re-print them anywhere else. Link to here if you should decide to make salted caramel sauce on your own blog. Many thanks!
The labels fit perfectly on the 4-ounce jelly jars- the labels are 2-inches in diameter. You can either print them on card stock, cut them out and tape them to the tops of the jars. Or you can just print on nice paper and do the same. Or you can get really fancy and buy some 2-inch round label stickers. I thought taping it on top worked just fine though.
So what can you use Salted Caramel Sauce for?
My gift idea is to put the jar in a festive box or bag, along with 2 red apples and 2 green apples for dipping. It can also be used as a dessert sauce for ice cream, and it would make a fabulous Salted Caramel Milkshake too.
No double-dipping allowed.
Now can’t you just imagine how delicious this must be? Yes, you’re imagining correctly. This is delicious. It’s caramel… with a hint of salt.
This is what my neighbors will be getting for Christmas this year, along with a few apples. I figure it’s a nice little treat for their families to enjoy together.
P.S. The sauce does need to be refrigerated, and it will stay fresh for 2 to 3 weeks.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Yield: 4 jars of sauce
Prep Time: 20 min + cooling time
Cook Time: 12 min
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Four 4-ounce jelly jars with lids, cleaned and driedDirections:
1. Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and shake/swirl the pan very often (don't stir it while it's boiling) until it turns a medium amber color (should take 12 to 15 minutes). If sugar crystals gather along the sides of the pan during the cooking process, you can use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush the sugar down the sides of the pan so that it becomes incorporated into the boiling mixture.
2. Remove the pan from heat and pour in the cream. It will bubble up like crazy. Give it a whisk, then add in the butter, vanilla and sea salt. Whisk again until everything is nice and smooth. It should be the color of caramel. Cool it in the pan, or pour it into a large measuring cup so that it will be easier to transfer to jars when cooled.
3. Divide the sauce evenly among the four jars. Place lids and labels on and refrigerate until ready to use or gift to friends. The sauce must be kept refrigerated and it will stay fresh for 2 to 3 weeks.
Tips:
*I like to boil my jelly jars and lids for a couple of minutes to really get rid of any grime that might be in there from packaging. Then I just let them dry thoroughly before adding the sauce.
*If your sauce solidifies (I speak from experience), you either let it cook too long or the heat wasn't high enough. Pull it off the heat when it is a nice, medium amber color. It's important that it maintains a nice boil at medium-high heat and that you don't take yours eyes off of it. Keep swirling the pan and don't let it burn!
*Serving suggestions: Serve with apples, cheesecake, ice cream, or incorporate it into a milkshake!Source: RecipeGirl.com (Adapted from Food Network Magazine)
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I'm Lori Lange, recipe developer, food writer and Mom. I'm sharing over 2,500 of my favorite recipes and theme menus with you. 
Becki's Whole Life — December 17, 2011 @ 3:12 AM
Love this idea! Congrats to your niece. I used to live in Rochester – RIT is an excellent school!
Jacqueline — December 17, 2011 @ 3:22 AM
I love everything about this post. I love the beautiful photos that have me drooling, I love the labels, the recipes is great and I especially love the step-by-step photos. I am definitely going to make this in the next week. Thanks Lori!
Meagan — December 17, 2011 @ 3:25 AM
That is right up my alley! Very cool. I think I would probably do just like you said and eat the whole jar, real quick!
I am going to be making some homemade salsa to put in my gift baskets this year. I was considering what to do for labels, and I like what you’ve done here.
Gina Benedetti — December 17, 2011 @ 3:52 AM
This turned out great!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet — December 17, 2011 @ 4:14 AM
What a nice gift idea! So creative and who doesn’t love salted caramel?!
Joyce — December 17, 2011 @ 4:37 AM
Love this, both the caramel sauce and the labels! What a great idea!
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga — December 17, 2011 @ 5:04 AM
awesome recipe and what adorable labels too
marla — December 17, 2011 @ 6:22 AM
Total SCORE!! On both the recipe and your crafts. Love the sweet jars and how you tied in the striped bows as well. This caramel looks addictive
The perfect homemade holiday treat. FB & pinning now!
Kathy - Panini Happy — December 17, 2011 @ 6:49 AM
Mmm…who wouldn’t love to receive a gift like that! Cute labels too.
El — December 17, 2011 @ 7:15 AM
WHat a beautiful gift idea. The sauce looks great and I love the tutorial photos. The labels are adorable too. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel — December 17, 2011 @ 9:32 AM
Thanks so much for the printables and wonderful recipe. I’d love getting something like this as a present. I need to remember this next year!!
paula — December 17, 2011 @ 9:38 AM
Oh boy! Well you know how much I love salted caramel and this looks crazy awesome. Love gina’s labels too.
Shannon — December 17, 2011 @ 10:42 AM
YAY! A caramel recipe! I adore adore adore adore caramel. But, I have two burning questions, and this seems like the appropriate time to ask.
One, how can I ensure my caramel is not grainy? Every time I try to make it, it’s very grainy once it cools. (I do generally use brown sugar)
And two, what changes can I make to this recipe to have it solidify just a little bit, in order to make candies, cover pretzel sticks, etc?
Thanks so much. Love this site!
Lori Lange replied: — December 17th, 2011 @ 10:49 AM
Hi Shannon, I’ve heard that having salt in the boiling process is key to not making it grainy. I don’t know why, but apparently using salted butter is supposed to help. No idea about how to turn this into caramels- I think that might be a different recipe!
Vijay Nathan — December 17, 2011 @ 11:43 AM
Perfect timing! I’m making some Mexican Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats for a cookie swap tomorrow and wanted to top them with a salted caramel drizzle. I think this will work perfectly!
tina — December 17, 2011 @ 12:38 PM
Cannot WAIT to make this. thanks for posting!
Tatiana — December 17, 2011 @ 3:50 PM
Very cute presents indeed! Never tried salted caramel sauce. I have to make it one day! Very cute website as well!
Jaan — December 18, 2011 @ 1:28 AM
YUM, yum, yummy….I will have a big fat tummy! (AND other big fat body parts). Really, I do wish someone would make stuff that was calorie free…LOL. Love it, can’t wait to make it. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Fred @ Savorique — December 18, 2011 @ 3:06 AM
This home made caramel sauce is a great, affordable yet thoughtful gift idea for your neighbors indeed. You say it stays fresh for 2-3 weeks “only” so what about applying the lid when the sauce is still hot, like we do with jams for a good hot seal?
Lori Lange replied: — December 18th, 2011 @ 7:07 AM
Hi Fred, I’m not terribly skilled at canning and jams, so wouldn’t know quite how to go about making this a product that could sit safely on a pantry shelf for a long period of time. It’s such a small amount in the jar though- so I’d think people would definitely use it up within a 3-week time span.
Katrina — December 18, 2011 @ 4:40 AM
This sauce looks drinkable!
Nancy J. — December 18, 2011 @ 6:19 AM
You’ve got me hooked on this already. Oh YUMMMMM!!! I am just not a candy thermometer person so I actually think I can do this. And I’m going to make it today. What a GREAT gift idea. Love it. And thank your cousin Gina for the labels. I’m going to contact her in the near future. She did a great job.
Cookin' Canuck — December 18, 2011 @ 7:02 AM
I would be over-the-moon excited if someone gave me some of this caramel sauce for Christmas. What a great gift! And those labels are too cute for words. Well done, Gina!
the urban baker — December 18, 2011 @ 7:50 AM
Every year(for the past 25 years) I have been making my gifts. With easy recipes like this, the internet, and pdf files such as these, gifting takes on a whole new meaning! Happy Holidays, Lori!!
Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen — December 18, 2011 @ 5:41 PM
This looks delicious, and I LOVE the labels! Do you by chance remember where you bought the little jelly jars?
Lori Lange replied: — December 18th, 2011 @ 6:22 PM
Just bought them at the regular-old grocery store where they sell mason jars. Ralphs is where I bought them in Southern CA.
Lea @gourmetmommy — December 18, 2011 @ 5:43 PM
Oh wow. Yum. And such a great gift idea! Just linked from my blog–hope you don’t mind!
Lori Lange replied: — December 18th, 2011 @ 6:22 PM
Thanks!
Katrina — December 18, 2011 @ 10:39 PM
Such a good idea for a gift!
alexandra — December 19, 2011 @ 11:43 AM
This is so cute RecipeGirl!
I love it.
Shannon — December 21, 2011 @ 10:19 AM
I have to comment again. HOLY CRAP this is good stuff! (Excuse my language…it was just that good). I kept licking the spoon and bowl and I fully double dipped.
Mine did not turn out as dark as yours. However, when the cream hit the sugar syrup, the spot where it hit turned solid instantly. I was able to whisk like crazy and release some of it, but I wound up with about a cup and a half of sauce, instead of two cups.
Do you all think I let it cook too long? It was just 12 minutes. Other possibilities that I thought of were that the cream was too cold, or the sugar crystals that I brushed down didn’t cook enough. Does anyone have any thoughts?
Really…I want to take a straw and put it in the bowl and just drink it. Wow so good!
Lolly — December 21, 2011 @ 1:46 PM
My son and I were the cats meow this year because of this recipe and labels. I did this as teachers presents for his 4 main teachers…the 2 counselors and nurse and I put 1 green and 1 red apple in a small gift basket with the sauce. Wonderful ! Thanks so much for sharing !
Lori Lange replied: — December 21st, 2011 @ 3:48 PM
Happy to hear!!
Eve — December 22, 2011 @ 8:41 AM
Shannon, I had the same thing happen with the cream. I dumped it all in at once and it clumped in a big ball on my whisk. I found that if I heated the cream for 30 seconds in the microwave and slowly poured it in while whisking, it didn’t clump together. Hope that helps! I ruined the first 2 batches. :0( This recipe is so yummy and should definitely be called Salted Caramel Crack!
bassgirl — December 23, 2011 @ 11:32 AM
What is the difference between using unsalted and salted butter in this recipe?
Lori Lange replied: — December 23rd, 2011 @ 11:52 AM
Well, it’s Salted Caramel, so I like to use salted butter too.
Kristen — December 23, 2011 @ 2:08 PM
OK so I made three batches and while they taste awesome they are a bit lighter than your pictures…did I not cook them enough? They are still being given as gifts and they are soooo good and the labels are so cute! Thank you!!! BTW you are not kidding about how much it bubbles and how hot it gets when you add the cream-I think my right lower arm is now hairless..lol.
Lori Lange replied: — December 23rd, 2011 @ 7:54 PM
Don’t worry… I actually looked at a lot of photos of caramel on the internet and most were much lighter than mine anyways. I was kind of wondering why mine turned out so dark! It’s good nonetheless. Glad you had success w/ gifting!
Katrease — December 26, 2011 @ 9:19 AM
I made this today and I’m so happy they came out right the first time thanks to everyone’s great advice. It was so good.
Tina — January 2, 2012 @ 5:55 PM
I think that the Lord will have this sauce in heaven. It was sooooo good.
Speaking of heaven, I may die from eating too much of this. Thanks for the recipe.
Michelle — January 18, 2012 @ 2:41 PM
Love Love Love the recipe, the labels, this blog, everything! I printed out the perfectly adorable labels…not sure how to get the resolution right though. When I printed, they’re smaller and bit hazy looking? Any advice for this “clueless on the computer” fan?
Lori Lange replied: — January 18th, 2012 @ 5:56 PM
I’m not sure… Sorry!!
Ate bell — January 28, 2012 @ 5:49 PM
Just made this and it is amazing! I used slightly less salt b/c hubby isn’t always a fan of salted caramel flavors, but he really liked this one.
Jackie Long — February 10, 2012 @ 2:58 PM
I own a cupcake biz in AZ and was looking for a good salted caramel recipe… I LOVE your recipe and pics!!! Yours was SO easy to follow. I will be incorporating this yummy salted caramel in a few of my new creations!