Treat yourself to a worthy indulgence with Vegan Salted Caramel! You only need 4 simple ingredients to make this silky smooth salty and sweet concoction. Drizzle this delight onto ice cream, brownies, coffee, or any other treat of your choice!
If you love caramel in desserts as much as I do, make sure to go make my Vegan Millionaire Shortbread Bars!
Is there anything on earth more heavenly than sticky sweet caramel? I don’t think so! I love stocking up on my favorite vegan recipes that feature caramel, especially during the cozy fall months. Some of the best include Vegan Salted Caramel Skillet Cookie, Vegan Caramel Monkey Bread, and my classic 3 Ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce.
What’s to love about this vegan salted caramel?
- It’s a budget friendly recipe. You only need 4 ingredients to make this delicious sauce! If you eat vegan regularly, you likely already have everything you need in your kitchen at this very moment.
- The balance of salty and sweet is drool-worthy. I love a good salty sweet combo, especially when it’s done just right. There’s enough salt in this sauce to excite your taste buds, but not too much to overpower the sweet vegan caramel.
- You can drizzle it on anything! The list of desserts that this sauce does not compliment is way shorter than the list of desserts it does go well with… Which is virtually everything.
Ingredients you need
- Sugar – When making caramel sauce, it’s best to use granulated sugar. Organic granulated sugar is vegan, while some white sugars are not.
- Vegan Butter – The salty flavor in this sauce is also enhanced by the salted butter! If you have to use unsalted butter, you may need to add an extra sprinkle of salt. I have used Earth Balance, Melt and my favorite is Miyoko’s.
- Soy Creamer – In a pinch, you can substitute this with coconut cream, or any other vegan creamer of your choice. Just make sure it’s not heavily flavored.
- Salt – Be careful not to be too heavy handed when sprinkling this in!
Frequently asked questions
- How long will Vegan Salted Caramel stay fresh? In an airtight container in the fridge, this sweet sauce will stay fresh for about a week.
- How do I reheat it? The microwave actually works best! Reheat the chilled caramel in 20-30 seconds intervals in the microwave, stirring every time it stops.
- Where should I serve salted caramel? Drizzle this mouthwatering sweet/salty sauce on desserts like Vegan Ice Cream, Vegan Brownies, Vegan Hot Chocolate, Apple Crisp, Apple Cake or whatever else your heart desires. Get creative!
Want more ideas on how to use this salted caramel?
- Drizzle over Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Serve as a topping for Vegan Monkey Bread instead of the usual glaze
- Serve with Vegan Apple Pie with a scoop of non-dairy vanilla ice cream
- Make a salted caramel latte with non-dairy milk and espresso or drizzle over Pumpkin Spice Lattes
- Drizzle over Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Serve on Vegan Pumpkin Scones
- Use as a topping for Vegan Pumpkin Cake or Pumpkin Pie
Vegan Salted Caramel
Treat yourself to a worthy indulgence with Vegan Salted Caramel! You only need 4 simple ingredients to make this silky smooth salty and sweet concoction.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1/2 cup soy creamer see Notes for options
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add the sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat resistant spatula or wooden spoon. The sugar will get clumpy, then eventually start to melt until it's a dark brown liquid.
- Once the sugar is all the way melted, carefully stir in 1 tablespoon of butter at a time until combined. Be very careful as the butter will bubble up as soon as you add it. If the butter looks a bit separated from the sugar (like a layer of oil on top), remove it from the heat and carefully whisk until it comes together. Watch out for oil splatter though!
- Once the butter and sugar are combined, very slowly pour in the soy creamer, stirring as you pour. Once combined, let the mixture boil for 1 minute without stirring. It will bubble up in the pan, but don't let it bubble over.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the salt. Let it cool down until it thickens up. It will be quite thin when hot, but thicken as it cools.
Notes
- Instead of soy creamer, you can use coconut cream or possibly another dairy free creamer as well. Just make sure it’s plain and not vanilla flavored or any other flavor. Use an unsweetened version.
- I prefer using Miyoko’s vegan butter but other brands work just fine.
- Organic granulated sugar is vegan. Not all white sugars are vegan, but some are depending on where you live. You must use a granulated sugar though; no other sweetener will work as well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1of 12 servings | Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 21mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.01mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!
I should have rated and reviewed this recipe a year ago. I make it all the time!
For others asking, I used it as a filling between cake layers often—it’s wonderful. (Just make a good buttercream dam.) I’ve also used it to make caramel apple pie—works great!
I typically use plant-based heavy cream instead of creamer, though. LOVE IT!
Oh gosh, I love your ideas, Dee! Thanks for sharing them as well as your great review! I’m thrilled you loved the recipe! Happy cooking!
I have been looking for a vegan caramel sauce with NO coconut taste. I was so happy to find this recipe. The first time I made it, I burnt it, unfortunately, but since the recipe is actually pretty simple, I had no problem trying it again. After learning my lesson and turning down the heat, I made a beautiful caramel sauce. It’s exactly what I was looking for, thank you!
can this be used as cake filling?
I’m sure it could, yes.
Hi Nora! I love ALL of your recipes and am excited to try this and the Apple streusel bars. When you say coconut cream can be used, do you mean from the can?
Yes, from a can. Thanks for loving my recipes!
Yes!!! A real-deal caramel!!!
I was looking for a non-coconut vegan caramel to accompany a cake I was making and kept finding recipes for loose sauces that relied on brown sugar or maple to mimic a deeper sugar flavor, but didn’t actually cook the sugar to allow for proper caramel flavor or thickness. I wish I found this sooner!
One note– I didn’t end up being able to find unsweetened or unflavored plant based creamer at the store, so I decided to try my luck with Califia Farms French Vanilla Almondmilk Creamer. I was happy with how it turned out, but I’m sure mileage may vary depending on the brand and flavor used.
Hi Fern. Thank you for sharing your fabulous review! I’m so glad you found my caramel sauce, and that you are happy with it! Happy cooking!
Before I went vegan 7 years ago I used to make caramel pecan cheesecake and since then my husband has said so many times that he misses it. Last night I made your cheesecake recipe with the caramel sauce on top and it was almost exactly like we used to have. Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Oh, I love it! That sounds delicious, and I’m glad it was similar to the cheesecake you guys loved! Thanks for sharing your fabulous feedback and idea! Happy cooking!
Hello, thanks for sharing the recipe! Do you think it would be possible to sub oat milk for creamer?
It would probably work okay yes. Thanks!
Second time making. Adding vanilla, but otherwise a wonderful recipe. In fact, our household references your recipes OFTEN. MERCI BEAUCOUP!
Hi Kiki! I am thrilled that your family is enjoying my recipes! I appreciate you using them! Thanks for your awesome review and feedback on the caramel! Happy cooking to you!
HI – does this freeze well?
I haven’t tested it, but it should freeze well. Just let it thaw at room temp before using.
This is very good. I drizzled it over your apple strudel. Do I store it in the fridge?
I’m glad you liked the caramel! Store in an airtight container in the fridge. The sweet sauce will stay fresh for about a week.
once the caramel cools will it get hard?
The caramel thickens. It does not get hard.
Hi Nora! This looks so delicious and since I have an abundance of apples right now, I was wondering if I could use this to make like a caramel apple pie. I was thinking little hand pies, but wanted to ask would you recommend baking with the caramel inside, or should I just drizzle it on after?
That sounds like a tasty idea! I haven’t tested the caramel in a pie or other baked desserts, but I’m sure you could use it both inside or on top of an apple pie. Happy baking!