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If you’re craving rich, buttery caramel but don’t need a large batch, this recipe is perfect for you! With simple ingredients—sugar, water, butter, and cream—you can easily make a delicious caramel sauce in no time. No candy thermometer is needed, and it thickens beautifully as it cools, making it a versatile topping for so many desserts.
Caramel sauce is incredibly easy to make, and once you try it, you’ll never want the store-bought kind again. We love making a quick batch to enjoy with our single serving and small batch desserts, like creamy vanilla ice cream, a perfectly spiced apple dumpling, a rich and fudgy brownie, or a moist and flavorful spice cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: With just a few ingredients and no need for special equipment, this caramel comes together quickly and effortlessly.
- Small batch: Perfect when you only need a little caramel, this recipe makes just enough—about 1/2 cup.
- Rich flavor: The combination of salted butter and cream creates a decadent, buttery caramel that’s hard to resist.
- No candy thermometer required: You don’t need to worry about special tools, just follow the recipe steps for success.
- Perfect texture: The caramel thickens as it cools, giving you that luscious, smooth texture you expect from caramel.
- Great for a gift: This small batch caramel makes a thoughtful, homemade treat to share with friends or family.
This small batch salted caramel is incredibly simple to make and delivers rich, buttery flavor with just a few basic ingredients. It comes together quickly by dissolving sugar and water, then stirring in salted butter and cream to create a smooth, velvety sauce. The ease of the recipe, paired with the caramel’s irresistible texture and flavor, makes it perfect for drizzling over desserts or dipping fruit, without the need for complicated steps or special equipment.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch caramel recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Granulated sugar: The base of any caramel, sugar provides the sweet, rich flavor that caramel is known for. It melts and caramelizes as it cooks, creating the beautiful golden color and deep taste.
- Water: Although water isn’t always considered a main ingredient, it plays an important role in dissolving the sugar evenly as the caramel cooks. It evaporates during the process, leaving behind the rich, caramelized sugar.
- Salted Butter: Adds a rich, buttery taste with a subtle hint of salt that balances out the sweetness, making this a true salted caramel. The salted butter also helps create a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Heavy Cream/Heavy Whipping Cream: Cream gives the caramel its luxurious, velvety texture, making it perfect for drizzling or dipping. It blends with the butter and caramelized sugar to create a smooth, thick sauce. If you’ve got cream leftover, consider using it to make Chocolate Ice Cream, a small White Cake, or even Fettuccine Alfredo.
How To Make Caramel
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how make a small batch of caramel. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- In a 2-quart stainless steel saucepan (I don’t recommend using non-stick), combine the sugar and water. Heat over medium-high heat. As the sugar starts to melt, stir gently with either a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon. In the photo below, I’m pointing to the sugar as it begins to melt—this is the point when you should start stirring.
- Keep stirring constantly. The sugar will initially form clumps, but as you continue stirring, it will gradually melt and transform into a smooth, amber-colored liquid. The process of how the sugar should look as it melts is shown in detail through the four accompanying photos.
- Once the sugar has fully melted and turned into a smooth liquid, carefully stir in the butter. The caramel will bubble up as soon as the butter is added, so be cautious during this step. Continue stirring until the butter is fully melted and combined with the caramel.
- After the butter has melted and combined with the caramelized sugar, continue stirring constantly as you slowly pour in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble rapidly when the cream is added. Once all the cream is in, stop stirring and let the caramel boil for 1 minute.
- Remove the caramel from the heat. It will be a thin sauce at this stage. Allow it to cool slightly before using or storing, as it will thicken as it cools.
- Transfer to a jar or bowl, cover and store the caramel in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Keep in mind, it will solidify in the fridge. To use, reheat it in the microwave or on the stove until it reaches your desired consistency.
Expert Tips
- A 2-quart saucepan seems to be the perfect size for a small batch of caramel sauce. Anything larger might cause the sugar to spread too thin and burn.
- Watch the color carefully—the caramel will go from perfect to burnt quickly.
- Don’t step away from the stove; caramel cooks fast!
- The caramel will bubble up when you add the butter and cream—this is normal, so be cautious.
- If your caramel seems too thick after cooling, gently reheat it to loosen.
- Let the caramel cool for a few minutes before using it as a topping to allow it to thicken slightly.
Serving Suggestions
In addition to the ideas mentioned above, here are more delicious ways to enjoy your homemade salted caramel:
- Vanilla Ice Cream: Drizzle caramel over a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream for an extra-special treat.
- Pumpkin Dump Cake: A rich, buttery caramel drizzle pairs perfectly with the warm spices in pumpkin dump cake.
- Dutch Apple Pie: Serve the warm pie with caramel for a delightful finishing touch.
- Bread Pudding: Top a serving of bread pudding with caramel for an extra layer of sweetness and flavor.
- Trifle: Layer caramel between cake, fruit, and cream for a decadent twist.
- Cheesecake Bars: A touch of caramel adds a sweet balance to the creamy richness of cheesecake bars.
- French Toast: Pour caramel over warm French toast for a sweet morning treat.
- Chocolate Cupcakes: Add caramel to chocolate cupcakes for a perfect contrast of rich flavors.
- Gingerbread: Caramel adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance the warm spices in gingerbread.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, this recipe doesn’t require one. Just follow the instructions and watch the color of the caramel.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Yes, just double the ingredients and follow the same process. If you’re doubling the recipe, it’s best to use a larger pot. Caramel can bubble up quite a bit, especially when adding butter and cream, so a larger pot will help prevent it from overflowing. A 3- to 4-quart pot should work well for a doubled batch, giving you plenty of room for stirring and controlling the bubbling.
Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds or on the stove over low heat until warmed.
Caramel can burn quickly, so keep a close eye on the color and remove it from the heat once it turns amber.
Reheat it gently, and if needed, stir in a splash of cream to loosen it up.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small batch caramel recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Batch Caramel
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a 2-quart stainless steel saucepan (I don’t recommend using non-stick), combine the sugar and water. Heat over medium-high heat. As soon as the sugar begins to melt, start stirring gently with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to keep it from sticking and to ensure even melting.
- Keep stirring constantly. The sugar will first clump together, but as you keep stirring, it will gradually melt and turn into a smooth, amber-colored liquid. This transformation is gradual, so keep stirring until it reaches a rich, amber color.
- Once the sugar has fully melted and turned into a smooth liquid, carefully stir in the butter. The caramel will bubble up as soon as the butter is added, so be cautious during this step. Continue stirring until the butter is fully melted and combined with the caramel.
- After the butter has melted and combined with the caramelized sugar, continue stirring constantly as you slowly pour in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble rapidly when the cream is added. Once all the cream is in, stop stirring and let the caramel boil for 1 minute.
- Remove the caramel from the heat. It will be a thin sauce at this stage. Allow it to cool slightly before using or storing, as it will thicken as it cools.
- Transfer to a jar or bowl, cover and store the caramel in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Note: Caramel will solidify in the fridge. To use, reheat it in the microwave or on the stove until it reaches your desired consistency.
Notes
- A 2-quart saucepan seems to be the perfect size for a small batch of caramel sauce. Anything larger might cause the sugar to spread too thin and burn.
- Watch the color carefully—the caramel will go from perfect to burnt quickly.
- Don’t step away from the stove; caramel cooks fast!
- The caramel will bubble up when you add the butter and cream—this is normal, so be cautious.
- If your caramel seems too thick after cooling, gently reheat it to loosen.
- Let the caramel cool for a few minutes before using it as a topping to allow it to thicken slightly.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I’m not sure what happened, but it totally bombed on me. It melted it looked like it was about to caramelize, but all of a sudden it got grainy on me. So it’s in the long run it never caramelized and it had this gritty texture to it. I know my stove top temp can be wonky, so I’ll try again later.
If your caramel turns gritty or grainy, the sugar likely crystallized. This can happen if any melted sugar splashes onto the sides of the pan, where it loses moisture and forms crystals that can cause the caramel to seize up. For the best results, keep stirring continuously over medium-high heat as directed, and if you notice any sugar on the sides, carefully brush it down with a damp pastry brush. I hope this helps, and I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it another try!
I usually don’t have salted butter in my fridge. For this small batch, I’m assuming that an eighth or a quarter teaspoon of salt added would be adequate?
Yes.
Great recipe.
Thank you!
Can you just use brown sugar ?
Traditional caramel recipes rely on white sugar for that smooth, glossy texture since it melts consistently and develops the rich, deep flavor we expect in caramel. Using brown sugar might change the texture and could make it softer or grainier. However, if you’re interested in experimenting, you could try it with a small batch—just keep in mind it may not turn out quite the same as the original recipe.