Homemade Caramel Sauce

Years ago, my friend Dee and I were planning a brunch menu for a group of around fifty people. She offered to make some caramel sauce to go with the Belgian waffles we had planned and that was the beginning of my love affair with this sauce. Here’s the thing with this sauce: it simply elevates everything it touches. In fact, one time when my friend Janelle was helping me clean up after a breakfast event where this caramel sauce had played a starring role on pancakes, I came around the corner to find her dipping a piece of fruit into a pool of caramel sauce. She looked up sheepishly and said “I could eat trash if this caramel sauce was on it.” She was not wrong. This may be simple but it’s really that good.

I’m not a big breakfast person but I have plenty of opportunities to make this sauce for brunch gatherings. Last year, I brought a pan of overnight french toast and this Homemade Caramel Sauce to a welcome brunch for a new couple who were moving into our community. She was still talking about that caramel sauce a few months ago so I promised her I would make it again for her. I made good on my promise this week and decided to share it with all of you! So here goes…

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla

Place everything except vanilla into a large stockpot and bring to rolling boil over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring often until color reaches a deep caramel. (This will froth up so make sure your pot is big enough.) Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. This recipe makes around 3 cups of sauce. You can keep the leftovers in the fridge and reheat as needed.

Here is a look inside the pot at midpoint and then again when this Homemade Caramel Sauce is finished. See how the color deepens?

Whether you need to hype up waffles, pancakes, french toast, ice cream, caramel lattes or just make an amazing caramel dipping station, I guarantee this homemade caramel sauce is key! Enjoy!