How to make smooth, golden caramel sauce at home — wet and dry methods explained.
⏱ 3 min readIntermediateUpdated June 2026
Quick Answer
Wet method (easier): heat 200g sugar with 60ml water until amber. Remove from heat, whisk in 120ml warm cream and 30g butter. The cream will bubble vigorously — this is normal. Stir until smooth. Makes a rich sauce.
Wet Method Caramel (Recommended for Beginners)
200g (1 cup) white caster sugar
60ml (1/4 cup) water
120ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream, warmed
30g unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 teaspoon salt (for salted caramel)
1
Combine sugar and water in a heavy saucepan
Use a heavy-bottomed stainless steel or light-coloured saucepan (not non-stick — you need to see the colour change). Add sugar and water. Stir once to combine, then do not stir again — stirring after heating begins causes crystallisation.
2
Cook over medium-high heat without stirring
Heat over medium-high. The mixture will bubble, then the water will evaporate and the sugar will begin to colour. Swirl the pan gently if needed to even out the colour — but do not stir. Watch carefully from about 8 minutes.
3
Remove from heat at amber colour
The caramel is ready when it turns a deep amber — the colour of aged whisky or dark honey. This happens quickly once colouring begins. Remove from heat immediately at this point — it continues cooking from residual heat and can go from amber to burnt in seconds.
4
Whisk in warm cream (carefully — it will bubble violently)
Immediately add the warm cream in a steady stream while whisking constantly. The mixture will bubble up dramatically — use a large saucepan and stand back slightly. The bubbling settles quickly. Add butter and salt, whisk until fully combined and smooth.
5
Use immediately or store
Pour into a jar. Use warm as a sauce or allow to cool — it thickens as it cools. Refrigerates for up to 2 weeks. Reheat gently in the microwave or a small saucepan to restore pouring consistency.
Dry method (faster, harder)Add sugar alone to a pan over medium-high heat. Let it melt without stirring. Push melted edges toward unmelted sugar occasionally with a heatproof spatula. Once fully melted and amber, remove from heat and add warm cream as above. The dry method is faster but easier to burn and harder to control for beginners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crystallisation happens when sugar molecules form crystals, usually triggered by stirring during cooking, a sugar crystal on the side of the pan, or impurities in the sugar. Prevention: do not stir after the sugar begins heating; use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash down any sugar crystals from the pan sides; use clean equipment. If it crystallises, add a tablespoon of corn syrup or a squeeze of lemon juice to the next batch — both inhibit crystal formation.
Yes — substitute coconut cream for a dairy-free caramel (slightly different flavour, excellent for vegan baking). Or make a dry caramel and skip the cream entirely for a hard caramel used in praline and toffee — pour onto baking paper and let set. Without cream, the caramel sets solid rather than remaining a sauce.