Use this Easy Caramel Sauce recipe however you want. Use it runny as a delicious topping over aihikirīmi (ice cream) or thicken it and pipe it over your favourite baking.
Find this simple recipe in my Whānaukai Cookbook as a luscious filling for my keke panana (banana cake). Bake it into my Sticky Caramel Date Cake and then use it as decoration too. Or fill my Chocolate and Caramel Cookies with the thickened karamea (caramel). As you can see, it is such a great recipe to have in your baking repertoire, so please let me know how you use it.
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
Ingredient Tips for this Easy Caramel Sauce:
- Butter: I always use salted butter but use unsalted if you want to.
- Sugar: Use huka hāura (brown sugar) for its caramel tones and delicious flavour. If you want a richer colour and flavour, swap it for dark muscovado sugar.
Expert Tips:
Take the time to develop the colour in the butter and sugar before the cream is added. This is the only time to get the colour and depth of flavour.
There is the odd occasion when the caramel splits or separates. If this happens, give it a good stir and see if it looks better. If it doesn't, return it to the heat and gently melt it down and it will come back to beautiful caramel.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EASY CARAMEL SAUCE:
Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.
1. Melt the Butter and Sugar:
Add the pata (butter), huka hāura (brown sugar) and tote (salt) to a frying pan or a wide pot.
Set over medium-high heat until the pata (butter) and huka (sugar) have melted and the sugar is dissolved. Stir occasionally.
It will look separated halfway through but it does come together.
Once the ingredients are combined, simmer over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
You want a nice, deep colour here.
2. Add the Cream:
Pour in the kirīmi (cream).
Stir well and simmer for 7 minutes over medium heat until it starts to thicken. Stir occasionally.
Remove from the heat. If you want to add a touch more flavour, stir through the wanira (vanilla) now.
Use it warm as a Pouring Sauce:
You can now use the karamea (caramel) as a pouring sauce over dessert or ice cream. If you want a thicker karamea (caramel), follow the instructions below.
Cool and use it as a Thick Caramel:
If you want to use it as a thick caramel, it will thicken as it cools down.
Simply cool the karamea (caramel) to room temperature, stirring occasionally as it cools.
Once it is cool, add to a jar and seal it with a lid and store in the fridge.
Store the Easy Caramel Sauce:
This will keep in the fridge for a good week or so.
When you are ready to use it, you can warm it up to loosen it or give it a good stir and it is ready to be piped or smeared.
Note: There is the odd occasion when the caramel splits or separates.
If this happens, give it a good stir and see if it looks better. If it doesn't, return to the heat and gently melt it down and it will come back to beautiful caramel.
Check out some more
Toppings
Make your baking extra special with these simple toppings.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE?
It would be so awesome if you could please leave a review/comment by clicking the “leave a comment” section at the top of the page.
I love seeing you all make my creations, so send a whakaahua (photo) or kiriata (video) to my Instagram and show me what you made. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions) too, I would love to help.
Caramel - Karamea
Ingredients
- 125 g pata (butter)
- 1 C (200 g) huka hāura (brown sugar)
- ½ teaspoon tote (salt, fine)
- 1 C (250 ml) kirīmi (cream, pouring)
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) wanira (vanilla, optional)
Instructions
Melt the Butter and Sugar:
- Add the pata (butter), huka hāura (brown sugar) and tote (salt) to a frying pan or a wide pot.
- Set over medium-high heat until the pata (butter) and huka (sugar) have melted and the sugar is dissolved.It will look separated halfway through but it does come together.
- Once the ingredients are combined, simmer over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally.You want a nice, deep colour here.
Add the Cream:
- Pour in the kirīmi (cream).
- Stir well and simmer for 7 minutes over medium heat until it starts to thicken. Stir occasionally.
- Remove from the heat.If you want to add a touch more flavour, stir through the wanira (vanilla) now.
Use it warm as a Pouring Sauce:
- At this point the caramel is ready to be used as a pouring sauce over dessert or ice cream. If you want a thicker karamea (caramel), follow the next steps.
Cool and use it as a Thick Caramel:
- If you want to use it as a thick caramel, it will thicken as it cools down. Simply cool the karamea (caramel) to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Once it is cool, add to a jar and seal it with a lid. Whakamātaohia (refrigerate).
Store the Easy Caramel Sauce:
- This will keep in the fridge for a good week or so. When you are ready to use it, you can warm it up to loosen it or give it a good stir and it is ready to be piped or smeared.
- Note: There is the odd occasion when the caramel splits or separates. If this happens, give it a good stir and see if it looks better. If it doesn't, return to the heat and gently melt it down and it will come back to beautiful caramel.
Liv
This was so easy I think im going to call it fool-proof! It looked a bit funny after I added the cream and I was sure this was going to be like every other time I work with hot sugar but it came together perfectly. I added extra 50ml cream by accident and its still lush 🥰
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
So glad to hear that you enjoyed it - I use this recipe so often in different recipes so that's awesome that you can too. Thanks for the review.