Caramel was always my favorite ice cream topping growing up, but I never realized it was something you could actually make. I thought it was just something that came from a jar!
The first batch I made from scratch blew. my. mind. It was so much deeper and more complex and rewarding than store-bought caramel.
If you love the handmade-everything ethos of Go! Ice Cream today, well, you have caramel and my love of dessert to thank for it!
Nowadays, I make caramel sauce about four gallons at a time (!) and I have perfected my own recipe, but if you would like to make a more approachable amount at home, this delicious recipe is the very first caramel recipe I ever used.
In fact, our Caramel Brownie ice cream is made the same way but on a much larger scale—starting with browning about 34 pounds of sugar in a slow, painstaking process that takes several hours and requires constant attention, resulting in a deliciously rich caramel ice cream with all the smoky complexity and nostalgic warmth that only a truly great caramel provides.
The recipe comes from David Lebovitz and is a fairly simple introduction to a sauce that can be tricky to master. The real keys to success are getting the caramel well browned in step 2 without burning it, and getting the salt level just right.
Have fun and good luck!
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream, warmed
- ½ teaspoon quality vanilla paste or extract
- ½–1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as
- Fleur de Sel or Maldon, or to taste
Preparation
Over medium heat, melt butter and sugar together in a large saucepan or pot (one that will hold at least 4 quarts, but I recommend one that’s larger, if possible).
Continue to cook the sugar and butter together, stirring frequently, until the color is deep golden brown and it starts to smoke. (For best results, cook the mixture until it smells a little smoky, too, but be careful to find the balance between well-browned and the moment before it’s burnt, which is when it’s ready to have the cream added). It should be the color of an old copper penny.
Immediately remove from heat and gradually pour in the warm cream, stirring constantly, until smooth.
Mix in the vanilla and salt. Enjoy!
