Apple Cider Caramel Sauce
Sweet, tart, delicately spiced and wicked delicious- this apple cider caramel sauce is going to be your absolute favorite this fall! It packs in all the sweetness from the classic caramel sauce, but with a beautiful tart and slightly spicy undertone that makes it so addictive.
And trust me on this- homemade caramel sauce tastes 10000 times better than the store-bought variety- I know because I've tried an olive oil caramel sauce too, and it was an absolute hit!
I've been trying quite a lot of fall-inspired recipes recently. My stewed apples and spiced pear butter got so much love and appreciation, and I've really been itching to try some more spreads and condiments that I could use for weeks.
I also recently tried a nice crunchy pecan praline sauce, which was such a stunner, especially with my homemade desserts. And that's actually kind of what inspired me to try this sauce, which I can bet on- you're gonna love too!
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 0 min.
- ⏲️Cook time: 20 min.
- 👪 Servings: 6.
- 📋Main ingredients: Apple cider, butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, spices, sea salt.
- ♨️Cooking method: Combine apple cider and brown sugar in a saucepan 🡢 add spices and cook 🡢 add butter and heavy cream 🡢 continue cooking until sauce thickens 🡢 finish up with sea salt, cool and serve.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Spoon some of the apple cider caramel sauce over your vanilla ice cream and top with Feuilletine flakes.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- It's really easy to make- like my peach jalapeno jam. All you need is a saucepan and a few simple ingredients. That's it.
- It comes together in under 30 minutes- making it perfect for your weekend batch-cooking.
Recipe Ingredients
Apple cider: Look for apple cider sold in the juice section of your grocery store. You can also use homemade apple cider if you want, or check with your local orchard if they have some available.
Brown sugar: For that delicate caramel-like sweetness. Light brown sugar is perfect for all fall and holiday recipes- even my homemade gingerbread syrup.
Heavy cream: To thicken the sauce and make it nice and creamy.
Butter: Unsalted butter works best- gives you more control over the amount of salt you're using later.
Spices: I used a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg- the classic combo that works wonderfully in fall recipes. I used it them for my spiced Christmas jam too.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- For a deeper caramel-like flavor, use dark brown sugar. I like to add some of my homemade date sugar too, for additional sweetness.
- Experiment with different spices. I like to use cardamom and nutmeg sometimes, and even add a dash of vanilla for that brilliant aroma.
How to Make Apple Cider Caramel Sauce
Step 1: In a saucepan, combine brown sugar and apple cider.
Step 2: Turn on the heat and let the brown sugar melt.
Step 3: Next, add the butter.
Step 4: Stir in the spices.
Step 5: Add the heavy cream and mix.
Step 6: Add a dash of sea salt.
Step 7: Continue cooking, stirring occasionally.
Step 8: Once the color deepens, take it off heat and store for later or use whenever you want to.
💭Top Tip
Don't use any low fat cream or butter here. The higher the fat content, the richer and creamier the sauce will turn out!
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use a large saucepan to make the sauce. This will cover a larger area and the sauce will come together super quickly too! I realized this when I made my fig compote,
- You can also try using any other fruit cider like pear cider to create another version of the recipe.
- Make sure you don't end up overcooking the sauce- or it'll become tough and chewy. Once it reaches a creamy, saucy consistency, take it off heat and allow it to cool down before you serve.
How to Use Apple Cider Caramel Sauce
This delicious sauce tastes perfect when spooned over a simple cake or a slice of cheesecake. Whenever I'm planning a nice dessert menu for some guests I'm hosting, I like to have an assortment of sauces, including my blueberry sauce and some honey fermented cranberries as topping options.
But that's not all- the sauce tastes incredible when served with almost all of your breakfast favorites like pancakes, waffles, scones and even oatmeal- it's such a versatile condiment- just like my lemon marmalade and homemade golden syrup. In fact, it tastes SO good with some apple slices too!
Troubleshooting and FAQs
You can store the leftover sauce in the refrigerator for up to a week.
You can, but the flavor of the sauce will be more sweet, and less apple-y and tart.
To make a vegan version of the recipe, swap the regular butter with vegan butter and use a bit of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
More Holiday Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this apple cider caramel sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Apple Cider Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups apple cider
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine brown sugar and apple cider.
- Turn on the heat and let the brown sugar melt.
- Next, add the butter.
- Stir in the spices.
- Add the heavy cream and mix.
- Add a dash of sea salt.
- Continue cooking, stirring occasionally.
- Once the color deepens, take it off heat and store for later or use whenever you want to.
Notes
- Don't use any low fat cream or butter here. The higher the fat content, the richer and creamier the sauce will turn out!
- Make sure you don't end up overcooking the sauce- or it'll become tough and chewy. Once it reaches a creamy, saucy consistency, take it off heat and allow it to cool down before you serve.
- Use a large saucepan to make the sauce. This will cover a larger area and the sauce will come together super quickly too!
