This Vegan Caramel Sauce is made with only 3 ingredients! Healthier, all natural ingredients, and goes perfectly with everything you pour it over!!
WATCH THE VIDEO TO SEE HOW IT’S MADE:
The Christmas season means many things. Several viewings of Elf. Lots of eggnog and hot chocolate drinking beside the Christmas tree. Most prevalent it seems, is the lots of sweets – and I mean lots. ‘Tis the season for overindulging in sweet things! So when you feel like you’re in need of a sweet craving this holiday (you will), make this Vegan Caramel Sauce.
Easy, creamy, thick and dreamy. Also? All natural ingredients, way healthier than store-bought caramel, and so incredibly easy to make, you’ll definitely make it more than once.
So, what exactly is this Vegan Caramel Sauce made up of? All natural sugar of your choice. That can be coconut sugar, cane sugar, organic brown sugar, sucanat, date sugar. Honestly, the possibility are endless. This recipe is so customisable that it’ll fit your every needs.
Next on this list is the coconut milk. Yes, I said coconut milk friends. It helps to get the caramel thick and creamy, while keeping it vegan. There are a million amazing things to say about coconut milk but I’ll stick to one for right now: perfect heavy cream substitute.
Lastly, sea salt. It’s that pinch that helps to elevate all of the previous ingredients. I added only a ¼ teaspoon, but feel free to add up to ¾ teaspoon of sea salt if you desire a salted caramel. Salted caramel really is the best. I wanted to keep mine neutral so that you could alter it to your liking.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Q: Can I add anything else to my caramel sauce?
A: Yes! You could add vanilla extract, or scrape a vanilla bean for a heightened flavour. You could also add ground lavender, or even use fleur de sel instead of sea salt. That last one sounds divine!
Q: What can I use this vegan caramel sauce on?
A: You can use it as fruit dip. You can drizzle it over pancakes. You can stir it into your coffee or oatmeal. Even your batter for muffins or cupcakes at the top for a sweet swirl. You can use it in this Salted Pretzel Caramel Bark. The possibilities are endless!
Vegan Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup coconut or cane or organic brown sugar
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk (from the can), room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Heat a pot over medium high heat.
- Add the sugar and stir around the pot for about 1 minute to heat through.
- Add the coconut milk and and sea salt stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer at low medium heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until caramel has thickened, stirring occasionally. It should be sticking to the back of your spatula or spoon.
- You can stir in up to ¾ teaspoon extra sea salt at this point if you want salted caramel.
- Remove pan from heat. Allow to cool slightly for 10 minutes then transfer to a jar with a lid.
- Cover jar, and place in fridge to cool further for at least two hours. The sauce WILL thicken up much more upon cooling and also upon placing in the fridge, even if it doesn't look very thick after removing from the stove.
- To use, simply remove from fridge and pour over anything you want. I use this for holiday pancakes, Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark and over ice cream and cakes. Enjoy!!
Recipe Notes
You can easily half this recipe, or even double it! Ensure that you're using all coconut milk and not coconut water, else the sauce will not thicken up as much, and it will separate while cooling. This sauce lasts weeks in your fridge.
If you try this Vegan Caramel Sauce please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen! For more exclusive recipes follow me on Instagram AND on Snapchat: jessinkitchen.
This is beyond delicious! Fat content of the coconut milk you used?
Thanks Angie!! I actually used regular coconut milk, not full fat! I imagine full fat would probably taste even creamier, though!
Hi Angie,
I should clarify! I used regular coconut milk from the tin, not the carton box!
Hey Angie,
I tried it again with full fat and definitely making it with that from now on! Just as tasty, but definitely creamier!
Watching Elf several times is essential during Christmas!! And this caramel sauce … holy moly I want some!
Thanks Ashley!! It was so yummy and YAY to Elf!
I love Caramel and Coconut Milk! I mean this caramel is heaven for me
Thanks Carlos!!
Allergic to nuts and coconut. Any suggestions?? So frustrating sometimes. I miss caramel.
Hey Helen! I’m assuming you’re vegan else you could make this with regular milk. I’ve been searching for ages trying to find a solution for you. The date caramel in this recipe looks promising: http://mygoodnesskitchen.com/vegan-caramel-three-ways/ just use brown rice milk instead of almond milk! I really hope that helps! I’ll let you know if I find anything else.
If you simmer the dates on low heat for a long time, when you process them, they’ll be glossier. Give you a better result. Although, question, is someone with coconut allergy not allergic to dates, as they’re the same family?
I would try seeing if you could just use Brown Rice Syrup and vanilla. If it needed thickened, you could also perhaps trying using a TBS or two of sunflower butter (not nuts). I would think that would make an amazing caramel sauce. If you’ve never had Brown Rice Syrup, right out of the jar it tastes almost like a caramel (without the vanilla).
I will definitely be making this! Thank you!
Hi Joan,
You’re so welcome! I hope you enjoy!
If you use the full can of coconut milk, will you also need to add more of the other ingredients?
Hi Molly,
Yes! A full can of coconut milk is about 1 1/2 cups, so you can increase the sugar by like 1/4 cup. Just ensure it’s ALL full fat else the caramel won’t get as thick. I hope you enjoy!!
Hi I made this recipe and came out tasting great!,but the problem is that the sugar kept on crystallizing while it was cooling down, I tried reheating it again and it stopped crystallizing but as it cooled it crystallized once again:( I put it in the fridge and checked on it to see that it was all crystal:( did I do anything wrong what should I do?
Hi Eva,
I’m glad you enjoyed the taste! That’s so weird re the crystallising, it hasn’t happened to me on the occasions I have made this, but it sounds like you may have left it on a bit too long or too high heat (instead of at simmer). Did you use the same ingredients in the post? Reheating it would actually encourage more crystallising which may have just made it worse. I don’t think you can fix it at this point, but try leaving it out on the counter for a few hours. I hope that helps! It may be easier to just make it over since the point of crystallisation sounds way past the norm.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful recipes. I used to make a caramel sauce and it included butter. Would vegan butter work in this recipe or does it have too much water?
By the way, I love your motto 🙂
Hey Kathleen,
Aww thank you so much!! Vegan butter instead of coconut milk or in addition to it?
Aww thank you!!! My husband came up with it – it’s so beautiful and he said it reminded him best of the food I make!! 🙂
I’m using coconut milk but it doesn’t thicken what so ever. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Hannah, how long have you been cooking it for? Did you use full fat coconut milk from the can (it’s kind of thick) or from the box?
Hi Jessica,
I appreciate this recipe. I just made the sauce and will be incorporating it with a batch of ice-cream. I did make some tweaks, but gratefully used your recipe as inspiration and as a reminder that I didn’t forget the basics of caramel.
what I did differently –
I heated 5 Tbsp Earth Balance until it was bubbling but not burning (at this point I also started to stir). I then added the sugar and incorporated it well into the fat while stirring. I continued stirring as the fat and sugar boiled until I started to get a light wisp of burnt sugar in the air… at that point I added full fat coconut milk mixed with .5 Tsp salt and a Tbsp home made vanilla extract. I then let this boil for a few minutes while emulsifying it with a steady whisking. Now it’s cooling, tastes delicious, and is everything caramel is supposed to be.
Thank you again!
Love your changes, sounds great!! So glad you enjoyed and your welcome!
Perfect yummy sauce. I used it for the pineapple gooey topping of a vegan pineapple upside cake.
Oh I’m so happy to hear that Gail! That cake sounds amazing!!
would this work with sugar sub? i am diabetic
Hi Pym,
I haven’t tried it but it should, as long as it’s made of a sugar like crystal texture and not a powder. Please let me know and I hope you enjoy it!!
This was delicious and now I’m going to make it all the time to add to my coconut milk lattes , yay ! Thank you 🙂
Thanks so much for your feedback Sue!! SO happy that you enjoyed it! Mmmm coconut milk lattes sound DIVINE!
Hi!
Did your recipe and replaced sugar by maple syrup. It is AMAZING!! Had to boil it a bit more though. Thanks for your recipe!
Hi Cindy!
Oh yay!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! I’m so happy to hear it worked with you maple syrup – thanks for your feedback and you’re so welcome!!
Hi Jessica
How many weeks does this last in jars in the fridge? I’m considering this a Christmas gifts.
Thanking you.
Rosie.
Hey Rosie,
Mine lasted several weeks – I finished mine after about three weeks in the fridge. Hope that helps! Hope these make delicious Christmas gifts – what a great idea!!