Here’s my technique for making an easy Vanilla Caramel Sauce. For your pittance of effort, you’ll be rewarded with about a cup of insanely flavorful vanilla caramel. In my case, I had about a cup in the pan, but by the time I transferred it to a jar about a quarter of it had not-so-mysteriously disappeared into my mouth:-) The addition of a whole vanilla bean really takes this sauce to the next level. The heavenly aroma and little black vanilla seeds add some visual appeal to the rich, brown caramel. Flavor-wise, you still get the smoky-sweet caramel notes as the silky-smooth sauce dissolves on your tongue, followed by the rich cream and butter, but the real treat comes at the end with the long, lingering flavor of vanilla. I prefer using evaporated cane juice (a.k.a. raw sugar) for the caramel because it has more flavor than the white stuff. Since unprocessed sugar will burn if you take it to the standard 350 degrees Fahrenheit for making caramel, be sure to stop it at 330 degrees F. If you’re using regular granulated sugar to make this, be sure to take it all the way up to 350 degrees for the most flavor. This caramel sauce is delicious on apple pie, ice cream, or pancakes, and makes an incredible dipping sauce for apples, bananas, or my Apple Pie Potstickers or Banana Fritters. You can also use it to make a delicious caramel latte. Add a pinch of sea salt as you serve it for a Salted Vanilla Caramel sauce. Store it in the fridge and reheat for a few seconds in the microwave to make it pourable again.
📖 Recipe
