How to Make Vegan Caramel Sauce from Scratch

Follow these easy instructions to make deliciously thick vegan caramel sauceat home. Made with just 5 simple ingredients (no coconut milk!), you can make a salted version or omit the salt for classic caramel sauce. Once prepared, allow the caramel sauce to cool in the fridge for 1-2 hours to thicken.

If you’re in need of a creamy, sweet, easy and downright delicious caramel sauce recipe that’s not only vegan, but also dairy free, look no further my friends!

This caramel sauce recipe is truly all you’ll need. Made entirely allergy friendly (including nut free), this dairy free caramel sauce is the perfect topping to any vegan dessert recipe: ice cream, brownies, cookies, heck, even cake (and if you really have a sweet tooth, you’ll want to check out 110+ more vegan dessert recipes in my cookbook that this will work great with!)! 

Or you can even use this delicious topping in any of these vegan dessert recipes with caramel!

Unlike date caramel (which does have its place!), this  caramel is really and truly undetectably vegan. 

Plus, there are no funky ingredients like you’d find in store-bought caramel sauce. I wanted this caramel sauce to be the ultimate celebration of some of sweetest and creamiest plant-based ingredients 🙂

You’ll have no problem dripping, drizzling, and smearing this vegan caramel sauce recipe on just about any treat (or spoon, let’s be honest, I’ll just eat it straight up!).

What is vegan caramel made of?

I wanted this healthy caramel sauce recipe to be super simple. It’s entirely vegan, dairy free, Paleo, and refined sugar free.

For this vegan caramel, you’ll need:

• Vegan butter: I recommend Miyoko’s vegan butter for the best tasting results! You can also swap in coconut oil. If you don’t want a coconut flavor, you can use refined coconut oil.
• Granulated sugar: Use organic granulated sugar so that it’s vegan! You can also swap in half of the amount with brown sugar or with coconut sugar. If you use all brown sugar, then you achieve more of a vegan toffee sauce. Still delicious!
• Heavy vegan cream: I really like Plant Crock or Silk! You can also substitute in soy milk or oat milk. If you’d really like to, you can use coconut milk or coconut cream!
• Maple syrup: This helps our vegan caramel sauce thicken!
• Vanilla and Sea Salt (flavor enhancers!) These are optional but highly recommended!

If you don’t want to make a salted caramel sauce, you can easily omit the sea salt!

A quick note about why I recommend sea salt, personally, because it definitely has a different taste. Studies aren’t that conclusive whether or not sea salt is better than table salt, but if I had to go with one, I’d go with sea salt!

Overview: How to make vegan caramel sauce from scratch

Making vegan caramel sauce is actually quite similar to making a regular caramel sauce recipe.

To start, add all ingredients to a saucepan or medium pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook the caramel for 40 minutes. Continue to whisk every few minutes to ensure you’re not burning the caramel.

Once cooked, you’ll pour the caramel into a jar and allow it to cool at room temperature for an hour. Then transfer it to the fridge to cool for another hour or two to thicken. Then use as you would regular caramel!

How long does this caramel sauce recipe last?

I’ve tested this several times, and it will last just about 2 weeks in the fridge within an airtight container. That being said, it will last longer in the freezer.

You don’t need to reheat the sauce either to use. It will still be moveable and drizzle-able (I just made up a word and we’re rolling with it haha!), but it will be thick.

If yours is too thick to move, just let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before using. Additionally, you can reheat this vegan caramel sauce in the microwave for 15-20 seconds on high.

How to use caramel sauce:

Of course, I have a few recipes that already use this sauce, which I’ll mention in the next section, but you certainly don’t need a recipe to enjoy this vegan caramel recipe as a delicious topping! Here are some yummy topping ideas for your dairy free caramel: 

• Vegan vanilla ice cream
• Easy chocolate ice cream
• Dip apples in it for vegan caramel apples.
• Swirl a spoonful into some dairy free yogurt for a healthier dessert.
• Dip frozen banana slices into and then into chocolate
• Toss some homemade popcorn in it for vegan salted caramel popcorn!
• Honestly, just eat it with a spoon!

You’re just going to absolutely love this easy vegan caramel as much as I do! If you give it a go, be sure to let me know down below in the comments section.

As always, I love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there.

Happy caramel making!!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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