This easy Vegan Caramel Sauce is made with just 3 ingredients in 5 minutes. It makes a thick, creamy, smooth, and rich topping for ice cream and desserts, a dipping sauce for fruits, and a great sweetener for coffee and lattes.
Watch me make this vegan caramel recipe in this quick video!
How to Make Vegan Caramel Sauce
- In a small stainless steel saucepan, whisk in coconut cream, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly so the coconut cream melts and the mixture becomes bubbly and almost foamy.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low (or to a simmer) and continue to stir often for about 5 minutes, or until the caramel thickens. TIP: For making a salted caramel, stir in a pinch of sea salt.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool. Stir well every time you use it!
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this vegan caramel sauce, you'll need:
For the Vegan Caramel
- 1 cup coconut cream (canned full-fat coconut milk or condensed coconut milk. Heavy cream can be used in place of coconut cream for a non-vegan option). If you're on a keto diet, use any except condensed coconut milk!
- ¾ cup brown sugar (Or, coconut sugar, or granulated sugar for a non-vegan recipe). Replace it with a mixture of 4 tablespoons of Allulose and 4 tablespoons of Swerve Brown if you're on a keto diet!
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or Arrowroot starch). Use the same measurement of Xanthan Gum for a vegan keto caramel sauce!
- Pinch sea salt, optional (for a vegan salted caramel sauce)
Garnish (Optional)
- Flaked sea salt to garnish the top
Tips for Making the Best Vegan Caramel Sauce Recipe
- For Salted Caramel: Stir in a pinch of sea salt before you remove the pot from the stovetop.
- If your caramel sauce looks thin when you remove it from the stovetop, no worries! It will thicken as it cools, and even more after refrigerating.
- After removing it from the heat, transfer it to a Mason Jar and let it cool completely before placing the lid. Immediately after transferring the caramel to the jar, make sure to fill your saucepan with water and let it sit in the sink to make it easier to wash the pan. The residue of the sauce at the bottom of the pan can be quite sticky!
- For a creamier and thicker sauce, we used coconut cream instead of canned coconut milk in this caramel recipe. However, if you only have coconut milk in your pantry, make sure to stir the sauce for longer on the stovetop to thicken more, or increase the amount of cornstarch to 1 ½ tablespoons.
- Add-ins: You can add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, or scrape a vanilla bean to take your vegan caramel sauce to the next level.
What to Serve With Vegan Caramel Sauce
The possibilities are endless! Here are a few suggestions:
- As a dipping sauce: You may serve it in a small bowl to dip apple slices or other fruits.
- As a topping: Drizzle it on top of this gluten-free apple crisp, keto coconut ice cream, oat flour pancakes, chocolate fudge cake in a mug, caramel apple cider, or these sweet potato brownies.
- To sweeten your coffee, or this iced vanilla latte with this caramel vegan sauce.
FAQs
If stored in a covered glass container, it can last up to 7 days in the fridge. But because this sauce contains cornstarch, it can't be frozen; otherwise, it'll become thin after thawing.
How to Store
- Fridge: Store leftover caramel in a Mason jar or glass bowl with a lid in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.
- Freezer: Do not freeze it! Why? This vegan caramel sauce contains cornstarch and once thawed, it will become quite thin.
Other Recipes with Caramel
Besides this recipe for vegan caramel sauce, check out these other rich desserts with caramel:
- Caramel apple cobbler
- Caramel apple cheesecake
- Tahini caramel Millionaire's shortbread
- Caramel pudding
PIN AND ENJOY!
BEST Vegan Caramel Sauce
Equipment
- 1 stainless steel saucepan
- 1 whisk
- 1 Mason jar
Ingredients
For the Vegan Caramel
- 1 cup coconut cream canned full-fat coconut milk or condensed coconut milk. Heavy cream can be used in place of coconut cream as a non-vegan option. If you're on a keto diet, use any except condensed coconut milk!
- ¾ cup brown sugar Or, coconut sugar, or granulated sugar for a non-vegan recipe. Replace it with a mixture of 4 tablespoons of Allulose and 4 tablespoons of Swerve Brown if you're on a keto diet!
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or Arrowroot starch. Use the same measurement of Xanthan Gum for a vegan keto caramel sauce!
- Pinch sea salt optional (for a vegan salted caramel sauce)
Garnish (Optional)
- Pinch Flaked sea salt to garnish the top
Instructions
- In a small stainless steel saucepan, whisk in coconut cream, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly so the coconut cream melts and the mixture becomes bubbly and almost foamy.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low (or to a simmer) and continue to stir often for about 5 minutes, or until the caramel thickens. TIP: For making a salted caramel, stir in a pinch of sea salt.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool. Stir well every time you use it!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
