How do you make caramel sauce harder?

Add tapioca to the caramel sauce . Simply add small amount to your sauce to thicken it. Start with about 1 tsp (5 mL) and whisk it into the sauce until fully dissolved. If the sauce still isn't thick enough, add another tsp of tapioca flour.

How do you dilute caramel solution?

Add corn syrup, honey, or lemon juice to keep the sauce thin. Use lemon juice instead if you don't mind the citrus taste. Use ½ tablespoon (7.4 mL) of lemon juice per cup (236.6 mL) of sauce. ... The lemon juice should prevent your caramel from crystallizing, but it may alter the taste of your caramel.

Why is my caramel not hardening?

If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough . Again place the caramel back into a sauce pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and heat to 244°F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can test with a cold water test.

How do you keep melted caramel from hardening?

To help prevent the caramel from crystallizing, you can add an acid to the sugar before you begin: add about half a tablespoon of lemon juice to each cup of sugar and mix it with your hands; it should be the consistency of wet sand. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat until it melts.

What thickens homemade caramel?

To thicken a caramel sauce, use one tablespoon of cornstarch or tapioca starch (sometimes known as tapioca flour) and one tablespoon of water per cup of caramel . Then simmer the caramel, stirring it constantly with a wooden spoon until it becomes thick.

What is the formula for caramel?

The typical formula for caramels is C24H36O18 , so the elements of water have been removed from the sucrose.

Why did my caramel sauce get hard?

The water evaporates, leaving sugar crystals behind . If even one sugar crystal falls back into the pan of cooking caramel, it starts a chain reaction of sugar crystals and the entire pan will harden. The result? Gross, grainy caramel that is unusable in most recipes.

How do you fix caramel that is too soft?

Yep, you can do it for sure. Ive had the problem in the past when I removed a caramel too quickly and it was too soft. You just need to add water to dissolve the sugar completely, the go ahead and reboil.

What makes caramel soft vs hard?

Heat until the syrup reaches 240 to 245 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower the temperature, the softer the resulting caramels will be .

Will caramel harden after melting?

The answer is that they will likely reharden. It works like this: Cocomels get harder as moisture leaves the candy. Cooking cooks moisture out of the candy, leading to a firmer texture once cool.

Does liquid caramel harden?

After the caramel cools down, pour it into a glass jar or container. Refrigerate for up to 1 month. The caramel solidifies as it cools , but you can reheat in the microwave or on the stove so it's liquid again.

Bourbon Caramel Sauce Recipe Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

Home Recipes by Type Desserts

3030 Minutes or LessVGVegetarian

4.35

15 minutes mins

83 Comments

Jump to Recipe

By: Rachel GurkPosted: 12/06/2017Updated: 03/23/2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Perfect for both gift giving and parties, this bourbon caramel sauce will become an instant favorite of anyone who tries it!

Bourbon Caramel Sauce Recipe Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (1)

Thick and sweet, creamy and bourbon-y, this caramel is already calling your name, isn’t it? It’s good enough to eat off a spoon, and you might just find yourself doing that. Not like I know anything about that…

Bourbon Caramel Sauce Recipe Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2)

If you find yourself needing a last-minute hostess gift or a dessert for a party, this is the recipe for you! It’s super easy to make and all you have to do is pour it in a jar and tie some ribbon around it and it’s ready to gift. Or, you can bring it to a party with ice cream for an easy dessert that everyone will love. It would also be great on a number of other things like apple pie, french toast, bread pudding, and more.

Bourbon Caramel Sauce Recipe Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (3)

If you’ve never made caramel before, don’t be scared! This recipe is nearly fool-proof and you can absolutely conquer it. I have faith in you.

In a nutshell:
Boil sugar with water, corn syrup, and a touch of salt. You’ll want to be besties with the stove at this point – don’t leave its side. Swirl the pan and keep a close eye on it.
Watch for it to become the color of a strong-brewed iced tea – or, the color of caramel.
Remove from heat and add the cream and bourbon. Stand back and watch out for steam!
Whisk to combine and then whisk in butter and vanilla.
Let cool and enjoy!

Between the unmistakable flavor of the bourbon (or whiskey, whatever floats your boat), and the rich creaminess of the cream and butter, this is holiday perfection in the form of a smooth, sweet sauce. You guys are going to love it!

Bourbon Caramel Sauce Recipe Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (4)

PS: Love caramel? Try these recipes:
Homemade Caramel Corn with Bourbon and Bacon
Whole Wheat Caramel Banana Bread
Caramel Apple Wraps from Milk Means More
Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream from Milk Means More

Is it just me or would this caramel also be amazing on french toast?

Get the Recipe: Bourbon Caramel Sauce

4.35 from 172 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

12 servings

Print Rate Recipe

Perfect for both gift giving and parties, this bourbon caramel sauce will become an instant favorite of anyone who tries it!

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
▢ 1/4 cup water
▢ 2 tablespoons corn syrup
▢ pinch of salt
▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream
▢ 1 tablespoon bourbon
▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Boil sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally. Cook until caramel is the color of iced tea, about 10 minutes.Watch it closely. It takes awhile to get going, but once it gets going, it can scorch quickly.
Remove from heat and add cream and bourbon (watch out for steam!), whisking to combine. Keep off the heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer sauce to a bowl to cool (and thicken). Store covered in the fridge and reheat slowly in the microwave or over low heat in a saucepan. Also great cold with apples as a dip.

Notes

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 146kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 21mg, Sodium: 47mg, Sugar: 20g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

Disclosure: Ihave been compensated byMilk Means Morefor my time to develop this kale sweet potato salad recipe and write this post. All opinions are as always, my own. Find out more about why Milk Means More onTwitter,Facebook,YouTube,InstagramandPinterest.

Reader Interactions