I recently needed caramel sauce for a cake and decided it was time to try my hand at a homemade one. You can find some great store-bought  caramel sauce but I knew that homemade would take this particular cake over the top. I also knew that I was a little apprehensive of making my own.

 I’m scared of candy thermometers.

 And burnt sugar.

 And failure.

 I did some searching for the easiest homemade caramel sauce recipe I could find, no thermometers required and finally settled on this one. As you can see, this recipe is super simple and it truly does make the most delicious, buttery sauce. I stole so many spoonful’s that I’m truly surprised any of it ended up in the cake it was intended for. I really think this recipe is impossible to screw up and I thought I’d pass it along in case any of you have the same anxiety I do. Once you try this you’ll never buy caramel sauce in a squeeze tube again.

Easy Caramel Sauce

Makes 1 ½ cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup cream
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring just to a boil and then turn down to medium-low heat, whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until a thicker sauce forms. Remove from heat. Serve warm or store in the refrigerator.

Recipe from the Pioneer Woman