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Vanilla Bourbon Salted Caramel Sauce

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4.93 from 13 votes
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This Vanilla Bourbon Salted Caramel Sauce is creamy, a little bit salty, and perfectly hinted with vanilla and bourbon. Serve it over ice cream or brownies—or just eat it with a spoon!

vanilla bourbon salted caramel sauce on spoon jar in background

Would you judge me if I told you that I burnt my tongue trying to lick the spoon while this vanilla bourbon salted caramel sauce was cooking? I couldn’t help it…

Seriously, the combination of salt, butter, sugar, cream, and bourbon is enough to make anyone lick a scorching metal spoon clean! 😉

Ingredients

This bourbon caramel sauce is creamy, a little bit salty, and perfectly hinted with vanilla and bourbon

  • Brown Sugar and Unsalted Butter – whisked together to form the base for the caramel sauce.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream – gives the sauce a slightly creamy texture and rich flavor.
  • Vanilla Extract – adds depth of flavor and warmth to bring out the flavor of the brown sugar and bourbon.
  • Bourbon – I love adding bourbon to my caramel. It brings out the warm flavors from the brown sugar and vanilla while also adding its own additional layer of flavor.
  • Salt – add as much or as little as you like!
JUMP TO RECIPE

How to make

This bourbon caramel sauce comes together in just 10 minutes!

  1. In a saucepan, whisk together brown sugar and butter over medium-low heat until thickened.
  2. Slowly add in heavy cream, vanilla, and bourbon, whisking constantly then rase the heat to medium/medium-high and bring to a boil.
  3. Remove from heat and whisk in salt, cool slightly, then serve and enjoy or store in a sealed container in the fridge!
JUMP TO RECIPE

spoon being pulled out of jar of caramel sauce

Why is my caramel sauce watery?

If your salted caramel sauce came out watery or too thin chances are you didn’t boil it long enough. You want it to be at a full boil for about 60 seconds so the mixture has a chance to thicken.

You’ll know the mixture is boiling when you see lots of tiny bubbles on the surface and it starts to rise. Once you that, you can start the 60 second timer!

Can you leave out the bourbon?

You sure can! I love the extra warmth and flavor the bourbon adds to the caramel but if you prefer it without, feel free to omit it.

Can you leave out the salt?

Yep! If you prefer plain caramel over salted caramel, feel free to omit the salt or just add less.

spoonful of caramel sauce being drizzled over jar of caramel sauce

How to serve bourbon caramel sauce

This vanilla bourbon salted caramel sauce is best served on a spoon or with a straw. 😉

Here are a few other ways you can serve this delicious caramel sauce!

spoon of salted caramel sauce

How to store

Leftover caramel sauce will last in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To serve again, warm on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Cheers!

– Jennifer

This vanilla bourbon salted caramel sauce totally speaks for itself. It's creamy, a little bit salty, and is perfectly hinted with vanilla and bourbon. showmetheyummy.com #caramel #icecream #saltedcaramel #bourbon #whiskey

Vanilla Bourbon Salted Caramel Sauce

4.93 from 13 votes
This Vanilla Bourbon Salted Caramel Sauce is creamy, a little bit salty, and perfectly hinted with vanilla and bourbon. Serve it over ice cream or brownies—or just eat it with a spoon!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 16 tablespoons
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Scale

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon*
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Mix the brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for about 7 minutes, until it gets thicker.
  • Slowly add in heavy cream, vanilla, and bourbon. Continue to whisk.
  • Raise the heat to medium/medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Boil for 60 seconds*.
  • Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt.
  • Cool slightly for about 10 mins**.
  • Pour the sauce into a jar, seal, and store in the refrigerator until ready for use.
  • To serve: warm up desired amount in the microwave.
  • Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
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STORING
Room Temp:N/A
Refrigerator:2 Weeks
Freezer:3 Months
Reheat:If frozen, thaw in fridge before serving. Warm in microwave
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions

Notes

Can replace with vanilla extract to make this kid friendly & gluten free.
*You'll know the mixture is boiling when you see lots of tiny looking bubbles and the mixture starts to rise. I started the timer a few seconds after the bubbles started and then it came to a full blown boil.
** If you get any “clumps” while/after cooling, just whisk until smooth again!

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Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Vanilla Bourbon Salted Caramel Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 tablespoon)
Calories 119 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 22mg7%
Sodium 153mg7%
Potassium 25mg1%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 110IU2%
Calcium 16mg2%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.

Keywords: bourbon, salty, sweet, vanilla
Enjoy this recipe?
Tag @showmetheyummy on Instagram and hashtag it #showmetheyummy
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Jennifer Debth

Reader Interactions

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  2. LeAnne

    Seattle, Washington

    5 stars You have NO IDEA how amazingly addictive and delicious this is. I add a touch more cream and bourbon but I’m obsessed with it. I pair it with my pumpkin bread pudding. My family and friends LOVE this caramel sauce. It’s so silky smooth and rich and creamy. 20/10 recommend it!!!!! This will definitely be a recipe that will be passed down for generations (with credit of course 😉 )
    Reply

  10. Kathi

    Zanesville, Ohio

    5 stars Easy, tasty recipe. Will definitely use it again. I did double (more than double) the Bourbon. But that’s just me.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Are you asking how we do that here? Stick butter here is lined in paper that has tablespoon markings on the outside 🙂

    • Nicky

      Harlow, England

      Thank you. We don’t have that here. Butter comes in packs of 250g and some brands have 50g sections marked. So I don’t know how to measure a tablespoon of butter unless it is melted! Therefore can you tell me how many grams is a tablespoon – or 6 as in your recipe – of butter? Nicky

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Ah! Gotcha 🙂 I updated the metric version of the recipe to show the butter correctly in grams. 6 tbsp = 85g. Hope that helps!

  12. Samantha

    Valley Stream, New York

    5 stars The best caramel sauce on the internet! I used an entire stick of butter and it was literally the best thing I’ve ever tasted!
    Reply

  13. Yoyo

    United States

    I am aming for a good kick of bourbon, is the flavor of your recipe mild? If I added more bourbon, would it change the consistency? I’d like to make it a bit strong for the lovers at a my event. Can you help me?
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      That’s hard to say, because everyone’s tastes are so different. I’d test this first and see if it’s strong enough for you!

  15. Kylie

    Los Angeles, California

    Hi, I’m trying out our recipe on my pumpkin cream cheese pie! Have you ever had anyone do this before? Looking forward to making this, it looks great!
    Reply

  16. Sarah

    South Jordan, Utah

    Hello! I am making an apple spice semi naked cake and am in search for an amazing bourbon caramel sauce that will be thick enough to drizzle on the top to do a drip cake without it being too runny where it will run all the way to the bottom as well as where its noticeable and not too translucent. Do you know if this is something that would work for that?
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Pray! I don’t think the caramel would harden up enough for caramel apples. You could definitely use it as a dip for the apples 🙂

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Casey! Not really… even if something containing alcohol cooks for 2.5 hours, 5% of the alcohol would still remain. I’d say this is an adults only dessert sauce 🙂 Feel free to sub the bourbon for vanilla extract!

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Thanks Jackie! It can be stored in the fridge for about two weeks! I’ll make a note of that in the recipe. 🙂

  21. Thalia

    Keilor, Victoria

    Next time I make a salted caramel sauce I definitely will be adding bourbon. Such a delicious addition!
    Reply
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