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Have you heard of the phrase "to-die-for"? I think that it might have been invented just for this Salted Apple Cider Caramel Sauce! Think I'm kidding? Well maybe so, but "to die for" is exactly what both Scott and I said when we took the first tiny tastes of this caramel sauce. And the second and the third... well, we won't go any further.
Each year in late August I like to pick up a jug of apple cider and make this fabulous Apple Cider Caramel Sauce to get me psyched up for the coming season. It's super easy and, except for reducing the apple cider, it comes together in minutes. The apple cider reduction (the delicious secret in this recipe) takes 15 minutes but it's mostly hands-off time. It's simply a matter of simmering the cider till it's sweet and syrupy (and literally bursting with apple flavor!).
After that, the whole thing comes together in less than 10 minutes. It's so easy you might not like me any more, as this sauce can go from a whim to a wonderful reality in no time flat. That's dangerous!
You'll flip when you take the first taste; it's sweet, rich, silky smooth and buttery, with lots of caramel flavor. But then comes the amazing part; the tart, bright and fresh apple flavor hits your taste buds - the combination is impossibly delicious!
How to use this sauce
You'll find a zillion ways to use this Apple Cider Caramel Sauce (besides eating it with a spoon right from the jar!). Here are a few ideas:
- Keep a carton of good vanilla ice cream in the freezer and a jar of this sauce in the fridge and you'll have a fabulous instant dessert. Serve it with a few shortbread cookies on the side for a heavenly treat!
- Use it as a dipping sauce for fresh apple slices for a healthy/splurge dessert.
- This is a perfect pairing with any apple dessert and takes whatever you put it on up another delicious level.
- Drizzle a bit over oatmeal topped with fresh apples and a bit of cream for a super delicious weekend breakfast.
- Swirl it through your favorite brownie mix.
- Drizzle it over pancakes topped with diced apples instead of maple syrup.
- Use it as a sauce for dessert crepes filled with Mascarpone or Ricotta.
- Dip chunks of bananas in this apple cider caramel sauce, coat with finely chopped pecans, then freeze for a fun, sweet snack or dessert.
- Use as a sauce for apple dumplings.
- Stir a spoonful into your coffee for a Saturday morning splurge.
Café Tips for making this Salted Apple Cider Caramel Sauce
- If you use a medium-large pot to make this sauce, it will take less time to reduce the cider as the surface area is nice and large.
- Watch the sauce carefully during the last few minutes of reduction. You want the cider to get nice and syrupy but not boiled down to nothing (and a burnt pan!).
- You can use light brown sugar in this Apple Cider Caramel Sauce, but I really like the deep color and rich flavor that results from dark brown sugar.
- This sauce doubles easily and keeps well in the refrigerator. It's great to have on hand for a super easy dessert for unexpected guests (or when the sweet tooth fairy strikes).
- Feel free to omit the cinnamon and cloves. They add a touch of fall, but the sauce will still be delicious without them!
- This recipe calls for flaky sea salt. I love Maldon flaky sea salt. As the name implies, it's a salt that has a flaky consistency rather than crystallized. The most well-known producer of flaky sea salt is Maldon (my favorite and the choice of many chefs), which sources its flakes from the waters off Essex, England (about 50 miles north of London). It's a little more expensive than some sea salt, but it's really nice to keep a box of this on hand to use as a finishing salt. Just a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt, rubbed between your fingers adds fabulous flavor and a little crunch to so many dishes.
This silky smooth Apple Cider Caramel Sauce is buttery and bursting with delicious, fresh apple flavor. It's wonderful on ice cream and is also a fabulous way to pizzaz up any fall dessert!
- 1 cup apple cider
- ¼ cup butter 2 ounces
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea flaky salt
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Place the apple cider in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a high, steady simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until cider gets syrupy and is reduced to 2 tablespooons.
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Add butter to pan and cook until melted. Add the sugar, cream and spices. Stir until well blended. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a high, steady simmer and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently.
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Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and flaky sea salt. Stir to combine.
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You're done! The sauce will thicken as it cools. If it gets too thick, just add an extra bit of apple cider or cream and stir well. Sauce should be stored in the refrigerator. It can be re-warmed in the microwave or on the stovetop in a small pan.
See Café Tips above for further instructions and more detailed tips.
Recipe makes 1 cup of caramel sauce.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
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Haley says
Do we use ground or whole cloves ?
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Hi Haley, it's ground cloves. Enjoy!
Liz J says
Hi Chris,
I tried making this today and my apple cider kept separating so I wasted a whole 16 ounce bottle of cider. Any thoughts?
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Liz, I've never had that happen. Did you boil it until it was reduced way down? Was it pure apple cider?
Liz J says
Chris, thanks for your quick response. Yes, it was an all natural apple cider.
Chris Scheuer says
So sorry for this problem, Liz. I've made this numerous time and never had a separation so I can't say what went wrong.
Katherine Austin says
I tried another person’s recipe and failed miserably. I want to try this one, but only have half and half not heavy whipping cream. Do you think it will still work?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Katherine, this recipe is best with cream. You could use half and half but the sauce will be thinner and not as rich.
Karen Baer says
This is the most delicious caramel sauce I have ever tasted. I have shared it with many of my friends and they can't get enough of it. Can I put this in jars and give as gifts. What is the shelf life, not in the fridge?
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So happy you have enjoyed it, Karen.
Regarding your question, I wouldn't leave it out for more than a few hours and let people know that it should be refrigerated (it can also be frozen).
Gretchen says
This Spiced Apple Salted Caramel Sauce is delicious!!
I used this with something very sweet so the salt was a nice contrast.
Otherwise, I'd prefer it slightly less salty. About 3/4s the amount of salt called for is great for my taste. That equals 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons of total salt. Naturally you can salt it according to your taste.
I used this as both a filling & a caramel ganache topping in combination with a fabulous Spiced Apple Cake & Vanilla Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting/filling. To insure this caramel sauce would firm up enough to also use it as a ganache I stirred in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter to the hot finished caramel. All that said... this recipe as written (regarding the salt) was a perfect addition to my sweet cake.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Gretchen!
Elsie says
I have just finished making this and it is delicious. But, is there any way to cut the sugar back and still have the recipe work? I'm thinking maybe 1/4 cup sugar rather than 1/2 cup?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Elsie, you could try it but I think the sauce will be thinner as the sugar helps to thicken it.
Michelle says
Absolutely wonderful over ice cream! Was definitely enjoyed by all.
Chris Scheuer says
We love this one too, Michelle. Thanks for sharing your review!
Sheree Hey says
Sorry but this was awful! Maybe we have different Apple Cider Vinegar in Malaysia, but that vinegar still bit the back of my throat and I had to chuck this batch in the bin. What a waste of butter and cream!
Chris Scheuer says
Oh my goodness! It's not apple cider VINEGAR, just plain apple cider. I am certain this sauce was terrible with apple cider vinegar. I'm so sorry you wasted good ingredients, Sheree, but do try it with apple cider. If you can't find apple cider, apple juice will also work.
Loretta Z says
I have made this several times in the last few years. Finally giving credit where credit is due. This is a fabulous sauce! Thank you so much for sharing, it is now a family favorite!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Loretta! 🙂 So happy you enjoyed this! We love it too!
Sue R says
Do you use alcoholic apple cider or non-alcoholic cider?
Em says
Do you think this is freezable? I would love to cook down a big batch and hold it for later in the fall or even for gifts.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Em, I haven't tried freezing this sauce. What you could do, is cook down the cider and freeze that reduction. When you wanted to make the sauce, just finish it off which wouldn't take much time at all.
Victoria Love says
This looks out of this world, Chris! Do you think I dare double the recipe? Thinking of making several small jars as gifts for the neighbors.
Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Victoria,
You can definitely double this recipe. I do that frequently. It will take a little longer to reduce the apple cider. Reduce it to 1/4 cup rather than 2 tablespoons. What a wonderful neighbor you are! 🙂
Victoria Love says
Awww, thanks, Chris, and thanks for the information!
Jo Anne T says
Thanks for sharing this recipe, Chris! And since I have been pretty much sugar-free since early 2018, I can make this with my sweetener of choice (Monk fruit), and add a touch of color with molasses syrup! Yum!
Chris Scheuer says
Great idea, Jo Anne!
ruth says
Can you tell us how long it lasts (besides eating it all) in the fridge?
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! This will last for at least 2 weeks in the fridge, just warm it up before serving.
Caroline says
How much sauce does the recipe yield??
Chris Scheuer says
Around 2 cups.
Allison says
I just finished cooking this sauce for a dinner party tonight. Let me just say, AMAZING!!! This is the best caramel sauce I have ever, ever had! I will serve it over Muscat, ginger poached pears and ice cream. This is another beautiful recipe from you, Chris! Thank you so much!
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you for the kind comment Allison!
JohnB says
A friend included in my Christmas gift a small bag of William Sonoma's "Apple Spice Caramels". They are such an addictive taste that I started thinking of what it would be like to melt them and drizzle over vanilla ice cream or any of a number of other desserts that are improved with caramel sauce. I decided to see if I could find a recipe online and my first try resulted in this recipe. The spices, the apple cider, I can't wait to make a batch and try it out as I suspect it will taste very much like the caramels.
Jodies Kitchen says
I am looking forward to trying this,and I think I will just drink it ,it sounds so good..LOL. I shared this as well over at Jodies Kitchen.
Anonymous says
Just made this and oh my goodness it's wonderful ! I think I just spoiled my supper.
Gwen
Chris Scheuer says
🙂
Ally says
Apple cider...brilliant, Chris...gots to make this...I'm thinking a drizzle on a coffee cake, maybe scones...hummmm, endless possibilities! xo ~ally
Kim says
I just made this for a birthday. I have a great oatmeal spice recipe from my great-grandmother and I drizzled this sauce over it while both were still warm.
It was really easy to make and turned out SO DELECTABLE! Someone even commented that it is the best cake they've ever had. I used high quality organic pasture butter and cream so I think it turned out as perfect as can be.
This is going to be my go-to recipe for parties and gatherings now!
Vera Zecevic – Cupcakes Garden says
Great job,this must be delicious!
www.you-made-that.com says
Chris this looks so delectable I love it, it reminds me of the apple caramels I made last year so I know I would love this. I could think of a ton of uses for this too :).
Laura Dembowski says
I love caramel, but it's so nice to see such a unique spin on it. I bet apple cider is a wonderful flavor addition!
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Major drool going on... I have all the ingredients and I am imagining this over good vanilla ice cream as a quick dessert... slurp. I need to make this soon. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!