Traditional Vegan Caramel Sauce

This vegan caramel sauce is so easy to make, and can be used for all your caramel creations! The texture is rich and creamy, but can be easily thinned out by heating up the sauce.

I am a huge fan of caramel. It is my go to flavour for just about any dessert. When I first made caramel sauce from scratch, I knew I was never going to have to buy store-bought caramel sauce again. I tried several different recipes online, but I eventually started testing out a recipe of my own that suited my preferences better.

After having made caramel sauce many times, I have compiled some tips to make fool-proof caramel sauce every time. I also took some time to research the science behind making caramel sauce. Scroll down to read more!

Science behind making caramel sauce

Traditional caramel is made by heating sugar and cream until the sugar molecules break down into its carbonyl group, which reacts with the amino acid from the cream to produce a Maillard reaction. The result of this reaction is non-enzymatic browning, which means the reaction is not catalyzed by the presence of an enzyme (via differencebetween.com).

Because heat plays an important role in the reaction, and can make or break your caramel, you can take caramel-making a step further by monitoring the process based on the temperature. In my opinion, if you are simply making caramel for personal usage, following the recipe and using the tips is sufficient enough to create consistent caramel every time.

To make caramel sauce, other ingredients are added to enhance the flavour and to adjust the density of the sauce depending on the usage. For example, you can add butter (a solid fat) which will help the caramel sauce thicken when it cools.

Making vegan caramel sauce is slightly different, since there is no direct substitute for heavy cream. Alternatively, you can use coconut cream, which also contain the protein needed to break down into amino acids. The only downside (if you want to consider it as such) is that the caramel sauce will have a hint of coconut flavour.

In this recipe, we are using brown sugar and maple syrup as the sugar component of the caramel. I find that the maple syrup increases the viscosity of the sauce, and adds wonderful flavours of its own. We’re also adding a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness.

Tips for making vegan caramel sauce

• Use pure maple syrup if possible.
  Be flexible when it comes to the heat level of the stove. The recipe might say “simmer on medium”, but it depends on the heat conductivity of your saucepan, or even the stove itself.
• Closely relating to the previous tip- when you are simmering the caramel sauce, keep a close eye on the pan and adjust the temperature as needed. The sauce should be gently foaming without growing dangerously close to the rim of the pan.
• If the caramel stops foaming due to the temperature being too low, increase the heat of the stove as needed.
• When stirring the caramel sauce, start from the outside, scrap down the sides and circle your way towards the middle. Any residual sugar on the sides of the pan may crystallize and botch your batch.