Sugar Free Caramel Sauce
A rich and creamy Sugar Free Caramel Sauce that is good on just about anything! This salted caramel sauce is ready in less than 20 minutes with less than 1 net carb per serving!
This salted caramel sauce is divine. Since I created this recipe for my brand new blog over 10 years ago, I’ve made it countless times for my sweet tooth. I’ve also used it in a whole bunch of other recipes. Its decadent flavor works to top cakes, use in candies, and spoon on ice cream. It is one of my all-time favorite recipes. This easy keto caramel sauce recipe is low carb, gluten-free, keto, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly. It can be a guilt-free addition to your favorite treat.
Love caramel as much as I do? Try my Salted Caramel Cups or Salted Caramel Shortbread Squares next.
Ingredients
- Butter – I normally just use regular salted butter.
- Sweetener– My sweetener is twice as sweet as regular refined sugar. It is the perfect way to enhance the sweetness and tastes excellent too. See my notes in the recipe card on substitutions for monk fruit, erythritol, allulose, and others. You can also use a brown sugar sweetener if you prefer.
- Heavy Cream– Using heavy cream is going to give you a delicious and creamy result every time. To make this dairy-free, coconut cream is a good choice. If you use coconut milk, you will need to cook it much longer.
- Vanilla – You don’t need a lot of vanilla; just ½ teaspoon will do the trick. It tastes perfect with the other ingredients.
- Salt – The salt amount can be adjusted to make it more or less salty, depending on your preferences.
How to Make Sugar Free Caramel Sauce
This is really, really easy to make. You have to cook it until it’s a second away from burning to get a really good caramel flavor. This creates a natural flavor from the browned sweetener. I can identify the end point as much by look as by the smell. It’s better to cook this low carb caramel sauce recipe slowly the first time you try to make it so you don’t end up actually burning it.
👉 Tip: The secret to cooking homemade sugar-free caramel sauce really is preparing it slowly. It’s easy to burn if you are in a hurry and try to cook it too quickly.
1️⃣ Mix the Ingredients
Mix the butter, sweetener, and ½ cup of the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the sweetener is dissolved.
2️⃣ Cook Until Browned
Drizzle in the vanilla and continue cooking until it’s a deep golden brown. When it is that deep brown color, remove the pan from the heat.
3️⃣ Add the Cream & Salt
Pour in the rest of the heavy cream. Stir until smooth and creamy. Sprinkle in ¼ teaspoon of salt to the caramel. Add more as desired to reach the flavor you are looking for. Allow the caramel to cool for at least 10 minutes before using it.
4️⃣ Serve or Store
Serve the caramel as desired or store it in a jar for later.
Storage
The homemade keto caramel sauce should be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. It’s important to keep the sugar free caramel sauce in an airtight jar or container. Then it will last a couple of weeks. When the caramel sauce is cold, it will solidify. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to happen, and you can quickly warm it up in the microwave. Just don’t heat it too long, so it doesn’t burn. After warming, you may need to blend it in a blender or mini food processor to eliminate and crystallized bits.
You can freeze the sugar free caramel sauce recipe in an airtight container and will last 2-3 months. You will need to thaw it and heat it in the microwave before using it.
One of our favorite things to do is to eat the pieces of caramel right out of the fridge. They are like heavenly little caramel sugar candies. Yum!
Common Questions
Can I make syrup instead of sauce?
If you want to make a thinner sugar free caramel syrup recipe make my keto simple syrup recipe instead and flavor it with caramel extract.
How Long Does Homemade Sugar Free Caramel Sauce Last?
This homemade keto caramel will last one week or even a little bit longer. The first thing you will notice is that the smell seems to be a little off once it starts going bad. If you notice anything that appears wrong or if there is mold growing, then it’s probably started spoiling, and it should be tossed.
Do I Have To Add Salt To the Keto Caramel Sauce?
I love the flavor that adding the salt gives keto salted caramel sauce, but if adding salt isn’t for you, that’s totally fine. It will taste great without the salt, too. It’s entirely up to you, and you should make it how you like it. If you would rather add extra salt, that’s great too.
How can I use sugar free caramel sauce?
This one is a no-brainer. Eat with a spoon, top ice cream, add to coffee, top brownies or a cake. The options for caramel treats are endless. And for an extra special dessert, use this to top my Keto Cheesecake Recipe!
Here are some of my favorite desserts that incorporate low carb caramel sauce:
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Sugar-Free Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 oz butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream divided
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Combine butter, sweetener, and 1/2 cup of the cream over medium*** heat. Stir until the sweetener is dissolved.
- Add vanilla. Cook until it is a deep golden brown. This may take up to 15 minutes. If you don’t stir frequently or it gets too hot it may separate.
- As soon as it reaches that deep color remove from the heat and immediately add the rest of the heavy cream. (If you are making this ahead use an extra 2 tablespoons). Stir until smooth.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and taste. I prefer my salted caramel slightly salty so I like this with the full 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Cool for 10 min before using.
Notes
Nutrition
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Originally Published November 24, 2015. Revised and Republished March 17, 2026.
pretty dog gone delishous
darn tooting!
hello Unfortunately, I could not prepare a good caramel. I used stevia to sweeten, but no matter what I waited and continued to stir, the color did not change and the solution did not thicken, and finally it separated due to overheating. I need your help to tell me how I can get the color I want? Although I did not get a good appearance and color, but the taste was wonderful
I’m sorry but stevia won’t work. You need a sugar alcohol based sweetener.
This did not work. I was left with what looked like melted butter
Hi Erica, it sounds to me that your sauce separated. This can happen if it gets too hot. I am always happen to help. Which sweetener did you use?
Made this just now & it turned out perfect. Can’t wait to have it on keto cheesecake this Easter!
One mistake I almost made – the salt amount in the recipe looks to me like 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt. So glad that in your comments you said you like the full 1/2 teaspoon! Please change the dash to the slash mark to read correctly. Thanks for your good recipes!
I noticed what Lisa said about the recipe, but it still isn’t changed. I almost put in too much salt, but then noticed the 1/4 tsp. in the notes. I would give a 5 star rating if the recipe were corrected. I only made half the amount and it turned out very well.
I just edited the post. Not sure why it didn’t work the first time. Sorry about that!
This recipe didn’t work for me at all unfortunately. I followed the recipe to an exact T and while I was heating, it never turned brown and I heated it for over 30 minutes possibly even 45 on medium to low heat and it got very hot and was boiling I stirred that whole time. The butter fat started separating, as did the milk fat. I tried to hang on and decided to just take it off the heat, it was slightly yellow color. As soon as I took it off the heat, I dumped and the rest of the heavy, whipping cream, and it really separated, and never came together. Basically just clarified butter with clumpy heavy whipping cream on the bottom. It’s too bad I bet this would’ve been a great recipe, but I think there needs to be more clear instructions, and What to do when certain things happen.
Hi Jennifer, which sweetener did you use? At some point did you turn up the heat?
Hi! Could You You Your Carmel Sauce On Baked Sweet Potatoes With Keto Marshmallows??
Sure! That’s a great idea.
This is delicious! I used 1 cup of granulated monk fruit sweetener and it was more than sweet enough.
Can you use maple syrup as a sweetener? How would that effect the taste and the amount needed?
I’m sorry but I’m not sure if maple syrup would work.
This is soooo good! I’m only allowed to make a half batch now. I have started to take it a little bit further each time for ultimate caramel goodness and it keeps getting better and better!
Can I use honey or agave syrup as sweetener?? .?.would you reduce the milk or the butter to adjust the amount of liquid or I could use maple sugar.?..
I’m not sure those would work, sorry!
If you are looking for a sugar free caramel sauce then you have arrived at the right recipe. It is the BEST! My whole family loves it. I made a caramel slice and it is so decadent. I can only eat a small slice and am totally satisfied. I am an over eater of the good things and this recipe has me satisfied with a small portion. What a win! Thanks Taryn for all your kitchen experimentation. Your recipes are so good and spot on. Everything I have tried of yours has turned out well.
Thanks so much, Kathie!
This is my favorite sugar-free caramel sauce. My husband loves it, too, and says he can’t believe it’s sugar-free!
The only problem with this caramel is that I want to just eat it and eat it until it’s gone. So delicious. I did make it with coconut sugar and it turned out great. It was a lot darker in color than when I made it in the past with erythritol. Erythritol makes my tongue swell, so I had to switch to coconut sugar. I did use less (3/4 cup instead of 1 cup) and it was plenty sweet. I like this on mug cakes. Yup I could eat a few of those (mug cakes) too!!!!
I have made this before and it’s wonderful! BUT…I want to make it today and don’t have heavy cream. I have coconut milk, but not coconut cream and I have almond milk. Which one would be the better one to use? Maybe either and reduce the amount? I don’t want to waste precious sweetener. Thank you!
If I’m reading this right, if I use Monk Fruit I should use 2 1/2 cups. Is that correct?
Thanks,
Susan
No, 1.5 cups. And that is if you are using a blend with erythritol like lakanto. Pure monk fruit extract powder will not work.
Thanks for the clarification so you may want to edit your recipe notes. “To sub in Swerve or Lakanto Monk Fruit use 1.5 times the amount of sweetener called for” really would be 2.5 cups as Susan mentioned above. (1 cup x 1.5 = 2.5 cups) Maybe something like “If subbing, use 1.5 cups of Swerve or Lakanto Monk Fruit sweetners.”
No, that is incorrect. 1 times 1.5 is 1.5. When you multiply anything by one it is still the same number. You are adding instead of multiplying.
Could you possibly make this in the microwave ??
Possibly. I haven’t tested it. My suggestion would be to cook on 50% power and stir every minute. Use a large bowl. I’m afraid it might boil over.