Salted Caramel Sauce (Vegan, Dairy-Free, Paleo)
Vegan caramel sauce that’s made from coconut milk and coconut sugar – so it’s also dairy-free and paleo. It’s sweet, golden, gooey and you’ll want to drizzle it on everything!
I’m sitting here trying to come up with a justification of how this salted caramel sauce is secretly healthy for you. And from a nutrient-dense standpoint, I have to admit it’s with deep regret that I’m at a loss.
But I can tell you with full health coach integrity that it truly is good for you. How? Because it will make you extraordinarily happy!
Watch My Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe Video
It’s easy to make this recipe, but it always helps to watch a quick tutorial video. Then you can see the perfect texture and color of the sauce before you chill it. Give it a watch below!
A Delicious Vegan Caramel Sauce
This salted caramel sauce is not your mother’s or grandmother’s caramel recipe, made from refined sugar, butter and heavy cream. This dairy-free, paleo and vegan salted caramel sauce leverages the wonderful coconut palm tree in all it’s glory, with three coconut products: coconut milk, coconut sugar and coconut oil.
And before you ask the question – “Does it taste like coconut?” – let me assure you it doesn’t. It tastes like honest to goodness, sinfully good, caramel sauce.
How to Make Vegan Caramel Sauce
If you’ve ever made traditional caramel sauce you probably remember watching it carefully – with one eye on the sauce (to prevent burning) and one eye on a candy thermometer (to ensure the appropriate temperature).
Well, good news. This version is far easier. Just mix the coconut milk, coconut sugar and salt and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will have to watch it more closely towards the end, but that’s it. Then, remove from the heat, add the vanilla and coconut oil and there you have it….the most divine salted caramel sauce.
Caramel Sauce Tips
- The first time I made this caramel sauce I got a little concerned at the dark color – so take note, it will turn a dark amber. But the next day after it’s been chilled, it will lighten up a bit.
- Another hint – judge the “doneness” of the sauce by texture, smell and taste. Cook until it coats the back of a spoon and tastes caramel-y. It will still be fairly liquid on the stove, but will thicken slightly as it cools. The cooking times will vary widely based on the brand of coconut milk used as well as stove temperature and climate. So for your first time making this recipe, just cook it slowly on a simmer and let it do it’s thing (on it’s own time). No need to rush this gorgeous sauce. The reward is worth the wait.
So what do you do with this sauce once you’re done? Oh, just drizzle it on absolutely everything. That’s what I’ve been doing.
This salted caramel sauce is also used in these other recipes: Vegan Caramel Cheesecake, Salted Caramel Apple Pie Ice Cream (Vegan) and Iced Matcha and Salted Caramel Latte. Enjoy!
Salted Caramel Sauce (Vegan, Dairy-Free, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz coconut milk, full fat
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the coconut milk, coconut sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a boil (keeping a close eye on it, as it can quickly boil over), then immediately lower the temperature, keeping the sauce at a light simmer.
- Simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the sauce reaches the last 5-8 minutes of cooking time, stir more frequently to incorporate the darker caramel bits from the bottom into the sauce.
- Once the sauce has turned a dark amber and has thickened to coat the back of a spoon, remove from the heat and stir in the coconut oil and vanilla extract.
- Serve the sauce warm or refrigerate in a sealed glass jar.
Lisa's Tips
- This recipe makes approximately 1 cup caramel sauce.
- The caramel sauce will stay good for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
- I receive a lot of questions on the coconut milk I use. I use this brand of coconut milk for all my recipes.
Nutrition
Recipe originally posted July 2015, but updated to include new photos and video.
Can i use maple syrup instead of coconut sugar?
Hi Patricia – You can try using maple syrup, you will just need to cook it for a bit longer as maple syrup holds more moisture. Also, the color probably won’t come out as a deep brown as shown in the picture. Hope that helps!
Love the salted caramel recipe. Easy, delicious, perfect consistency, Thanks, Barbara
Hi Barbara – So glad you enjoyed this sauce :)
I just made this to drizzle over brownies and WOW! It is perfect. The recipe yielded about 3/4 cup for me.. but only because I ate 1/4 cup straight out of the pot before it was done ;)
SO GOOD!
Hi Justeen – Wow, this caramel drizzled over brownies sounds amazing! Glad you enjoyed this recipe :)
Can I use regular sugar for this?
Yes, but it might change the cook times. You’ll need to keep an eye on it for proper color.
You can’t go wrong if you follow the recipe. This is so yummy I had to restrain myself from eating it with a spoon.
Hi Rita – This is definitely an addictive recipe! :)
Hi Lisa! I love this recipe so much❤️ I was just wondering how much a serving is?
Hi Farah – One serving is about 2 tablespoons :)
So yummy! Made this for the Caramel Cheeksecake recipe and it was wonderful. Will be making again as an icecream topping!!
Hi Amy – I haven’t tried it as an ice cream topping yet! That sounds amazing :) Will have to try it sometime.
Do you need to keep a lid on while it simmers?
Hi Summer – No, you do not need to keep a lid on :)
This is amazing caramel! Its worthy the time you need to simmer lol It felt like forever, but once it was done, sooo good!
Hi Dea – Happy to hear you enjoyed this caramel! It tastes great on top of my cheesecake as well :)
Hi!
Thank you so much for amazing recipes on your blog! I just have a question about this caramel recipe. Is it possible to use maple sugar instead of coconut sugar? Thank you in advance!
Hi Tammi – that’s a great question and unfortunately I haven’t tried it yet. If you do try that substitution, let me know how it goes!
This worked SO well for me. I used Trader Joes coconut milk and brown sugar. I did end im simmering for about 1hr20 but it made an amazing caramel. I also added a bit of bourbon in to make a bourbon caramel :)
Hi Jacqueline – I love the addition of the bourbon :) Happy you enjoyed this recipe!
This is very good however after its been in the frig, hard as a rock, due to the coconut milk I guess. Needed to be reheated a bit to use it. I also noticed that when I reheated a few seconds in the microwave it seemed oily. Also tastes a bit coconutty for me. I used date sugar in place of coconut sugar.
It seemed the right consistency before refrigeration.
Hi Betty – Yes, after refrigerating you will need to re-heat it and make sure to give it a good mix before serving!
What method do you suggest is the best for reheating? I made this tonight, but wont be using it until tomorrow so I am going to refrigerate it overnight. Do you suggest putting it back in a pot to reheat or just microwaving until soft to pour on!
Hi Mikayla – you could use either method to reheat it. But if you’re pouring it on the cheesecake, I probably wouldn’t reheat it at all. Maybe just let it come to room temperature. You don’t want it too liquidy when pouring.
Will this sauce harden for candy apples?
I saw you answered this already. Oops :)
No worries. :)
Unfortunately, no. It stays more liquid.
So I used granulated sugar and lactaid whole milk and it is still yummy I cant wait to put it on my husband’s birthday cake
Hi Brittany – Amazing! I hope your husband loves the final cake :)
How long would we need to cook this and what modifications are needed if we want to make caramel apples (on a stick). Thanks!
Hi Carla – This caramel sauce actually won’t be the best option for a caramel apple as this is more liquidy and doesn’t harden.